Save our gym (class)!

Well, this is a Stop Press kind of post!  Steve tells me that the centre are thinking of stopping the adult gym class as there aren't enough people coming to warrant running it.  I will be devestated and The Fat Gymnast will have to go into retirement again, we can't have that now, can we? lol.  So I've just made up this flyer to give out to parents, what do you all think??

I do hope we get some more takers!  Any of my lovely friends fancy having a go??

She's back!!

So, after an extended holiday over the summer because of a hamstring injury, I'm finally back in the gym!  I'd been testing my hamstring out now and then when I've been coaching to see how it's going, and it finally feels better :)  Not 100% fixed, but getting there!  I can do a handstand without wincing now!

And to prove it, look what I can do again after months and months of not being able to....

Yippee!  (although critics will notice my back leg still isn't straight!)  I'm also managing to get much further down into a Japana (straddle sit leaning forwards) now too - not all the way but my face is about two inches off the floor!

The other big news (well, in my gymnastic life!) is that I can now do a forward roll properly (eg standing up at the end).  Not a big deal for most people, but I think mainly because of my size (and lack of stomach muscles!) I've not been able to stand up from the roll before now!  (Steve has taken a video of me that I may or may not put up at a later date!).

We think the reason I can do it now is that we've introduced a new warm-up in the gym (for the development and squad groups) and I've been trying to do it along with them sometimes!  It's specifically for stomach and core conditioning and it involves a lot of sit-ups and V-sits amongst other things!

So, I'm going to keep doing that (have downloaded the track so I can do it at home too!) and hope that it continues to make a difference to my gymnastics!

Week Seven

Well, another surprising week, in that for the first time I wasn't looking forward to my gym session.  I'd had some bad news that morning and I guess really wasn't in the mood.

But like with a lot of things, focusing on the gym allowed the other things to go to the back of my mind for a while, which was a bit of a relief.  For the gym itself, my handstands are getting better, feels like up upside down for ages now! lol.  I'm sure it's only a few seconds, but it feels like longer to me.

We did a lot of airtrack work and I worked on cartwheels - especially on my "bad" side (everyone has a good and a bad side!  The idea is that you practise the bad side more and both sides get better!).  Did quite well with them I think.

Towards the end we did some splits practise and I got right down!  Yay!  And managed to keep my hands in the air for a while too!  Here is a particularly horrible photo of that! lol

   

In all seriousness, it's good to see how much I've come on in a few short weeks.  If you look at my first splits attempt - I was leaning forward (not good), toes aren't pointed, head down, obviously a struggle.  This one is much better (despite the beetroot face and flabby tummy!).  Yay!

And finally, my gymnastic friends have professed a desire to appear on these pages, so here is a photo of them working hard!

Week Six

I do love the way things happen sometimes.  Things have been pretty quiet on the gym front as it's half term and normal classes aren't running.  I coached at the kid's gym camp day, and as expected, I couldn't last all day without having a jump on the trampoline and a few handstands on the airtrack!  But nothing particular to write home (or here) about.

That evening in the bath I picked up a book that my husband bought me for Christmas and I hadn't got around to reading.  "Is It Just Me?" by Miranda Hart.  I feel the need to inform you all that I had not even leafed through through this book before then at all.  As I was reading, I came across this:

"As a teenager, we suddenly had to get serious about hobbies (which, incidentally, doesn't include walking around shopping centres in feral packs, buying tops).  So, no more gymnastics unless your forward roll is good enough to represent the school at the county championships.

And, by the way, at what age does it suddenly become impossible and terrifying to attempt a forward roll?  I don't know about you, but I always used to be forward rolling.  If I wanted to jump on a friend's bed, I might casually forward roll my way on.  I was like a piece of teenage elastic, throwing myself everywhere.  We all were, weren't we?  Then, suddenly, in your later years, you might be faced with the prospect of doing a forward roll only to hear yourself saying: 'I can't do it.  Seriously, oh my goodness, it's really scary, I can't, I'll break my neck, won't I?'  Ditto handstands.  There was a stage in my life when i was never not doing a handstand of a summer month.  There I'd be, walking along; I'd see some open grass, up with a quick handstand, and keep walking.  No one would think it odd.  Now if I attempted a handstand, firstly everyone would assume I was deranged but secondly, I would assume my arms would break underneath me.  Also, it looks an awfully long way down, that grass.  What happens if I do a good one, a really marvellous perky handstand, but can't get down?  Or what if I lose control and flip over?  That would be truly terrifying."

