Topic: Would physics be on my side if I have an ankle weight on

[bobgoboom5]

Would adding ankle weights make it easier when doing tricks like websters, flips and hand springs ect.?

[David Jones]

I would not suggest that at all.

[DevintheNinja]

X6265727 David

[Joe Brock]

NO!!!!!!!!!!  Physics would pull your joints out of socket.

[Brian O'Neil]

Squats and DLs will put physics on your side...

I'm sure plyometrics would too.

[bobgoboom5]

NO!!!!!!!!!!  Physics would pull your joints out of socket.

You make a good point. I think that It will need some exeriment

[David Jones]

First, let me ask you a question.

What do you think the weights will do? Make your legs stronger? Or help you rotate easier through flips?

Either way, it won't work quite like that haha. I would say that if you had any weight, you would want a weight vest, less stressful to the joints. But even then, the extra weight will only change your technique and your biomechanics will be thrown of completely once you have taken the weight off. If you use weight for anything, use it specifically for lifting, not technical training.

[MThomasfreerun]

Um...gymnasts REGULARLY do this. I'm not sure why everyone thinks it is a bad idea. It's not really a physics thing so much as a strength building idea. Once you take the weights off you will probably have stronger flips.



EDIT:  Unless you are asking if adding weights will add so called "club speed" and increase the speed of the swing of your leg for example. In this case, I don't recommend it as a general practice.

[bobgoboom5]

The reason I put this tread up is to gauge the general thoughts of those people who haven't atempted this and to see if i couldn't come up with a way of getting around everything that you and I see is wrong with my plan. Of course I'm going to atempt it myself but by no means do I intend to make this habit of any kind.
When I do try something new like this "Failure is always an option" 

[David Jones]

Um...gymnasts REGULARLY do this.

I didn't know we were gymnasts, haha.

Serious though, I would assume that gymnasts are already conditioned to the extent that they could handle the stresses of acro, with ankle weights on. But that's just an assumption, so don't mind me.

[Tom Coppola]

Um...gymnasts REGULARLY do this. I'm not sure why everyone thinks it is a bad idea. It's not really a physics thing so much as a strength building idea. Once you take the weights off you will probably have stronger flips.



EDIT:  Unless you are asking if adding weights will add so called "club speed" and increase the speed of the swing of your leg for example. In this case, I don't recommend it as a general practice.

This is misleading.  Gymnasts use ankle weights for strength training.  For example they are used in exercises like L-sits, pull ups, rope climbs, and anything else where an increase in resistance will be beneficial for strength development.  I've never heard of gymnasts using ankle weights for tumbling.  

You shouldn't train with ankle weights because it changes the parameter of the skill you're learning and you'll ultimately be learning the wrong motor program.  Do proper strength training and skill training separately, you'll see much more effective gains in performance this way.

[David Jones]

You shouldn't train with ankle weights because it changes the parameter of the skill you're learning and you'll ultimately be learning the wrong motor program.  Do proper strength training and skill training separately, you'll see much more effective gains in performance this way.

[Adam McC]

This is misleading.  Gymnasts use ankle weights for strength training.  For example they are used in exercises like L-sits, pull ups, rope climbs, and anything else where an increase in resistance will be beneficial for strength development.  I've never heard of gymnasts using ankle weights for tumbling.  

You shouldn't train with ankle weights because it changes the parameter of the skill you're learning and you'll ultimately be learning the wrong motor program.  Do proper strength training and skill training separately, you'll see much more effective gains in performance this way.

Tom's got the golden post here, OP. Ankle weights are for strength training, not for dynamic movement. When you get into motion and momentum and mass in motion, you start multiplying and multiplying the amount of force. Ankle weights should only be used in situations where you are in control of the amount of force that's going on. Which means, as Tom said, leg lifts, pull ups, L-sits, and so on. But not dynamic motions. That's just asking for damage.

[MThomasfreerun]

It's not something I recommend - it's something that happens. Not for aggressive tumbling but many use it for standing backs, etc. Don't go cranking corkscrews. Sorry for being misleading - not my intent.

[Joe Brock]

I was thinking that since this was in "tricking" that we were discussing kicks with ankle weights on.  A 540 with an extra 10lbs on your ankle is NOT a good idea.  For strength, it would be fine.  Hyper extension in a kick is a horribly painful injury that would be a major risk.

[Tom Coppola]

It's not something I recommend - it's something that happens. Not for aggressive tumbling but many use it for standing backs, etc. Don't go cranking corkscrews. Sorry for being misleading - not my intent.

Thanks for clarifying.  I didn't know they also used them for basic flips.  I still wouldn't recommend it for 99.9% of people here, though.

[Kyle Rudolph]

I'd rather not put any extra strain on my ankle ligaments personally.

Want ups? Weighted squats and protein superset jump squat (bw).

[DevintheNinja]

As far as tricking goes I haven't put ankle weights on. But I do practice all my basic kicks with them: front snap, roundhouse, front leg hook and spinning hook, axe, side. Adding the weights to to sloppy technique will only make it more sloppy.

[bobgoboom5]

6 well spent years of TKD made my kicks really fast, and dam near robotic in their beauty lol I just got the 540 the other day by adding a low spinning kick.

[DevintheNinja]

Well that's also good to know. Congrats and again I don't advise flippin with the weights on