The Value of Coaching & My 1st Tumbling Lesson

A week away from my 31st birthday, and amidst 50 screaming little girls that were less than half my age, I had my first private tumbling lesson. This has been in the works for a while – ever since I found out that there were still adults out there doing gymnastics as part of their fitness program. There are people my age – and older! – doing handstands, backbends, & L-sits…(sigh) this was my glory 16 years ago when I was gymnastic-ing several times per week, and eating up as much gymnastics workouts and television as I could. And to discover a niche of fitness that was still using this stuff to develop & translate strength, stability, joint mobility & simple badass-ness – well, sign me up & call me Charlie!

You may think this sounds like a ridiculous idea, but I think it sounds like a fun way to use your body & your time – because remember, you get only 1 life and only 1 shot at making memories, what you do each day will create the life you reflect on & the memories you hold when you’re old and gray someday.

So handstands & backbends went into my weekly program. But there is only so much you can do watching videos online. Which is what I did for a few months. As I’m sure many of you trying to learn how to have better run form or proper TRX pushup form do! I got my handstand back. Got cartwheels & flips into the pit at the trampoline park near our house. And then I got stuck. I wasn’t sure how to get better, or where to go next to progress myself. Sound familiar? I think everyone who’s ever tried to improve in some way has come to this point.

I knew I needed coaching if I was going to progress past the basic handstand. But apparently, gymnastics facilities are not too eager to have anyone over age 21 in their gym, even in a private lesson. I would know. I asked….and was denied at several facilities. And then, when I was driving into the warehouse park where ProKine is located, it hit me. The cheerleading school around the corner from us offers private tumbling lessons! No, it wasn’t beam, bar & vault work – but it was a start. Would they take me??

I called, explained what I was looking for and how I was relatively practiced already but needed coaching to move to the next level and would they please give me a shot. They would!! And so this is how I found myself surrounded by screaming little girls as I set down my hoodie & purse (no other tumblers had purses I noted…clearly children don’t need a purse to hold car keys and a wallet…note to self, don’t bring purse next time) & walked over to meet my coach.

I’m in private lessons so it’s just going to be just me & my coach working on skills. Which is so awesome. A private coach can help you because the whole workout is devoted to you & your issues. Whatever you stink at, they’ll laser in on and address immediately. They specialize in a certain field – in this case, tumbling – and they will give you all the little tips & cues needed to “get it” quicker than you’ll ever get it on your own.

It is exactly what Drew & I do in personal training, and it was really cool to be on the other side of the equation, for once!

The first thing I said to Drew when I got out of my lesson was, “it was awesome to get these cues for certain tricks that made an immediate difference in me ‘getting’ the skill! I would NEVER have gotten that from watching videos online!”

And this is why you hire a coach people. To address your limiters. Reach goals you desire greatly. Limit the risk for injury. And cut the time to goal accomplishment that you would have wasted trying to figure it out on your own.

Oh, and 1 more reason: To think big for you…to see a vision you weren’t sure was possible. I went into my lesson with a list of various handstands & front or back walkovers that would be my ‘long range goal.’ Here’s what I tweeted after my lesson tonight…

https://twitter.com/#!/kgalliett/status/172481531078656000

I *never* would have thought back handsprings or tumbling sequences that included back tucks would be possible for me. Those were the last skills I learned in gymnastics as a child before quitting the sport in favor of the traditional school sports – 16 YEARS AGO. I have no idea if or when I’ll get to those skills, but I am so excited & hopeful for this new endeavor, & am thrilled to be on the receiving end of some private coaching! If you have goals in mind, I’d strongly urge you to consider hiring a coach to help you get there. In business, sports & life – there are coaches available who know their stuff & can guide you to (and beyond!) the end result you have in mind. And if they’re a good coach, & you’re committed to the process, it will be worth more than the time & money you put into it!