Ha!  Love it.  My thoughts exactly.  My mum said I never walked into a room, I always cartwheeled, Arab sprung (?!) or walkovered my way in lol.  And exactly what I thought (and I think documented here) about handstands!  I'd love to invite Miranda to one of our gym classes lol, she comes from the area too, so could be quite feasible!  (Except I wouldn't have an idea of how to get in touch with her!  (Anyone want to flood twitter with my blog address?? ;) )).

Anyway, it makes me think again about how cool the human body is.  Like riding a bike or skipping I guess, even after years of not doing something (28 years of my not doing a handstand for example) the body remembers what to do!  

Week Five

Buoyed up by my mid-week session I was looking forward to getting into the gym again on Friday.  I'd had a mad day sorting out stuff for the PTA school disco and had rushed from helping out there, so was pretty tired.

Still, a good session.  Only managed one or two forward rolls that I could stand up from on the airtrack, bit disappointing!  However, once again, another lesson learnt - I've refused to even try a backward roll since I've started - just utterly convinced with my "bulk" lol I wouldn't be able to do it (I see enough skinny kids who can't do one, let alone lumpy old me!!).  But to my surprise I tried one on the airtrack and I could do it!!  Yippee!  Another thing to add to the list.  Still have trouble doing them on the floor, but hopefully with lots of practice I'll be able to (the airtrack is my new best friend!!). 

Also saw Steve's sadistic side today!  He made me put weights on my ankles!!  OMG it felt like running through treacle!  So much harder to do stuff, but the idea is when you take them off you'll be able to do things better!  Not sure that worked in my case!!

Steve also is making me put this photo up....to show my "welly boots" feet!  (Something I'm always telling my son off for!!!) - It wasn't my fault though, it was the weights!  Honest!

 

Two weeks off now as I'm not around next week, and then it's half term.  I'm coaching at the club's Gym Camp during half term though - what's the betting I can't keep off the equipment then!!?!

 

Week Four

Perhaps more aptly entitled The Depressed Gymnast this week maybe!  Or perhaps a lesson in how to avoid running before you can walk!

I spent quite a lot of time this week on the airtrack doing handstands.  They're really not bad at all!  So Steve suggested trying a handspring.  Why not?  I thought, I'm doing well here, handstands are good, I'll give it a go!

The first few attempts were fine - in that I did what most kids do when trying a handspring, and just let my shoulders drop in front of my hands and ended up going into a roll.  Frustrating, but ok.  Then, trying harder to keep myself straight over my hands I went over with a thump and really jarred my back :(

I have a long-term back issue that comes from doing a Swimathon a couple of years ago.  Swimathons are great - raising money for charity and getting fitter at the same time - but only if your swimming technique is good!  My swimming technique is terrible and what started out as a good way to get fit ended up with pain, pills and physio!  And the problem has never really gone away, although generally speaking I'm a lot better these days about being aware of what might trigger it off and avoiding it.

So, perhaps unsurprisingly, handsprings (especially bad ones!) are a trigger.  I came off the airtrack and half-heartedly did some stretches and splits, but I was really upset that I had "done my back in" and left early.

For the next couple of days my back really hurt and was a constant reminder that maybe this gymnastics thing wasn't such a good idea after all.  My husband had been worried about me doing it in the first place for this very reason, and had said that if it did play havoc with my back I would have to give up.  I don't want to give up!!!  REALLY don't want to!  But I had started to think that if there wasn't much I could do without hurting my back - was there any point? 

So, I was coaching on Tuesday and although my back was a bit better, it hadn't totally recovered.  However, the lure of the airtrack was too much, and in between classes I sneaked in a few forward rolls, just to see how my back coped.  To my surprise my back felt instantly better!  The feeling didn't last, once I'd got off and stood around for a few minutes the pain came back, but it turns out rolling seems to help a little.  I had a few more goes and I even managed to attain one of my (miniscule) goals - standing up from a forward roll (doesn't sound like much, but try it - it's not quite as easy as your head thinks it will be, especially for someone my age and size!).  I couldn't do it every time, but did manage it a few times.  Instant mood lift!!  I did quite a few handstands and they didn't hurt my back either, and Coach says that as I do more and more handstands my back and my core will get stronger and perhaps one day I will rid myself of the back pain!

So there you go, the highs and lows of The Fat Gymnast!  Can't wait for Friday again now, although I have learnt my lesson and will be doing lots of rolls and handstands and NO handsprings.....not this week, anyway ;)

Week Three

Firstly, proof of the handstand!

