All-Star Summer Conditioning: Can You Handle The Exercise??

[ICE_it_up]

I was talking with my dad and program director about this subject on conditioning and it got me thinking... about conditioning, tough practices and being too tough. I feel, that back 7 years ago even, maybe less than that, that conditioning was a tough part of getting into shape, as it is with high school sports- that the quotes "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and "Pain is only weakness leaving the body." More like a reality check to some athletes, including plyometrics, running, agility, body strengthening and toning. Nowadays, I feel that b/c of technology such as the iphone, everyone is used to textting friends and playing wii or PS3 instead of getting efficient exercise, instead of suzie running down the street or riding her bike to go play with johnny. Even in school, some advisory boards say that physical education classes are a waist of time inside of school where kids should be learning, and physical activities should be on the student's own time. Everytime i say conditioning, athletes cringe and complain at the thought of pushups, running, squats and crunches, however when you run the routine with only 8_counts, without any stunts, jumps or tumbling, and you feel they just ran a marathon, how do you make them realize ok! Your out of shape.... With graduating from college with a health/ fitness degree, just because you can fit into a size 2 pair of jeans doesn't make you healthy or fit, or even in shape. My question is, do you agree with this topic, and when does conditioning become too much for an athlete and when is conditioning not enough...??

 

[garretttt]

Conditioning really should be done in the summer and kids REALLY REALLY REALLY condition during the month or 2 after your season ends before tryouts. Running is the exception. When you lift weights, your body breaks down your muscles to build them back up and if you are making your athlete do push ups for conditioning the whole year then their muscles will not build at a good or healthy rate and it will take slower and your stunts most likely wont hit. i think running is something you should have your athletes do year round but like hardcore conditioning which some teams do all the time should be done in the summer.

 

[yooolizzi]

I can't physically handle conditioning. Running, cool. I don't like it, but I gotta do it. Jumping jacks and push ups? I can not handle it. I have serious ankle problems and after doing 100 jumping jacks, I was bawling it hurt so bad. Twisters did jumping jacks before performing and that was painful, but I had to do it. My shoulder comes out of its socket, and it gets pretty painful when I do pushups. I can do sit ups and crunches all day, but when I am crying because I am physically hurt, then it's too much.

 

[socratesofcheer]

I can't physically handle conditioning. Running, cool. I don't like it, but I gotta do it. Jumping jacks and push ups? I can not handle it. I have serious ankle problems and after doing 100 jumping jacks, I was bawling it hurt so bad. Twisters did jumping jacks before performing and that was painful, but I had to do it. My shoulder comes out of its socket, and it gets pretty painful when I do pushups. I can do sit ups and crunches all day, but when I am crying because I am physically hurt, then it's too much.

Jumping jacks and push ups are too difficult? Sounds like you need a less physically demanding sport than allstar.

 

[Taylor Taryn]

Jumping jacks and push ups are too difficult? Sounds like you need a less physically demanding sport than allstar.

sounds like you shouldnt be rude to people on here

 

[yooolizzi]

Jumping jacks and push ups are too difficult? Sounds like you need a less physically demanding sport than allstar.

I love the sport though, and I'd die if I could only do high school. I'd rather feel the pain, than nothing.

 

[mariahnicole1216]

We condition all year round but we do most of it during the summer. But we'll mostly only run in the middle of the season. Mostly I think its cause once competition season starts our coaches dont want to have to waste tyme (i just spelled that, like that out of habit but I think im gonna leave it ) conditioning. Its your job as an athlete to do it outside of practice.

 

[Deleted member 1556]

sounds like you shouldnt be rude to people on here

Not rude, honest.

 

[ICE_it_up]

Pushups, jumping jacks, running are all standard conditioning exercises.... Some kids say, and it may be true, that parts of their physical body are incapable of handling the activity however, i find most athletes say they CANT do it because they choose not too and don't want to sweat and feel a bit of pain (in the sense of pushing through weaknesses.) Sometimes i say to them, if they find a way out of everything the REAL world will be a rude awakening for them, but of course they don't understand. I remember back in high school for soccer, we would run, sprint, do wall sits.. which were all tough but were necessity for conditioning the body for a sport. Kids wonder why they can't hold up a stunt....sometimes, yes it because of the flyer, but also because they don't have the strength nor endurance to keep them in the air. I feel athletes expect to just be good without even practicing.... or pushing through obstacles. If so they think your a general, mean, and too tough!

 

[F!ERCE]

I can't physically handle conditioning. Running, cool. I don't like it, but I gotta do it. Jumping jacks and push ups? I can not handle it. I have serious ankle problems and after doing 100 jumping jacks, I was bawling it hurt so bad. Twisters did jumping jacks before performing and that was painful, but I had to do it. My shoulder comes out of its socket, and it gets pretty painful when I do pushups. I can do sit ups and crunches all day, but when I am crying because I am physically hurt, then it's too much.

