If you know gymnastics, you know 1996 Women’s Olympic Team Member Amanda Borden who, on that eventful day in Atlanta, Georgia, stepped onto the podium along with her other six teammates and received the gold medal in front of the entire world! 

It’s not surprising that Amanda Borden-Cochran continued her love and support for the sport of gymnastics by opening her first training gym – Gold Medal Gymnastics –  in Tempe, Arizona in 2004.  Fitting to her personality, Amanda and her husband Brad Cochran provide a positive atmosphere encouraging and inspiring gymnasts starting with preschool ages all the way up to the elite level of training.  Cheerleading and tumbling programs are also included, providing a variety of athletic avenues for youth.  As this location flourished, Amanda and her husband decided it was time for some growth.  They doubled in size (literally) by opening a second location in 2008 in Chandler, Arizona.  This 25,000 square foot training center hosts competitive team programs, providing full class schedules of preschool, recreational, cheer and tumbling classes just to name a few!  

It is obvious to say that Amanda and Brad certainly know how to provide, maintain and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to running a gymnastics training center. So when this power couple saw that the “sister sport” of gymnastics — ninja obstacle training — was really growing throughout the country, they decided it was time to add this phenomenal sport to their Chandler gym, making their gym now the largest gymnastics facility in Arizona!

We got the call from Amanda and Brad in October 2020 and we were ecstatic to help with this project.  Amanda has been a long-time friend of us at American Gymnast and it was not only a business mission to provide the very best service from beginning to end during this project, but also a personal mission to design and furnish a state-of-the-art ninja training facility.  

We worked closely with Brad, discussing and planning the design of their new ninja obstacle course, taking into account all of their needs and desires, as well as working with the footprint of the gym.   American Gymnast used their own 3D Gym Design, implementing color schemes and product placement to provide Brad and Amanda with 3D renderings along the way,  giving them the ability to see exactly what their new ninja gym would look like.  We used this technology to fine tune the layout, considering entryways and doors to haul equipment and supplies efficiently into the facility, making this project a smooth process.

We are just a few weeks away from completing this amazing project, as we finish the final details before Gold Medal Gymnastics has their grand opening for their ninja program in June 2021.  What an exciting time for Amanda and Brad, their athletes and families, and the future of gymnastics and ninja training.

For more information on ninja gym design and equipment, click here: https://www.american-gymnast.com/contact-us/

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Check out this video as our co-owners and former gymnasts, Jay Thornton and Brad Thornton, break it down with a step-by-step process on how to build your gym or add on to your existing gym along with ways to provide additional streams of income to your business. With over 21 years of owning this business and being a former USA World Gymnastics Team Member, Jay Thornton knows the ins and outs of what is involved in making a successful gym come to life. And his brother, Co-owner Brad Thornton, who is also a former gymnast, has no problem applying his engineering degree from Georgia Tech as he tweaks and perfects each unique gym design to fit customers’ wishes and desires.

A burden will be lifted once you chat with our team and realize how much American Gymnast, along with our own 3D Gym Design technology, has to offer you as one of their valued customers. Imagine seeing your very own gym in 3D on your computer, as you work hand-in-hand with American Gymnast adding final touches and additions before it is ever built.  We will leave the guess work out and give you a clear perception of what your gym will look like before any construction takes place. But we don’t stop there. Once your design is complete,  American Gymnast then creates a detailed quote of every piece of equipment needed to outfit your new custom gym for you to review and order. We will then make sure all of your equipment is manufactured, shipped and installed per your design so that opening day is a success!  As you can see, we are a full service gym provider and we are passionate about helping others build their dreams while they build champions.

Please contact us for more information and to discuss your future plans at: https://www.american-gymnast.com/contact-us/

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One of American Gymnast’s most exciting projects to start off the new year was upgrading and completing this installation for the USA Gymnastics Women’s National Team training gym in Indianapolis! What a CLEAN, SAFE and a beautiful asset this is for these athletes.  2020 showed us that we needed to start thinking of different ways to help gym owners provide a safer and cleaner environment for their athletes while giving parents a peace of mind as programs start back up this year.  More than ever, athletes are longing to get back in the gym and do what they love – gymnastics!  We at American Gymnast are doing our best to keep up with the latest and most innovative equipment so that dreams will continue to come true, champions will continue to be made, and lives will continue to be impacted by this amazing sport.