I do have a video on my phone but haven't had the chance (guts??) to upload it yet!  Did lots of handstands this week and other bits and pieces.  There were only three of us there, so we had plenty of time to do whatever we wanted to work on.  As well as handstands, I did quite a few round-offs (have videoed that too, may put it up lol), and as I was a bit concerned that I couldn't get down into the splits as well last week, I tried that again and did better (yay!).  Did a lot of stretching, including trying to do a straddle stretch and a Y balance (please excuse the state of my feet - that's what the floor's like after three hours of small gymnasts using it!) .....

 

Mostly though I think I just annoyed everyone there asking for photos for the blog etc!  Sorry guys!

 

Might upload some video later once I've looked to see just how bad it is!

Week Two

I'm loving this already!  Things you just are convinced you won't be able to do, and you can!!  This week Steve wanted us to do some work on the bar (not a proper bar in the air lol, but a "training" bar - the same width etc as the asymmetrical bars, but only about 10cm off the ground!).  So we balance on top of it, or do handstands on it.

Balancing on top of it is one thing - handstands quite another!  I've been convinced for a long time that there's No Way my hands/wrists/arms would put up with my weight for more than a millisecond so there was no way I was trying a handstand.  After much persuasion from Steve I agreed to try a handstand on the airtrack (think big long bouncy castle! (although I'm not allowed to use the "b.c." word in the gym hall!)).  I really wasn't sure at all, but I went up....and then stayed up!!  Shocked is an understatement!  And there's something very cool about being upside down!  I did a few more and then braved the bar - first time I was nervous and put my shoulders over too much, ending up on the mat, but the second time was better and I stayed for a couple of seconds and rolled out properly.  Sadly no photos though as Steve was busy helping me stay straight.

Sneaked a quick cartwheel in in between classes though this week and Ollie took a couple of snaps...

Week One

Well, I hadn't been that nervous for years!  There's something about teacher turning pupil that is very scary!  I know what to do, know how to do it and tell the children what to do, but could I do any of it??  Could I even do the warm up?  When was the last time I did a forward roll??  Can I still do a forward roll??  Just how much would Steve laugh?? lol

It wasn't until I lined up to start the warm-up that it suddenly dawned on me - forget the forward roll - could I even hop the length of the two floor mats???  Eek!  I just about managed it, and most of the rest of the warm-up, but the forward roll was a bit of a wake up call!  I could do it (although I can't stand up at the end), but oh dear, how dizzy does it make you feel???  I really felt for the lady who was doing the class with me as she had to sit out for a while she got so dizzy.  It took four or five attempts to put the dizziness at bay, after that, it wasn't so bad.

We were doing trampette work today.  Starting off with just jumping onto the mats, going on to forward rolls.  I have to say I absolutely loved it!  Looking at the photos I do feel sorry for the poor trampette, but it just about made it I think!

 

 

At the end of the session we did some stretching and I thought I'd see if I could still get down into the splits.  I've tried it a few times when helping the kids in class, but not really got down that far.  Here I am giving it another go.  All I can say is that it's a blooming good job I can laugh at myself - the first photo is priceless!

 

 

 

 

Still a bit of work to be done, but not too bad!!

 



The Fat Gymnast

Hi.  This is me.

As you can see, hardly a picture of peak physical fitness or the ideal gymnast!  I used to do gymnastics when I was a kid, but gave up when I was about 12.  A mixture of puberty, putting on weight and being bullied (by the teachers as well as the kids - my trampoline teacher used to make comments about me going straight through the trampoline in front of all the other kids!!  Wouldn't be allowed today of course!) made me turn to laying on my bed reading books in the safe haven of my bedroom rather than put myself on display as it were.

Anyway, fast forward 28 years (I was 40 last year) and I have found myself back in the gym hall.  My son showed a talent for gymnastics, so I have been taking him to this gym for about two years now.  I just sat and watched for a long time, but eventually asked the Head Coach if I could help and he took me on as a volunteer assistant coach.  I absolutely love it, love helping the kids, and love it when they improve in something and their faces beam with pride.

So, in my head, like I'm sure is the same for a lot of us, I am still a teenager, and I watch the kids and think "is there any chance I could still do that??".  In my head I can still do it, but my head isn't often the most reliable of indicators!  I ummed and ahhed for ages and then a couple of weeks ago decided to bite the bullet and join Steve's (the Head Coach) Adult class, having been assured he wouldn't laugh at me (yeah, right!).

And I'm loving it!  Obviously there's loads I can't do now that I used to be able to, but I'm constantly amazed that my fat, heavy, stiff old body can still do some of it!  This blog is for me to chart my progress, because I might be forty and fat but I still aim to progress, get better, make the moves I can do look better, try new things etc.  Show the world that it really doesn't matter what size or age you are, we all can give anything a go!

What did you do as a kid??  I think everyone should take up a sport or hobby when they're forty that they used to do as a kid!