Getting started in gymnastics by Sam Oldham

The story of how I got started into gymnastics seems to be similar with a lot of professional athletes. I was a super hyperactive child and was always getting into trouble for being inquisitive more than anything. ‘The Floor Is Lava’ was one of favourite games and I broke countless picture frames and ornaments in my mum’s living room. It was a school teacher who first suggested that my mum take me along to the local gymnastics club in my village of Keyworth. There were 15 girls and I was the only boy; I took to the sport instantly and fell in love with the risk involved with gymnastics.

After winning my first school competition at the age of seven I was routed for the Notts Gymnastics Academy. I went down for a trial and was mesmerised in particular by a boy swinging around the High Bar. My mind had never seen anything like that before growing up in a footballing family and really opened up my world. Looking back now I can see why I went on to become the first British man to ever win a major championships medal on the High Bar at the age of 20.

The landscape has changed now and people no longer want to just lift heavy weights in the gym. People are looking for new ways to train and being able to lift your own body weight around is very much in fashion. The popularity of gymnastics in this country has snowballed following the success of Team GB at the London 2012 and Rio Olympic Games. Without a doubt the increased interest in sports like Crossfit and Calisthenics has also helped people explore other options when it comes to functional training.

Gymnastics gives you the perfect base to start out with as a child as it requires so many core skills which are transferable into nearly every other sport. In men’s gymnastics there are six events: The Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and the High Bar. You have to learn to master the whole body, using your legs on the floor and vault, then your arms on the rings and parallel bars. The brain plays a huge role in gymnastics with special awareness being of paramount importance. Especially when you’re three metres in the air throwing yourself towards a steel high bar and the margins for error are miniscule.

However, you don’t need to be seven years old to start gymnastics and most big gymnastics clubs now offer adult classes. It’s a brilliant way to keep in shape and get your body moving. It helps with flexibility, strength and coordination and is a great way to mix up your training routine. My advice to anyone thinking about trying gymnastics is to head down to your local club and give it a try. It’s a very inclusive sport and a great community to be part of.

My two main tips when getting started in gymnastics are things that I keep in my mind even now after twenty years in the sport.

– The first is that it has to be fun; that’s the only way you’re going to be brave enough to try anything new and certainly in gymnastics.

– The second is body tension which is vitally important for anyone trying out gymnastics. You have to keep your body tight from your toes right to your fingers. It’s much easier to control the movements you want to make with your body if you’re compact. If you have bent legs and a soft core the apparatus will take all your energy and you won’t be able to produce force. The most fundamental skill in the sport is the handstand and it will become the foundation that your whole gymnastics is built around.

There is a body tension circuit that I have done every day since I was a child and its really easy to do on the go. You don’t need a fancy gym, just some floor space and it will get you started on working the core for your journey into the sport of gymnastics. It involves just 6 different movements, give it a try!