BigAirBags can be retrofitted into your old loose foam pit or we can work with you to design the perfect size and shape airbag for new construction projects.  Additionally, we have portable above-ground airbags which are great for vaulting, tumbling and dismount training that can be easily moved around the gym and inflated in seconds.

One of the worst jobs in owning a gym has got to be cleaning out the loose foam pits!  The thought of cleaning out all of those foam cubes and then dealing with whatever you find underneath them is enough to make you feel sick to your stomach.  But by replacing your foam pit with this airbag, you will be blown away by the cleanliness and low maintenance of your new pit — the satin top sheets are anti-microbial (killing micro-organisms and stopping growth) and the sheets can be easily removed and washed.  No more dirt and grime living in your pit!

Providing the safest equipment for our customers and athletes is at the top of our list and we love the features this product has to ensure extra safety for those training.  Just a few of these features include an audible alarm that sounds any time a blower malfunctions or the power goes out.  There is also a pressure sensor located in the airbag that is able to read the pressure within the bag and that pressure is displayed so one can determine whether it is within the appropriate limits. When the air bag is deflated, there are large, brightly colored “Do Not Jump” labels that display alerting gymnasts that it is not safe to use.

We feel this product fits perfectly into how gyms can easily transform and upgrade to keep up with the dramatic changes we have had to make in the last year.  Safe, clean and effective — words that come to mind when describing this airbag.

More airbag installations are scheduled this month to provide gyms and their athletes a healthy way to train and we are truly excited about helping many other gym owners get this product set up in their facility. For information about the BigAirBag and how to get one in your gym, go to https://www.american-gymnast.com/airbags-in-gymnastics/

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That’s where we come in. Design is one of our specialties and something we provide to every client looking to get their training equipment from us. Home gyms in particular, with ninja or obstacle training, it’s important to have a precise plan or design created to ensure what you want to do will actually work. Homes often have a lot of little obstructions to consider (especially in basements) such as duct work, ceiling fans or the ceiling height itself (don’t worry, we’ve come up with plans in rooms with 8ft ceilings).

Our agNinja product line is quite extensive and has something for most every athlete and every space. After a thorough consult with the client to gain an understanding of their needs and their available space, we begin to work on the detailed 3d plans and determine which obstacles and equipment is most suitable for that client. After some back and forth with the client we present a final design plan and start to prepare for production.

The final phase (my favorite) is seeing it all come together with the installation. While some of our more handy clients opt to take on the task of installing themselves, it is also another service we can provide to make the whole experience truly “turn-key.”

Below is a simple example of a design we created for a recent client who had about 500 square feet available in their basement. It may not sound like much to work with, but we were able to fit in a pretty sweet training setup. Again, you don’t need much – just an open area and a little determination!

Brad Thornton

Brad@InteractiveSportsZone.com

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The idea behind the Ninja course was to provide something a broad age range of kids can play on or create a timed obstacle course. The obstacles included were all considered fairly low level but tons of fu. We jazzed up the space by doing a sharp looking color scheme of green, yellow and grey.

Email us today about how we can create the ultimate Ninja space for you!

Brad@American-Gymnast.com

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If you haven’t heard yet, the FIG has approved the inclusion of obstacle course competitions as a new discipline. While there may be some differing opinions about the FIG’s inclusion of this (which I don’t intend to get in to), I believe there are so many positive and exciting things to come from the overall acceptance of this sport. So, what does this mean for all of us in the gymnastics world?

1. We are moving in a good direction with respect to training young athletes. A huge population of kids across the globe are infatuated with what was once considered only a “street activity.”. Years ago, local clubs began to pick up on this new obsession and started to incorporate small obstacles in their gyms to simulate this whole parkour concept. Kids were learning motor skills, coordination and strength in a fun way and in a supervised and safe environment. It’s pretty obvious how beneficial this has been in transforming the way kids exercise and learn the fundamentals of body control.
2. It’s not going anywhere. That’s right, parkour and obstacle training are here to stay and I love it. Kids will never grow tired of this type of activity. It lends itself to free-thinking for the athletes in that they reach a point of being able to perform an infinite number of skills across a course that can be arranged in an infinite  number of ways. Course setups can be relatively inexpensive for clubs, and therefore easy to get an affordable program up and running rather quickly. This in turn will help reach a broad range of demographics which will further drive this sport to bigger things.
3. If you haven’t created an obstacle training program, now is the time! Based on what you read in the two items above, there is no reason to not start….today. You don’t even have to purchase new equipment. Start out with items you have in the gym – spotting blocks, incline mats, junior bars, etc. Get with your coaches and start to create an easy curriculum … and voila, you now offer obstacle training!

