The end of the School year is quickly looming, and you are thinking of starting training Gymnastics in a Club from September or to do a Gymnastics summer camp. In this blog we are listing you the things you most likely will need to start your journey as a beginner gymnast.
A Gym Close to Home with Vacant Spots
This will be your number one concern, to find a gymnastics club that has some vacant spot for you to join. Some national associations such as the USAG, the British National Association or the French National Association, help you identify clubs in you areas. Make sure to contact them ahead of time, to secure your spot, as these can sometimes be in high demand. Gymnastics can be an expensive sport, depending where you practice, make sure your parents are aware of the financial commitment and ask clear questions about pricing to the club you are looking to join. Visiting the gym and meeting with the coaches can also be a great option for you to feel if you believe that gym will be a good match for you and your objectives.
Time
Gymnastics is a very time consuming sport, due to the need for high number of repetitions to master a skill. Depending on what gymnastics program you go for, you will need more or less hours per week. In the USA you can either go forward with Xcel, which is more recreational and less time consuming, or with USAGymnastics which will be more time consuming but can open the door to College Gymnastics and Professional Gymnastics.
Tight clothing
Gymnastics can be a dangerous sport, and any large clothing could increase your risk of injury. You will therefore, need tight clothing such as leggings, sports bra, sports tshirt, leotards, shorts. A leotard is the best clothing as it will adapt to your body movement, but they can become pricey to purchase. You can find some leotards on Gymzana, GKelite, Ozone, Moreau, Quatro... Remember sometimes facebook groups have great second hands ones too, and Amazon has some vendors as well. We cannot list all the leotards companies on this specific blog post, but make sure to register in our newsletter as we will share a list of the main places you can find great leotards.
A Training Bag
You will need a specific bag for your gymnastics training, so you can carry your clothes and accessories. There is no specific needs for the bag, a handbag, a backpack, anything that you think will suit you. You can find some Gymnastics Designs bags on Gymzana.
Hand Guard or no?
You probably have seen on TV competition before that Gymnasts tend to use hand guards. Some coaches like to have beginners start right away on them, and some leave you the choice to later on. This will be something you can discuss with your coach. Hand guard help you have a better grip of the bar, and might be very beneficial at higher levels. You can find some hand guard on most gymnastics website such as Reisport, which are widespread in the industry, Christian Moreau and many others...
Hair Accessories
Inside you gymnastics bag remember to have a little case with hair accessories such as ties, pins and hairspray. Each Gymnast has her own habits when it comes to hair style at training, however, remember your hair should be up and holding well enough so it does not end in your eyes while flipping! You can find some cases to put hair accessories here for example.
Remove Hazards and Keep Yourself Safe
Make sure to always remove your jewellery before training, if you wear glasses make sure to secure them with a band. It is also advisable to have some spare adhesive bands if you need to wrap your wrists or ankles, and some spare disinfectant and bandaids to cover any open wounds after a great bars sessions.
Positive Gymnastics Journal
Pack your Positive Gymnastics Journal for training, this will help you track your progress, set your goals, keep the coaches advice at hand, and most importantly focus on your physical and mental health at training. At Gymzana we are proud to have to have created this great training tool, so make sure to make the most use out of it! If you haven't learnt about its benefits make sure to read about the Positive Gymnastics section on our website. 😍
Water Bottle
Make sure to pack fresh water for your training, and even better for the planet if it is a reusable bottle. You can find some beautiful reusable bottles with some Gymnastics designs on Gymzana of course.
Motivation (of course)!
Gymnastics is a sports that requires a lot of dedication and resilience to fall and get up again. Your motivation will be the thing you will use on a daily basis in the gym, so make sure you pack it in your gym bag!