How to Buy the Right Gymnastics Training Equipment for Home Use

Buying gymnastics training equipment for home use doesn't have to be a difficult process. Knowing what to look for will save you time and money. Don't worry about buying the wrong brand or some cheap piece of equipment. We've narrowed down the best to save you hours of internet searching. We give you must know details on gymnastics grips, balance beams, mats, and training bars.

How to Buy the Right Gymnastics Training Equipment for Home Use

Finding the right pair of gymnastics grips should start with asking the coach what, if any, brand and type of gymnastics grips they prefer. While a good starting point, the gymnast ultimately has the final say and should be satisfied with the quality and feel of the grips. The majority of grips on the market are high quality which makes choosing a rather simple process. All of the grips reviewed on this site are high quality and used in gymnastics competitions all over the country and range from $10 to $55. There are, however, a couple of key points to keep in mind before you purchase a pair of gymnastics bar grips.

First, you need to decide on the type of grip. You can choose between the Palm grip or Dowel grip. Then decide is you prefer a Velcro wrist strap or a buckle grip wrist strap. The advantage of a Velcro wrist strap is ease of use. You can put the grips on quickly and without assistance. Velcro wrist straps tend to be a little more comfortable as well. The only disadvantage is longevity as the Velcro tends to wear down over time. The advantage of a Buckle wrist strap is holding power. The Buckle wrist strap will not wear down over time and always provides a solid hold on the wrist. Most high level gymnasts choose buckle grips for the fact of holding power. Buckle grips won't slip or move around on the wrist. The disadvantage of Buckle grips is comfort, but there is a solution. Since buckle grips can be tightened down firmly on the wrist, most gymnasts will wear very thick and long cotton wrist bands. The thick wrist band provides cushion for the wrist. Gymnasts may need assistance in putting on Buckle grips which is a small inconvenience. Finally, it's essential to purchase the correct size. Each brand of grips will come with a sizing chart specific to the brand. This is a fairly easy process and requires a ruler or tape measure as indicated in the sizing instructions. Now you're ready to purchase.

How to Buy the Right Gymnastics Training Equipment for Home Use

Choosing the right balance beam is a rather simple process. Home practice balance beams come in three different styles. Low beam, folding beam, and semi-high beam. First determine how much you're willing to spend as home practice beams range from $80 to $350. Ensure enough space to safely use the beam at home. You must have sufficient clearance on all sides

of the beam for safety. Folding balance beams offer the most versatility. This type of beam can easily be moved around due to its light weight and folding characteristic. One major advantage of a folding beam is the ability of gymnasts to perform difficult skills without the worry of falling to an injury since the beam sits directly on the floor. This type of beam is great for practicing back handsprings. Another advantage is the cost savings since folding beams are generally least expensive. Low beams are another great choice for home practice. Low beams are elevated 3″ to 4″ off the ground and do not fold in half. The low beam is very stable and solid making it a great choice for all around beam practice. It's great for practicing hand stands, back walk overs, back handsprings (with a spotter), and many other skills. Low beams tend to offer a more competition like feel and quality. Finally, the semi-high beams are also a great choice for home practice. This type of beam is elevated 12″ to 24″ off the ground. Semi-high beams offer all the great benefits of the low beam while a bit higher off the ground.

Investing in a good quality gymnastics mat is an important decision for the safety of gymnasts. When researching gymnastics mats you'll want determine your budget. Gymnastics mats range in price from $100 to $800. As a general rule, the bigger the mat, the more expensive it is. Determine what you will use the mat for. Are you placing it under a Junior training bar? This would require a landing 4″ to 8″ in depth. If you're using the mat under the low beam a depth of 2″ to 4″ would work. If you need a mat for tumbling skills, a 2″ depth is sufficient. You will need increased mat length for tumbling skills and less mat depth. If you just need a mat for stretching or yoga, 2″ depth or less is sufficient. Keep in mind that mats will differ from each manufacturer. While the square footage of mats may be the same, foam density could be different. Not all 2″ mats are created the same. You don't want a soft squishy mat for stretching or yoga, but rather a firm mat. You don't want a firm landing mat under a training bar, but rather a softer mat to break a fall.

Choosing a gymnastics training bar for home use can be simple if you know what to look for. When choosing training bar, keep in mind you are not purchasing a full scale uneven bar system as seen in gymnastics facilities across the country. The training bar is not meant to perform full routines and high level skills. The purpose of a training bar is to practice basic bar skills, drills, and conditioning. All training bars are basically the same in size, construction, and material. There are some small differences that could impact which bar you end up buying. You will want to check the weight limit of the bar. Some bars only hold up to 100 lbs. while other bars hold up to 140 lbs. One common problem with all training bars is the lack of floor anchors as seen attached to the bars at your local gym. This may allow the bar to move around the floor while in use. To remedy this common problem, leg extensions can be attached giving the bar more stability. Keep in mind that you will need sufficient padding beneath the bar for safety. 4″ to 8″ of padding is recommended. A good landing mat will provide adequate safety. Training bars are expensive. If you can't afford the ongoing monthly fee for extra classes at your local gym this is a great alternative for extra practice.

