Road to 2016 Games: Duke Van Vleet gymnastics Coaching at Elite European Training Camp

i99 Fit: Headquartered in Denver, but we travel!

Recently our very own Duke Van Vleet answered a call to arms from across the pond from our friends Erik Lau Kelner and John Singleton.Weightlifting 101 was running an Elite Training Camp in Iceland. The goal was clear: Fine tune the gymnastics skills of some of Europe’s top elite athletes in preparation to make a big statement at the 2016 Games.

Duke hopped on the first plane to Iceland

When it comes to Olympic weightlifting technique, plus dealing with volume and capacity, no one is better than Erik and John. Their two main athletes, Sara Sigmundsdóttir and Björgvin Guðmundsson, both placed 3rd in the 2015 Games in their divisions. They will surely be able to improve on that this year by training specifically with a little more gymnastics technique.

The first step in overcoming obstacles in life and sport is admitting that you have a weakness!

Both athletes and coaches were aware, and willing to admit that they needed to add gymnastics technique to their program. Duke was called in because of his 23 years of knowledge in competitive gymnastics and technique. The first thing he did upon his arrival at the Elite European training camp was to bring each athlete back to basics. Focusing on details in the basic foundations of gymnastics, and only then can technical efficiency be achieved.

The first impression of these elite European athletes was that they were all extremely motivated and disciplined. Their goal is not just to compete in the games, but to be competitive, to be at the top, eventually dominating the sport in all division. In their efforts to reach this goal, the coaches are very selfless in their motivations. They are willing to do everything to guarantee that each athlete succeeds in their competitions.

Personalized Elite Gymnastics Program:

Day 1-2 Addressing Technique and Basics
Day 3 Recovery Day
Day 4 Designed WODs and MetCons
Day 5 Day Off

Next – Refining the technique and addressing more techniques that we haven’t touched on yet

Addressing technique before speed and capacity

Our custom designed WODs and Metcons were specifically meant to test the abilities of the athletes, to implement technical changes, and see how they handled new technique under stress and fatigue.

Address technique in sessions in which they don’t have to worry about strength and speed is important. Once the technique is efficient, then it’s time to start worrying about speed and capacity.

“So far the athletes have responded very well to the new techniques and I am very excited about the range of the european athletes, not just from Iceland, but from Denmark Germany, Greece, UK, and all over Europe, all with one goal in mind: To put Europe on the map at the next games and give the US a run for their money.” – Duke Van Vleet, i99 Fit Gymnastics Coach and competitive gymnast for 23 yearsThe athletes are awesome, and the coaches are really on top of their game. It’s a privilege and an honor for Duke to be a part of that development and continued success on the Road to the 2016 Games.

Until next time. Cheers!