I'm not hating on you, I swear...I honestly want to know how in the HECK you can tumble if your shoulder hurts when you do pushups? And how do you do stuff like jumps when you can't do jumping jacks?

 

[ariell]

if an athlete really truly loves all star and wants to win they should suck it up and do the conditioning. If its a physical injury that prevents them from doing an excersize there are plenty of alternatives. i dont like conditioning but i hate losing more. i condition by myself at home and at practice even though i dont like it! they should just do it and stop making excuses

 

[yooolizzi]

I'm not hating on you, I swear...I honestly want to know how in the HECK you can tumble if your shoulder hurts when you do pushups? And how do you do stuff like jumps when you can't do jumping jacks?

Push ups are different than tumbling. It doesn't hurt me one bit to tumble, but when I do pushups I just feel pain in my shoulder. I don't understand it either. As for the jumping jacks, my parents, coaches, and I think it's just the angle and the pressure that it puts on my ankles that make it so hard for me.

I have flat feet, so my ankles shift to almost like a diagonal and it makes my knees turn inward and throws my hips out of alignment. In my left, the tendon snaps across the bone creating a cracking noise. This tendon movement also makes me more susceptable to an ACL tear. In my right, the ball-like bone is smaller than it should be so it rolls easily. The cartilige has also completely worn away in that ankle. So I really should be wearing three braces, two ankle and a knee, but I only wear my ankle braces because at camp, my friend told the instructors that I was recovering from a car accident and he believed it because of all the braces. So no more knee brace, only hurts sometimes.

My body is terrible, the end.

 

[notimeforthat]

Push ups are different than tumbling. It doesn't hurt me one bit to tumble, but when I do pushups I just feel pain in my shoulder. I don't understand it either. As for the jumping jacks, my parents, coaches, and I think it's just the angle and the pressure that it puts on my ankles that make it so hard for me.

I have flat feet, so my ankles shift to almost like a diagonal and it makes my knees turn inward and throws my hips out of alignment. In my left, the tendon snaps across the bone creating a cracking noise. This tendon movement also makes me more susceptable to an ACL tear. In my right, the ball-like bone is smaller than it should be so it rolls easily. The cartilige has also completely worn away in that ankle. So I really should be wearing three braces, two ankle and a knee, but I only wear my ankle braces because at camp, my friend told the instructors that I was recovering from a car accident and he believed it because of all the braces. So no more knee brace, only hurts sometimes.

My body is terrible, the end.

perhaps during jumping jacks and push ups you should do pt excercises to improve your situation. I know you say you love the sport but as a mother I can't see further ruining your body any further for cheerleading!!

 

[yooolizzi]

perhaps during jumping jacks and push ups you should do pt excercises to improve your situation. I know you say you love the sport but as a mother I can't see further ruining your body any further for cheerleading!!

I do have some PT equipment that I use, which makes the situation better...slowly....like slower than a snail..

 

[kristenthegreat]

You might have torn something already and although they're not 'everyday' exercises, those two things to me scream 'basics' that can seriously hurt you later on. Have you seen a physical therapist before? This is beyond a matter of 'giving up what you love'. For a while, my mother could barely lift her arm up to put her shirt on/take it off because she tore a rotator cuff (sp?) in her shoulder by lifting a table. Don't ask me how, but she was 40ish at the time and didn't realize the damage for a while. I can't imagine how much it must have hurt her, both physically and mentally, to have to ask me to help her change clothes.

THAT aside- physical size means nothing in terms of physical strength. I've been 'skinny' my whole life, but I can feel the difference in when I've been working out and when I haven't, in terms of what I can do. I do think kids are getting wicked lazy by the day, although talking about it makes me feel like I'm venting about walking 10 miles to school in the snow uphill with broken shoes...you must condition. Oh, I'm making you do 20 squats? Suck it up. I would SO be that mean coach lol, but my girls/guys would be able to handle anything. Put it this way: You wanna be level 5 someday and compete at worlds? Well, unless you could physically handle what Tsunami or other such teams have had to handle, kick it in gear. ALTHOUGH- I have heard for muscle development you should take a rest day at least once a week where you DON'T weight train..

However, it makes me think about work this morning. I was waiting on this family of four: mom dad and two boys. One was taking his shoes up and putting his feet on the table, the other had his face glued to some portable game player. Would barely take his eyes off it to order (yes, he was using it at the table throughout much of the time they were there). Yeah, we're a breakfast diner place, nothing fancy. But if your son can't be removed from his game player for the 30 or so minutes it takes to sit down, order, eat, and leave, we've got a slight issue here..