Gymnastics Training - Six Key Gymnastics Moves to Practice

Gymnastics is an individual and a group sport that mainly uses balance, flexibility, strength, coordination and concentration while executing floor exercises with grace. Here are some key gymnastics moves to practice to enhance skills and develop muscle flexibility and strength.

Stretches and Splits - Doing stretches is one of the most important steps for every sport enthusiast. It helps condition and warm up the body and prevents muscles from cramping due to sudden strenuous activities. Stretches in gymnastics generally involve splits. One cannot perform a split in an instant. It takes time and consistent practice to develop muscle flexibility and strength. Developing powerful legs is essential for a gymnast. A step by step split guide is beneficial for starters and professionals in doing straddles, front and side splits.

Hand Stands - Hand stand is one of the fundamental skills in gymnastics. In performing a hand stand, one must focus on coordinating upper and lower muscle work in order to create a straight handstand. For non-professionals, training and practicing on hand stand can be performed with an aid of a wall. The more confident a starter can do a hand stand without a wall, the better.

Gymnastics Training - Six Key Gymnastics Moves to Practice

Head Stands - Doing a head stand is much easier than doing the hand stand. This will make a person feel comfortable in an inverted position. In doing so, one must be on a tripod position - the head must touch the ground and hands should be parallel to each other. Start lifting your legs up and concentrate in balancing your whole body.

Walk Over - A walk over is a semi-advanced maneuver and skill in gymnastics. It is a fun yet challenging skill to learn and perform and takes a lot of practice. Once mastered, it can be used for several routines that can be performed on balance beams and floor exercises. A front walk over is basically a movement coming from a hand stand position going to bridge position and standing up on a simultaneous and graceful manner. Make sure to practice this skill on a soft surface area to prevent injuries. Good flexibility and proper body mechanics are keys to make a successful walk over.

Gymnastics Training - Six Key Gymnastics Moves to Practice

Cartwheel - Cartwheels are among the core skills in gymnastics. A cartwheel is performed sideways following the motion of the wheel while keeping the legs and body in a straight gait supported by both hands. In performing a cartwheel, one must ensure that there should be enough room and space to prevent injury by landing unto someone or to something. Good rhythm, proper body alignment and coordination is needed to how to execute a cartwheel perfectly.

Bridges - Doing bridges will increase flexibility and increases range of motion of your back and shoulders if properly executed. In a soft flat surface, lie back comfortably with the legs bent. Bend the arms above the shoulders then gradually raise and straighten your elbows as the legs will push the hips in an upward movement. Once the bridge is accomplished, hold the position as long as possible then safely return from supine position. Doing bridges will require lots of practice. Always make it a point to perform stretches before trying to make a bridge.

Gymnastics Training Equipments

It is said that gymnastics developed from ancient exercises and skills utilized by the ancient Greeks. These movements and techniques were used for various skills such as mounting and dismounting horses or maneuvering through circus-like performances. These movements have evolved through thousands of years to become the sport we now know as gymnastics. Most of the skills are still basically the same but the horse and the circus equipment are now gone. In their place, modern equipments are now being used in various gymnastic disciplines and events.

Gymnastics Training Equipments

Today's gymnastic events include floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar. Each of these events makes use of special gymnastic training equipment. Any list of gymnastic training equipment will usually include the trampoline, uneven bars, balance beams, rings, and maximizers. For vault events, the vaulting boards, vault runway, and vault horses are indispensable. Foam table trainer and pommel horses are also familiar gymnastic equipment. Horizontal bars and ring frames can be found in any complete gymnastic school or training center.

There are also many different gymnastic accessories that are used for training and for competitions. Most notable among these gymnastic accessories are the floors and mats used. These accessories are particularly important since most movements and techniques in the sport of gymnastics are done on the floor. Training mats and exercise mats are also indispensable for gymnasts. Landing mats and throw mats are important not only for the correct execution of some routines but also for the safety of the gymnast.

Gymnastics Training Equipments

These gymnastic training equipments are readily available from the many gymnastic stores in the country. Specialty sports shops also offer high quality gymnastic training equipment which is very essential and indispensable for the training gymnast. Today, there are also some gymnastic equipment suppliers who have established their online presence, allowing you to buy gymnastic equipment easily and conveniently.

Gymnastics Training - Cast Handstand on Uneven Bars

Many gymnastics training coaches do not assign enough sport specific conditioning or understand the mechanics of the cast on bars. When the gymnast attempts to cast before her shoulders are in the correct position, her body goes out rather than up. She also has less momentum if she attempts to cast after her legs reach the front support position with her feet behind her. The gymnast's legs do not have as efficient a cast as she does when she leans forward to see her knees before she casts.

Gymnastics Training - Cast Handstand on Uneven Bars

A gymnast must see her knees before she attempts to cast. Her body must go from the pike position to nearly straight (hollow) position rather than from straight to arched for a proper cast handstand. In other words, a gymnast must get her shoulders over the bar before she attempts to kick her legs for the cast. She must compress well and lean forward enough to place her shoulders in a planche position. Many gymnasts do not understand the concept of keeping their feet in front of the bar (or seeing their feet) out of the kip before the cast. This is mostly a timing issue, but also a lack of understanding of the momentum and body shapes. With the cast handstand, if the timing is correct it will be much easier to form the correct shapes.

