jumping high for saltos, aerials, etc.

[StevenL]

do gymnasts really jump as high as it looks like they do?

if they do, how do they develop this kind of power? my vertical is terrible(I have very "heavy" legs) and I would like to be able to jump higher

I know Coach has prescribed weight pistols and jumping out of pistols, but is there anything else I can do to give my legs a little bit of "spring"?

[Blairbob]

It's not so much a matter of jumping as it is a matter of rebounding off the surface. This is done by keeping their body tight enough that it bounces off the surface ( there is some absorption of energy but that is ideally pushed back plyometrically ).

Gymnasts train their bodies to be able to create a lot of force and not lose it with sloppy technique. Sprung surfaces help.

Lots of lunges, lunges with hopping, depth jumps ( look up plyometrics ), heel raises/hops, etc. There probably isn't so much basic squatting as there is a lot of single leg exercises.

I'd love to see some numbers of elite gymnasts vertical jump height versus optional gymnasts. Many optional level gymnasts don't need great verticals.

[Raizen]

If achieving a high vertical leap is your goal than I would personally suggest deadlift variations if you don't mind weight training, or perhaps something like the bodyweight hamstring curl, as both of these exercises work the posterior chain rather heavily, and the P-chain is the main source of lower body power. However if you already have a huge amount of strength in this area (double bodyweight deadlift for example) and still possess a low vert, you might want to look into plyometrics.

Of course there are other factors to consider. One, genetics definately play a role in your jumping ability (distribution of fast twitch vs slow twitxh muscle fibers, tendon connections, ect). another factor is technique. By controling your center of gravity, almost any move that doesn't require elite levels of fitness can become landable.

And then of course there are people like Anis that just combine all of the above into perfection.

[Scott Malin]

And then of course there are people like Anis that just combine all of the above into perfection.

Wow, awesome video. Thanks for linking that!

[Raizen]

No problem. I don't know how he does it though, seeing as the only conditioning I've ever heard of him doing is a whole lot of Taekwondo.

[Coach Sommer]

Thanks for the video!

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Raizen]

Haha wow, I got a coach response. I was going to pose a question anyway. Is this what gymnastics floor exercises look like? I visited a local gym yesterday, and they told me to look up information on that event. May I inquire as to how you condition your athletes for doing floor moves?

[Coach Sommer]

The following link includes video of Paul Hamm's floor routine at the 2008 American Cup:

http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=575

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer