How to Gymnastics

Taking the guesswork out of Coaching Gymnastics

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning

Using high intensity leg conditioning for your advanced team athletes is an efficient way to get gymnastics leg conditioning complete in a short amount of time. Each of the leg conditioning circuits are complete in 7 minutes.

High Intensity Interval Leg Conditioning

We use high intensity interval leg circuits for our advanced level gymnastics conditioning 2 times per week. These are done opposite days of our leg conditioning (strength training) at the beginning of practice. We do these high intensity leg circuits towards the end of practice after all 4 events have been trained. This type of workload is not held at this level year-round. There are times of year when we will do 1 circuit per week or even none. Any time you stop these circuits you MUST build your athletes back up to this level of intensity to avoid injury.

Safety Warning to Coaches

Athlete safety and longevity MUST always be 1st priority when building up to this type of conditioning in gymnastics. Do not just start your athletes at this point. They must be slowly strengthened up to this type of high intensity gymnastics leg conditioning. This is started in our USAG level 4-6 athletes with basic jumping, bounding, and landing circuits. 

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning Circuits

The circuits below are 5 of our gymnastics leg conditioning circuits we rotate through on a regular basis. Most of the time these circuits require an entire spring floor with a lot of block mats and a tumbling trampoline (tumble trak). However, leg conditioning circuit #1 we use 1 spring floor in our gym. The timelines when running the leg conditioning circuits vary from 45-60 seconds of work with a 10-15 second rest/transition period.

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning #1

The space/equipment needed for this circuit is 1 spring floor.

  1. Burpees with tuck jump
  2. Alternating lunge jumps (running arms)
  3. Bouncing calf raises (full range of motion)
  4. Lying hip bridges (we have the athletes keep their toes off the floor throughout this exercise)
  5. Mountain climbers (hips down, hands under shoulders)
  6. Super girl open and close
  7. Candlestick alternate single leg stand-ups
Flips Gymnastics Leg Conditioning Circuit #1

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning #2

The required space and equipment for this circuit was a team floor with panel mat, blocks to jump over and blocks to push across floor, a tumbling trampoline, and a resi pit.

  1. 10 rounds bound over 5 blocks with front tuck
  2. 50-60 jumps one leg up block alt legs
  3. Standing jump up to spotting block, (no wiggling feet, just jump), jump down off other side STICK on ground
  4. Jump up, jump down punch front tuck STICK
  5. 5-6x Block push down & back (mat sprint)
  6. 50-60 Straight Jumps, jumping only with calves (locked knees) on 8” on FX
  7. Resi pit sprints
Flips Gymnastics Leg Conditioning Circuit #2

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning #3

Required space and equipment for this circuit is a spring floor, at least 4 high beams (It’s better when we get all 7!), panel mats, floor beams, mats, and tumbling trampoline. 

  1. Beam jumps 4-5x down & back
  2. 50-60 Straddle stand on 2 panel mats, step down straight leg punches up
  3. Resi pit jumps
  4. 25-35 Straddle low beam, squat to touch butt on beam, jump to touch pointed toes together above the beam (continuous jumping)
  5. 50-60 Front leg up on mat, mountain climber jumps up with legs switch at the top
  6. 20 Tumble Trak Seat drop straddle jump land straight
  7. 50-60 Alternating “FastFeet” up to panel mat or block

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning #4

This circuit requires a spring floor and a tumbling trampoline.

  1. Str. Jump, str. Jump front tuck 5x
  2. 50-60 Block rebounds (up & down forward)
  3. 50-60 Punch HS hands on spotting block
  4. 4-5x Front tuck, back FF, back FF, straddle/R split/L split jump, back FF, straddle/R split/L split jump
  5. 50-60 Side to Side punches over floor beams or floor bars
  6. 20 Tumble Trak Seat drop split jump land straight (alt sides)
  7. 5-6x Block push down & back (mat sprint)
Flips Gymnastics Leg Conditioning Circuit #4

Gymnastics Leg Conditioning #5

To perform this circuit, we use our spring floor, a rod floor for number 4. and the beam area. 

  1. 4x Mat spring w/back tuck & HS snap up (down & back = 1)
  2. 4x Beam jumps (down & back = 1)
  3. 4x Jump down backward from block, 3 plie jumps & back tuck
  4. 4x Front tuck, back FF, back FF, straddle/R split/L split jump, back FF, straddle/R split/L split jump
  5. 4x back tuck REBOUND/PUNCH straddle jump
  6. 3 in a row back tucks
  7. 3 in a row back pikes

Final Thoughts of Gymnastics Leg Conditioning

You can design these circuits in any way, shape, or form that fits your facility, equipment, and athletes’ ability level and needs. I highly recommend high intensity gymnastics leg conditioning for your athletes working up to 2 times per week. Remember to use caution and slowly work up to the highest levels of intensity.

Other events from How To Gymnastics:

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the exercises from this article and website. To avoid any problems while doing the exercises, it is advised that you consult a medical professional and are supervised by a gymnastics professional. The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writers.This post can may contain affiliate links meaning if you buy something we get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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