Olympic Gymast Physiques

R

redrooster

New Member
Im watching the Chinese mens gymnast and am marveling at their physiques. ( I marvel at the women too but thats different
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)

Thin waists, v-tapers and huge shoulders and arms.

Ive noticed this look in gymnasts before. One of my former gyms was at the University of Iowa. Along the walls were pics from years ago. The gymnast team caught my eye. There were a number of guys with the same huge arms/ and trim waists.

Unbelievable and all with the same essential look. I remember I researched their workouts but never found too much.

What do you suppose they are doing? Any actual weight lifting or is it all due to the continual stress/recompositioning their training entails?

Perhaps this is dual factor training many athletes use. Beating the hell out of your body and then resting for a given time period?

Thoughts.........

RR
 
I agree. A lot of the gymnasts have amazing shoulders and arms. There legs are pretty small though. That makes sense because you have to swing them around a lot; heavy legs are going to make a lot of their routines much harder to perform.

When you look at any Olympic athlete you are looking at a person who is elite in their field. This is down partly to training/nutrition, partly to mental determination and discipline, and partly to genetics. Personally, I saw quite a bit of variation in size and shape between the individual gymnasts. Some of them carry a fair bit less muscle mass and yet are able to perform at the same level. Genetics definitely plays an important part in this; even small variations in anthropometry will affect how easy or hard a gymnast finds a particular move.

I'd love to know exactly how gymnasts train and whether the Russians and Americans train their gymnasts the same way or whether they use very different programs.

There's a guy called Roger Harrell over on the Crossfit site who knows a lot about this stuff. You could ask him.

He'll get you doing things like this:

THE FREESTANDING HANDSTAND PUSHUP

It's all hard as hell stuff even with just your own body weight.
 
Also, don't forget that being really lean makes you appear larger than someone carrying the same amount of muscle but with a layer of fat on top.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'd love to know exactly how gymnasts train and whether the Russians and Americans train their gymnasts the same way or whether they use very different programs.</div>

Gymnasts have fascinated me for a long time too. Enough that I've sought out some (message boards and via email, one was a friend for a while) and badgered them about their muscle size. Most elite gymnasts do weight train but the two main things most of them told me were these,
1) They got most of their size just from the daily gymnastic training. (which makes sense, daily peak tension)
2) They prefer to be strong and as small and light as possible. So the last thing they would do on purpose, is train for size. Just like rock climbers, strength through muscle size is inefficient, the strength you get from the muscle size, doesn't make up for the extra weight
 
One thing I have noticed for years, the rings athletes always have insanely large biceps in particular. Every guy that does rings has this feature, so it must be sports-specific to handling the rings.
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Aug. 12 2008,4:10)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">One thing I have noticed for years, the rings athletes always have insanely large biceps in particular.  Every guy that does rings has this feature, so it must be sports-specific to handling the rings.</div>
thats why chins are a good exercise for bis,and dips for tris,the other thing as nwlifter pointed out most gymnasts are smal,and smaller guys have more compact physiques anyway.
 
<div>
(NWlifter @ Aug. 12 2008,12:43)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'd love to know exactly how gymnasts train and whether the Russians and Americans train their gymnasts the same way or whether they use very different programs.</div>

Gymnasts have fascinated me for a long time too. Enough that I've sought out some (message boards and via email, one was a friend for a while) and badgered them about their muscle size. Most elite gymnasts do weight train but the two main things most of them told me were these,
1) They got most of their size just from the daily gymnastic training. (which makes sense, daily peak tension)
2) They prefer to be strong and as small and light as possible. So the last thing they would do on purpose, is train for size. Just like rock climbers, strength through muscle size is inefficient, the strength you get from the muscle size, doesn't make up for the extra weight</div>
Very interesting NWlifter. I guess elite gymnasts and lifters probably have slightly better mechanical advantage across their joints than the average person who might aspire to join their ranks. That way they can keep muscle mass to a minimum for the strength levels required to complete the moves. Looking at some of the taller guys, they have to carry a lot of muscle, especially around the upper arms and shoulders, in order to be able to pull off the required moves. Some of the horizontal lever positions on the rings must put huge forces across the delts in a taller guy.

I'd be really interested to know how they deal with strength plateaus? It must happen with regular training just like it does in any other strength related sport. I'm sure they must perform a variety of assistance exercises to help with the more difficult moves.
 
<div>
(Lol @ Aug. 12 2008,7:33)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(NWlifter @ Aug. 12 2008,12:43)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'd love to know exactly how gymnasts train and whether the Russians and Americans train their gymnasts the same way or whether they use very different programs.</div>

Gymnasts have fascinated me for a long time too. Enough that I've sought out some (message boards and via email, one was a friend for a while) and badgered them about their muscle size. Most elite gymnasts do weight train but the two main things most of them told me were these,
1) They got most of their size just from the daily gymnastic training. (which makes sense, daily peak tension)
2) They prefer to be strong and as small and light as possible. So the last thing they would do on purpose, is train for size. Just like rock climbers, strength through muscle size is inefficient, the strength you get from the muscle size, doesn't make up for the extra weight</div>
Very interesting NWlifter. I guess elite gymnasts and lifters probably have slightly better mechanical advantage across their joints than the average person who might aspire to join their ranks. That way they can keep muscle mass to a minimum for the strength levels required to complete the moves. Looking at some of the taller guys, they have to carry a lot of muscle, especially around the upper arms and shoulders, in order to be able to pull off the required moves. Some of the horizontal lever positions on the rings must put huge forces across the delts in a taller guy.