So, where am I going with all of this? While developing our free gym design software, we knew the importance of including obstacle training as one of the features. So we made sure that the very first version of the software would include Parkour and Ninja Training. It’s perfect from a coaching perspective. Easily go in to software and create course setups in your gym space. Save the .3Dgym file and share with colleagues, kids or even share them with other gyms who may be struggling with new ideas. The software will also keep track of your inventory and will give real time quotes if you are in need of new items to enhance your course. If you are proactive about managing the maintenance of your equipment, we take care of that as well in the pro version of the software. It’s awesome, really.

3D Gym Design Software includes Obstacle Training

There is really no reason not to go download the software right now. We recently just enhanced the software’s performance, so it runs extremely smooth and quickly. We think you are going to love it!

Contact us if you have any questions.

Brad Thornton

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GymABstics was created by gymnasts Jay and Andy Thornton, and some experts from Lone Godbersen, for the purpose of educating those not familiar with gymnastics based training on how easy it is to get an intense workout without the use of any equipment. The program takes you through 6 months of bodyweight only exercises focusing on gymnastics movements and starts at a beginner level and works up to advanced workouts. We received a lot of positive feedback from our GymABstics program and helped many people achieve some long awaited fitness goals.

After the release of our program, we also started creating some short video tips on YouTube on bodyweight strength elements on various pieces of gymnastics training equipment such as the rings and parallettes. Viewers seems very interested in this content and asked many questions on various techniques and also requested to see more.

I decided to take a it a little further and created a Ring Strength Fitness Guide that demonstrated beginner through advanced strength elements with a focus on proper technique. I also put the guide in video form which has gained almost 53,000 views. You can check out this video below:

So, the combination of a successful GymABstics program and the demand for more tutorials on the gymnastics movements on rings and parallettes inspired us to take the GymABstics program further.

As I mentioned before, the 6 months of the program focused completely on movements that were done without using any equipment. We thought it fitting to build on this and develop the second 6 months of GymABstics, incorporating the two basic pieces of equipment that are very popular with gymnastics home use training – the parallettes and rings.

I get approached all the time from athletes curious about gymnastics training who want to be able to do L sits or press handstands or an iron cross on rings. People are intrigued by the strength that gymnasts possess and want to know how they can get there too. The new GymABstics program will do just that. It will build on top of the strength that has been developed from the first program and start to incorporate skills and training on the parallettes and rings that will help to acquire some of those gymnastics elements you never thought you would be able to do. You can expect the workouts to be high intensity, creative and fun!

The second 6 months of GymABstics is in the works and we are very excited about it. Why are we telling you about it now. Well, since the second program builds on the first, it gives you an opportunity to get started on your training if you haven’t completed the first 6 months. Also, as I mentioned, the second 6 months will incorporate the parallettes and the rings, so you will have some time to get those and get acquainted with them. Both of them include an electronic training guide to help you understand some of the basics and get you started.

So, get ready! GymABstics Volume 2 is coming soon!

Brad Thornton

Strength & Fitness Team Lead

www.GymnasticsStrength.com

www.GymABstics.com

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As we are approaching another Olympic year (only 363 days from today until the Opening Ceremonies in Rio!), I started thinking about all the gymnasts around our country training to make our U.S. Olympic Team.  These gymnasts put their heart and soul into our sport, sacrificing in countless ways all so they can have the chance to represent USA on that prestigious competition floor.

There’s nothing I get more passionate about than watching our USA Team competing at the Olympics.  And to think that American Gymnast could possibly have any small part in helping an athlete realize their life-long dream would be so fulfilling for me as a business owner.  I realize that I have an opportunity with American Gymnast to help fuel that flame inside these gymnasts.

So, we give birth this week to our new American Gymnast slogan … Fueling the Flame.

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