While flying effortlessly between parallel bars rates high on the glamour scale in gymnastics, climbing a rope for conditioning is just as impressive.
Emma Baker, 10.and her teammates, ages 10-15, in the elite testing program at Head over Heels Gymnastics of Inverness make it look easy. They agree, however, climbing the rope isn't fun. It's hard. It burns the hands, and the arms feel like they're going to drop off after a few trips up. That's because in about six seconds, they pull themselves about 10 to 15 feet using only their arms, keeping their legs stretched out at a 90 degree angle to their bodies, perfectly parallel to the floor with their toes like a ballerina en pointe. "Conditioning plays a big part in gymnastics," Coach John Lowery says. The girls say the rope exercise helps just about every muscle they'll use in their routines. They all hope to perform those routines at a university someday. Baker and her teammates giggle as they repeat a gymnastics saying known in gymnastic circles. "If gymnastics were easy it would be called football."