I'd be really interested to know how they deal with strength plateaus? It must happen with regular training just like it does in any other strength related sport. I'm sure they must perform a variety of assistance exercises to help with the more difficult moves.</div>
Good points
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As I watch the Olympics, my interest leans towards the gymnasts rather than the O-lifters. I don't have the frame for a gymnast as I am taller at 74 inches, but it impresses me what they can do with their bodies.

[rant]
The reason why I lift is for purely health reasons, to be more physically fit, but it is also for aesthetic reasons... to have a big chest and back with broad shoulders and a thin waist. I would also like to have more functional training to help me rather than hurt my joints. For these reasons, I am changing the philosophy and focus of my training. I will still be doing deads and squats, but on a different routine so I can focus on form. Likewise, I will still be training to improve the strength in my bench.
[/rant]

Anyways, those gymnasts are quite impressive!
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<div>
(scientific muscle @ Aug. 11 2008,11:10)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">One thing I have noticed for years, the rings athletes always have insanely large biceps in particular. Every guy that does rings has this feature, so it must be sports-specific to handling the rings.</div>
yeah the rings really bring out the shoulders and biceps, perhaps i should invest in some
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.

another thing to remember is most of these guys are 120-130lb wet through! you dont get many 200lb+ workin the rings!
 
most athletes that train hard have good physiques.  basketball, swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball...  I think there's a strong correlation to training hard and having a good physique.  &quot;good&quot; being a broadly defined variable, of course.

I wonder mostly about the value of training to a person's psyche.  Working towards achievable and incremented goals gives me great satisfaction.

- edit-
sans marathon runners
 
i watched the weightlifting yesterday,and the guys in that were aroundabout the same weight (guessing) as the gymnasts,but even though they actually lift weights&quot;and like gymnasts dont want to carry much&quot; there bis were no wher near as impressive.

i know most of there lifting is pushing but even there tris weren't as impressive.

it would also be intersesting to know what gymnasts/oly-lifters diet was,as they dont really want to gain massive muscles would there diets be more carb based rather than protien based???.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with the observation that the rings guys really have big arms and shoulders.

I suspect practicing day in and day out combined with a deconditioning period is the key. This is dual factor training and is what most high level athletes do.

It is also similar to HST in concept although the application is obviously different.

Might have to emial the gymnastics coach at the University. My curiosity is runing wild....

RR
 
<div>
(faz @ Aug. 13 2008,8:31)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">i watched the weightlifting yesterday,and the guys in that were aroundabout the same weight (guessing) as the gymnasts,but even though they actually lift weights&quot;and like gymnasts dont want to carry much&quot; there bis were no wher near as impressive.

i know most of there lifting is pushing but even there tris weren't as impressive.</div>
But just look at their legs!  
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Oly lifting is all about leg, hip, back (inc. traps) and core strength. Arms, particularly bis, are not used much really but still need to be strong to maintain stable shoulder and elbow joints. Gymnasts need really strong bis and tris to do what they do but not much in the way of leg strength, hence their tiny legs by comparison.

So, squat and deadlift like an Oly lifter and do chins, dips and presses like a gymnast. And do it all regularly. Sounds a bit like a 'Simplify &amp; Win' routine to me.  
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<div>
(Lol @ Aug. 14 2008,3:14)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(faz @ Aug. 13 2008,8:31)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">i watched the weightlifting yesterday,and the guys in that were aroundabout the same weight (guessing) as the gymnasts,but even though they actually lift weights&quot;and like gymnasts dont want to carry much&quot; there bis were no wher near as impressive.

i know most of there lifting is pushing but even there tris weren't as impressive.</div>
But just look at their legs!  
wow.gif


Oly lifting is all about leg, hip, back (inc. traps) and core strength. Arms, particularly bis, are not used much really but still need to be strong to maintain stable shoulder and elbow joints. Gymnasts need really strong bis and tris to do what they do but not much in the way of leg strength, hence their tiny legs by comparison.

So, squat and deadlift like an Oly lifter and do chins, dips and presses like a gymnast. And do it all regularly. Sounds a bit like a 'Simplify &amp; Win' routine to me.  
smile.gif
</div>
agree but i think it goes to show that an impressive physique can be built without weights,also imagine how much muscle they would have(oly-lifters/gymnasts) if they ate to grow,which IMO i dont think they do as it would hinder them &quot;weight-wise&quot;.
 
I too was impressed with the gymast's bicep and shoulder developement, but it seems to me that the bi's on most off them were disproportionately larger than their tri's. (I wish I had that problem.
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) I also noted that many have that rounded shoulder-hollow chest look.  Don't know if I'm being clear or not, but it's the look that is commonly attributed to doing too much benching and not enough rowing. I wonder how gymnasts end up with that look?  I want to make it clear that I'm not criticising and simply making an observation. Obviously, their physiqes have developed in a way that is the most functional for their sport and I'd be more than happy to have that kind of muscular developement.
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Aug. 11 2008,11:10)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">One thing I have noticed for years, the rings athletes always have insanely large biceps in particular.  Every guy that does rings has this feature, so it must be sports-specific to handling the rings.</div>
Any of the guys on the rings are freaking ripped to shreds with decent muscle mass.

Those guys are pretty damn impressive!
 
I've always wondered what kind of looks they get out in public. I bet they get a lot of ppl dropping stuff around them. ahahahaa!!
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