Chunky female gymnasts

[mellie]

Ok, perhaps I'm not going to be overly popular with my views on this subject but....

What's with all the chunky masculinised female gymnasts these days?
My coach ( bronze medalist in commonwealth games) was very strict on the importance of not "going over"... because in his own words the heavier a gymnast becomes, the worse the injury she's likely to sustain at some point during her career." Injury is part of this sport. it's true, the bigger you are the harder you fall and are more likely to really hurt yourself.

It seems its a global trend though, ( other than China) for their athletes to not only be "built" but older too.
I guess trend's come and go, but if I were still a gymnast, there's no way I would have felt comfortable with a body that looked more like a guys, even IF it meant going to Nationals or the Games.

I am seeing the gender neutrality implications in terms of intensity of injury in this sport, and it concerns me.

Am I being overly critical?

[mellie]

And what are the implications concerning the aesthetics of this sport, when our female gymnasts look like a pack of blokes?

Is it about engineering our physiques to look and behave differently to how they naturally should?

The hormonal implications could be just as bad as underweight female gymnasts with eating disorders of the 60s to the 80s. I came through at a time ( 90s) when body image wasn't quite as important as performance, but we still maintained our assigned genders physique, and diet was very important.

Why are we seeing athletes roaming around their villages gorging on Maccas?
Our coaches would have killed us if they saw us doing this.

Seems the trend these days is to eat whatever you like, so long as you pump it off in the gym afterwards.

Is this the kind of thing we should be promoting at any sporting event?

Breakfast of champions!

[mellie]

Remember, you can't pump salt,cholesterol and plaque deposits out from your arteries, so ....

Are they really healthy?

Have we gone too far the other way in promoting positive body images?

Are we saying it's ok to be unhealthy, so long as you love the body you're in so long as you win medals?

[UnSubRocky]

Remember, you can't pump salt,cholesterol and plaque deposits out from your arteries, so ....

Are they really healthy?

Have we gone too far the other way in promoting positive body images?

Are we saying it's ok to be unhealthy, so long as you love the body you're in so long as you win medals?

Well, my doctor told me that my cholesterol levels have fallen dramatically. And you can flush the sodium levels of your body down to a healthy level. And I would consult your doctor if you want to try K2 D3 vitamin tablets.

[Jasin]

If you look at the physique of a Rugby League player and an Aussie Rules player.
They are 'built' differently for different purposes.
You wouldn't think so, but Cricket Bowlers do more running than any AFL, NRL, ARU, Basketball and Soccer players - thus they too are built differently.

I haven't been watching much TV lately, but maybe there are new moves in Gymnastics that warrant a more stocky-chunky body frame?
I used to love watching China's Lee Ping on the Rings long ago. Total arm and torso strength.
Maybe ALL FEMALES are pumping male hormones to get that competitive edge based on the male being 'physically' superior, etc, etc???
Some just look more male than others.

Personally, I think the entire Olympics have become a complete SHAM. Ever since (via America) they started allowing 'professional' ($$$) sports exploit the Amateur Sports Scene and scam Gold Medals, etc.
So now its all about Money as if the so-called 'Olympics for Amateurs' is really for Professional levels and attitudes.
Now we see nations putting 'Males' into female sports just to get more medals.

France Olympics is a farce from what I'm hearing. Look how 'desperate' nations get - just to 'win'.
Sport is about getting FIT - as the Number 1 spot on the podium.
Winning is not.

[mellie]

Remember, you can't pump salt,cholesterol and plaque deposits out from your arteries, so ....

Are they really healthy?

Have we gone too far the other way in promoting positive body images?

Are we saying it's ok to be unhealthy, so long as you love the body you're in so long as you win medals?

Well, my doctor told me that my cholesterol levels have fallen dramatically. And you can flush the sodium levels of your body down to a healthy level. And I would consult your doctor if you want to try K2 D3 vitamin tablets.

My cholesterol is fine, but will keep this in mind as my mothers got high ( well had, before commencing statin meds) high cholesterol and blood pressure.

It's often genetics that determine whether or not we get high cholesterol levels, my mothers a very slender fit and healthy 70 year old, and so I will definitely look into this more, for her, and likely myself also in the not too distant future.

Thanks.

[UnSubRocky]

Remember, you can't pump salt,cholesterol and plaque deposits out from your arteries, so ....

Are they really healthy?

Have we gone too far the other way in promoting positive body images?

Are we saying it's ok to be unhealthy, so long as you love the body you're in so long as you win medals?

Well, my doctor told me that my cholesterol levels have fallen dramatically. And you can flush the sodium levels of your body down to a healthy level. And I would consult your doctor if you want to try K2 D3 vitamin tablets.

My cholesterol is fine, but will keep this in mind as my mothers got high ( well had, before commencing statin meds) high cholesterol and blood pressure.

It's often genetics that determine whether or not we get high cholesterol levels, my mothers a very slender fit and healthy 70 year old, and so I will definitely look into this more, for her, and likely myself also in the not too distant future.

Thanks.

mellie, given that I have just started re-reading these forums, forgive me for jumping to conclusions.

The topic is "chunky female gymnasts". I found that kind of offensive. I happen to know female gymnasts who kept at their gymnastics for years after the general retirement age of 25. I confess, perhaps they were just saying that they are gymnasts, just to explain their flexibility. However, whatever the interpretation, they are genuinely healthy people. The "chunky" part of their physicality is due to the muscular toning. It is not a bad thing.

[mellie]

Spoke ( rather emailed my old coach) he advised that there is widespread controversy concerning the " heaviness " of gymnasts, some countries retaining the formerly athletic "not bulky" physiques and others are going for the bulk, more muscular physique. He said both had pros and cons, but he personally believes more serious injuries are sustained by heavier gymnasts and that later on, following their retirement from professional gymnastics, they're more likely to suffer longer term consequences due to more weight baring problems, on joints and from previous injuries.
Personally, I endured 4 fractures ( relativly minor) and a dislocation and the dislocation and believe it or not, some of my relatively minor sprains still haunt me. Shoulders, knees. He said that it would likely have been more troublesome then and now had I been a heavier gymnast.

I guess trends/ styles come and go, but for me personally as a teenager, I wouldn't want to have bulked up like the hulk and achieved a more muscular physique.

But this is just a couple of POVs

Each to their own I guess.

[mellie]

And same, I've only just returned also.

[Jasin]

I'm sure there is more than enough gymnast stuff that can both accommodate and benefit from a chunky or solid build, than just athletic or slim build.