An arch in the back is not the proper body position for a cast to handstand. Many gymnasts arch because they are trying to cast from an already straight shape rather than from the compressed shape. Coaches should not allow their gymnasts to cast with an arch because that can easily become a bad habit which is very difficult to correct.

Gymnastics Training - Cast Handstand on Uneven Bars

So many gymnasts also struggle with this skill because they lack the upper body strength required to lift their body. The cast handstand is a simulation of the front lateral raise exercise that many exercise enthusiasts perform with only with a fraction of their weight. As a fitness trainer, I have seen many female clients struggle with less than 5%-10% of their body weight during this exercise. Even the more advanced fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders only use a fraction of their body weight with this exercise. A gymnast must be able to open the shoulder angle completely with a little momentum and enough strength to lift most of her bodyweight.

Perhaps, knowing this, the gymnastics coach can help their young gymnast progress toward their goal, the cast handstand, by allowing small increases in strength when using dumbbells or a toning bar for conditioning. A great step would be to use extremely light weights, such as wooden dowels to teach the mechanics of the cast. Once the mechanics are mastered, the young gymnast can graduate to a 1.5 - 2 pound dumbbell in each hand. Take precautions! Many children, although they have recently become accustomed to literally tossing their body weight around during gymnastics training, have no experience using weights for strength training.

Here is one very useful gymnastics drill that simulates the cast handstand.

The Straight Arm Cast / Lift Drill: Have your gymnast sit on the floor with their knees bent and back against padded wall. Next, have them hold two very light dumbbells with their palms facing the floor and the weights resting on the floor until they are ready to begin the exercise. Instruct your gymnast to raise their arms forward and upward toward the ceiling, simulating the cast to handstand. (front lateral raise) Once at the top of the lift, allow your gymnast to lower their arms\the weights by bringing their hands forward then to a low front position. Be sure you instruct your gymnast to keep their elbows nearly straight, but not locked on this drill. Once your gymnast has done an assigned number of repetitions, have them perform a tight hollow cast on bars. Remember, it will take time before your gymnast will build the strength to literally lift their body weight using this very small muscle group.

Here is another very useful gymnastics drill is using fitness bands or surgical tubing as the resistance.

Band Cast: Wrap a therapy band or surgical tubing around the base of very sturdy equipment, such as beam, vault, or bar base. Have your gymnast lie on their back and grasp the band or surgical tubing. Their feet should be closer to the base than their head and instruct your gymnast to bend their knees. Once your gymnast is in place, instruct them to hold the band very tight as they pull the band from their thighs toward the ceiling and then up toward their head while keeping their arms straight and close to their body. At this point your gymnast's hands should be touching the floor and their arms should be close to their ears. Once they have completed the top portion of the exercise, allow them to return to the staring position. Instruct your gymnast to return the band slowly going toward the ceiling and then down toward their thighs. This should also closely simulate the cast to handstand.

After performing these drills frequently, your gymnast should become more accustomed to the feeling of lifting their arms forward and then up towards their head for the cast handstand.

Next, spot your gymnast for some cast handstand drills on bars. Have your gymnast start in a front support on the bar. Once they are in place, instruct them to cast. First, have them bend at their hips and lean forward. Instruct your gymnast to look for her knees. Once she can see her knees, instruct your gymnast to kick her legs up toward the wall behind her. Instruct her to push her hips off the bar and then push down on bar with her arms and upper body. Remember, your gymnast must remain tight and hollow throughout the skill. Be sure your gymnast leans well over the bar and be prepared for her to collapse if she lacks the strength necessary. Hold the front of her shoulder to prevent her arms from bending in addition to spotting her legs. Most gymnasts have a tendency to cast back and not up because they fail to lean forward enough. Once your gymnast's hips are off the bar, you can catch her shins and hold them in the tight and hollow position. Make any corrections necessary at this point. Once you and your gymnast are comfortable with this position, instruct and help your gymnast to rock forward (planche) and back to gain strength in her abdominal and upper body muscles. Once your gymnast is comfortable remaining tight and hollow while you rock them forward and back, lift your gymnast up to the handstand. (Take precautions! Make sure your gymnast can remain tight and you are strong enough to spot.) You may need to add each step over the course of several weeks or months, depending upon the gymnast's individual strength. After the correct handstand position has been attained, return your gymnast back to the bar in a front support position. Eventually, your gymnast should be able to perform several repetitions each turn.

Remember, good form is just as essential during casts as with all other gymnastic skills. The cast handstand takes a great deal of time and effort to achieve, but it can make the difference between the state champion and everyone else. There are more gymnastics drills and conditioning exercises for the cast handstand in the book, "Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning Exercises."

Always keep safety in mind while training. Please remember that you are responsible for your own personal safety. If you are a coach you are responsible for the safety of your athletes.