Building Stronger Gymnasts - Gymnastics Page of Stronger Performance PT

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Building Stronger Gymnasts - Gymnastics Page of Stronger Performance PT

Dr. Sarah Barbosa, PT, DPT. Performance Physical Therapist for Gymnasts. Former Gymnast for 16 years.

Offering 1:1 Gymnastics-Specific Rehab, Injury Screening, Strength & Conditioning for Gymnasts

02/09/2026

I’ve spent years building strength.

But flexibility? Something I need to put more focus on 😅

I’ve seen really good flexibility gains with PNF-style work — contracting the muscles you’re trying to stretch, then fully relaxing them and using the opposite muscles to pull deeper into the range. A few cycles of this usually leads to changes that are noticeable right away.

But if you want that range to last — and actually transfer to gymnastics — it has to be followed by strengthening in those end ranges.

This is how I’m training my pike position so it carries over to bar skills, not just stretching and hoping.

P.S. I used to compete a toe shoot, but not from handstand — I know I’m coming onto the bar early and have work to do, but without the flexibility, it’ll only feel harder.

Save this for your next flexibility session.

01/19/2026

Gymnastics didn’t break me. My foundation did.

At 17: constant overuse injuries → shoulder surgeries → thought bars was over.
At 30: strongest I’ve ever been → doing bars again → shoulders feel better than they did back then.

Yes — of course gymnastics takes reps + time + hard work.
But if the foundation isn’t there, more reps won’t make you better… it’ll just make you break down faster. And that’s exactly what happened to me and to so many other gymnasts too.

I didn’t need “more gymnastics.”
I needed:

• strength
• end-range control
• prehab
• recovery

Stronger is safer.

I took time to focus on that and now doing gymnastics in my 30s is coming easier than it did when I was in my teens.

Want to start building your foundation?
Free ebook → 3 Things I Wish I Knew Sooner (link in bio)

01/12/2026

Most gymnast injuries aren’t “random”… they’re usually a weak link showing up under repetition and impact.

RDLs are one of my favorite exercises for gymnasts because they teach you how to absorb force through your hips and glutes (instead of dumping into your low back and knees) — but only if you hinge correctly. And honestly, that isn’t intuitive if you’ve never been taught it.

If you feel this mostly in your low back:
You’re probably arching and losing core control.

Fix it by keeping your ribs stacked and hinging from the hips (think “scoop/tuck” your hips under as you stand up, instead of arching your back).

Want the full breakdown (& instructional video tutorial) of this and the other exercises I use with gymnasts?
➡️ Download my free PDF: 8 Total-Body Prehab Exercises Every Gymnast Needs
Link in bio.

If you’re in NJ and need 1:1 help, feel free to DM me. This type of movement pattern mastery is what helps gymnasts rebuild capacity and tolerate impacts again and again - and it’s often missed in traditional rehab.

01/07/2026

Sometimes it’s hard to see why you’re doing certain things in training.

When I was a gymnast, I was told lifting weights wasn’t for us.

But after a decade of strength training — and returning to gymnastics in my 30s — it’s become very clear how directly it transfers.

Loading movement patterns in the gym prepares the body for the same patterns gymnasts repeat over and over in skills. I’ve seen it in my own comeback, and I see it every day when helping gymnasts bridge the gap between traditional rehab and real, transferable strength.

That transition back to sport feels smoother, more confident, and more resilient — with fewer setbacks along the way.

This single-leg RDL is just one example.

Strength training for gymnasts isn’t about lifting heavy for the sake of it — it’s about preparing the body to perform and stay healthy long-term.

If you’re in New Jersey and want help returning from injury or building strength that actually carries over to gymnastics, feel free to DM me.

Address

129 Stryker Lane
Hillsborough, NJ
08844

Website

http://www.strongerperformancept.com/

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