WHAT IS PHYSICAL CONDITION ?

The term “ physical condition “ is very wide and is not specific enough to describe what we often wish to say. There are seven separate areas which can all be absorbed into such a slick term, physical condition.
a. physical strength. The ability of a muscle to contract against a force. The greater the force the muscle can overcome the stronger it may be said to be.
b. muscular endurance. The ability of the muscle to make many contractions without loss of power.
c. cardio respiratory endurance. The ability of the heart to keep the blood ( the gas transport system of the body ) circulating.
d. Flexibility. The degree of rotation attainable around a joint complex. The limiting factors here may not be in that joint at all.
e. power. Related to the speed at which the forces opposing movement can be overcome.
f. co-ordination. Related to the nerve impulses which stimulate muscle contraction and the ability of the body to decode skills from the memory.
g. relaxation. It is only rarely that the musculature of the body, other than that involved with vital organs, will cease to receive and transmit signals. In such a state the process of learning is acute.

1. S.A.I.D The body SPECIALLY, ADAPTS TO IMPOSED DEMANDS. SPECIFICALLY………….changes can be predicted.
ADAPTS…………………..can improve or become poorer
IMPOSED…………………unaccustomed
DEMANDS………………..expectation of performance

2. OVERLOAD The demands must always be greater than before for improvement.
a. Overload by increased resistance.
b. Overload by increased repetition
c. Overload by increased work rate
d. Overload by expectation ( often psychological overload )

3. CONTROL A highly technical and aesthetical sport requires great care in the organization of all those attributes which are required to become a successful performer. Care in the preparation of the body and mind, and care in he teaching process.

Gymnastics is movement. Movement requires the use of contracting muscles. The contraction have either to oppose gravity ( i.e. jumping ) or has to articulate the mechanical parts of the body. If the body is neither strong enough nor efficient enough to make those contractions then the skills are limited to the simple and insecure.

In total body activities it is the central system of respiration, and the heat dissipation, and nervous system and cell function which are likely to established the limit of performance.

BIOMECHANICS

What is this thing called biomechanics ?

Biomechanics is perhaps the most important of sport sciences a gymnastics coach must understand. A thorough grasp of the main biomechanical theories can allow the coach to look at any gymnastic skill and evaluate it.

This guide will take you step by step through the relevant theories, starting with the most fundamental, and building on them to demonstrate more complex areas. For some of these fundamental areas, there are certain terms for which we must learn biomechanical jargon. Such as centre of mass and parabola. This is to make discussion of connected topics easier to understand.

Why do I need to understand biomechanics ?

The nature of this sport that we call gymnastics means that we are constantly trying to analyse what we are seeing or have just seen. Trying to work out why our gymnast has over-rotated, under-rotated, fallen, is too low, is too high, is too far from the bar or has just plain collapsed.

If we can understand some basic biomechanics, we can start to understand why these things have happened and enhance our coaching and increase the success of our gymnasts.

QUOTES FROM FAMOUS GYMNASTS

"Set daily, monthly, and long term goals and dreams. Don't ever be afraid to dream too big. Nothing is impossible. If you believe in yourself, you can achieve it." -Nastia Liukin, USA, 2008 Olympic all-around champion

DIFFERENT SYSTEM

Seeing is believing. I heard stories about the Soviet Union ( Russia ) and its gymnasts. Tales of KGB, torture, and tripling tykes left little impression. I wanted to see it firsthand. So the opportunity came. I was selected to attend a Coaching Course under the U.N.E.S.C.O. educational Diploma Coaching program in Moscow, that was in 1983. I took it without second thought for my purpose is to learn more about the Soviet system of gymnastics.

Coaches from 20 countries were housed on different floors at the Sports Hotel, Lenninsky Prospek. Every morning we traveled by bus to the Olympisky Sports Complex built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics .Lectures in the morning and practical sessions in the evening. During the weekends we were taken to the Dynamo Club, Central Amy Club, Sports Schools, Sports Science Centre, Circus Schools and city tours, complete with a team of interpreters to answer our every need.

We have seen top Russian gymnasts at World Championships, Olympic Games and etc., but those gymnasts were the results of many years of training – the finished product. I also wanted to learn how the Russians developed their youngsters.

What we see at these clubs were not the whole picture, indeed, but there was an underlying theme to the Russians training that is missing from that of ours and many other nations. The selected preschool-age youngsters at these facilities, weren’t attempting cartwheels or choo-choo trains. Instead they were being stre…..tched and strengthened for three hours with a conditioning program that would make a typical Malaysian male gymnast cry “ Daddy “ By the time these kids are six or seven years old, they have a perfect body line and a solid handstand. Next step ? Take them to the apparatus.

Granted, the Malaysian idea of preschool gymnastics is a far cry from three hour sessions of splits and planche presses. If we did that, little Jamal and Jamilah might quit after 15 minutes, and where would the “ business “ be ? So the main difference lies not within our children but with our system.

We see the Russians, Chinese and Americans performing new skills all the time, and its only natural to want to match them. But it is difficult to keep pace if you don’t have a solid foundation.

So, as gymnastics continue to become more and more difficult, we should not be consumed with learning the latest D or E element. Instead, we should strive for the proper preparation from the beginning of a gymnast’s career.

I would be sharing my experience about coaching in my other blog http://magayarspindle.blogspot.com

Small steps forward now will prevent big steps backward later. “ MALAYSIA BOLEH “

FEDERAL TERRITORY ( Kuala Lumpur ) GAMES 2009

In conjunction with the Federal Territory Games, the Federal Territory Gymnastics Association, under its hard working staff Mr Mike Ng organized Gymnastics Competition for its members.

The competition was on the 13 th June 2009 at the National Gymnasium, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. 25 boys and 21 girls gymnasts took part in this contest.

Results:

MAG Elite - Individual All Around Champion

Francis Chio - 60.47
Kelvin Tan - 57.33
Shaun Chow - 60.16

WAG Elite

Wong Tze Wei - 45.91
Skye Chow - 41.85
Aleena - 40.74

12th Cycle FIG Judging Course 2009 - Malaysia

Firstly I’d like to congratulate the Malaysian FIG Judges,f or obtaining their accreditation for the 2009+ FIG. I believe the course was very stressful and challenging, and this judges will no doubt be on hand to educate the rest of us throughout Malaysia as we make the change to the new code later this year.


I would like to thank Mr Hardy Fink, Ken Achiron, and Jeff Thomson for coordinating the updates for the Pre- Course held earlier, the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation and National Sports Council Malaysia, for making it possible for the course to take place.


Attention all Judge, if you are interested in assisting the up coming National Programs please contact me through this blog, or the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation.


Please keep an eye on this blog for information regarding competitions dates and changes.
BE AWARE - it is your responsibility to keep yourself up-to-date by Judging Gymnastic Competitions.