Training & Technique

Learn, hold and enter handstands, from the wall to a press.

• Start hereHow to Do a Handstand: Steps, Wall Drills and Common Mistakes
• Start hereThe Safest Way to Learn Handstands? Start at the Wall
• Handstand Entries Compared: Kick-Up, Wall Walk, Press and Jump
• How to Kick Up Into a Handstand: Control, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Get Into a Handstand Without Kicking Up: 6 Ways
• Why Are Handstands So Tiring?
• Is the Straddle Press Handstand Harder? Here’s Why Everyone Tries It

Rolls, bridges, walkovers and handsprings, plus building a floor routine.

• Start hereHow to Do a Forward Roll: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Do a Cartwheel: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• PlannedHow to Do a Round-Off: Steps, Snap-Down and Common Mistakes

  Learn how a round-off works, from the hurdle and hand placement to the two-foot snap-down, with a coached drill video and practical troubleshooting.

• PlannedHow to Do an Aerial Cartwheel: Drills, Timing and Common Mistakes

  Learn how an aerial cartwheel works, what to master first, coach-led drills and common mistakes, with Amanda Borden’s video explaining takeoff arm options.

• How to Do a Bridge (Backbend) in Gymnastics: Steps, Drills and Safety
• How to Do a Back Walkover: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Do a Front Walkover: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Do a Back Handspring: Steps, Drills and What Coaches Look For
• PlannedHow to Do a Backflip: Back Tuck Technique and Common Mistakes

  Understand back tuck takeoff, rotation and landing, standing versus connected flips, coach-led preparation and common mistakes, with a video demonstration.

• PlannedHow to Do a Front Flip: Front Tuck Technique and Drills

  Understand front tuck technique, from the hurdle and two-foot punch to rotation and landing, with a coached video, useful drills and common mistakes.

• PlannedHow to Do a Front Handspring: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes

  Learn the phases of a front handspring, step-out versus two-foot landings, coach-led drills and common mistakes, with a video and Level 4–5 notes.

• Controlling the Tuck Position: Basic Shape Practice for Gymnasts
• PlannedHow to Do a Tuck Jump: Technique, Landings and Common Mistakes

  Learn tuck jump technique, the muscles involved and how to correct common mistakes, with a coaching video and practical checks for takeoff and landing.

• Tumbling for Adult Beginners: Classes, First Skills and Progress
• What Are the Twisties in Gymnastics? Signs, Support and Returning to Training
• Your First Gymnastics Floor Routine: How to Learn and Remember It
• How to Choreograph a Gymnastics Floor Routine: From Brief to Final Edit
• Starting and Ending a Floor Routine: Poses, Transitions and Timing
• Dance Training for Gymnasts: Choosing Useful Goals for Beam and Floor

From low beam to high beam: walking, balance, skills and dismounts.

• Start hereStarting on Low Beam: Choosing the Setup and Understanding the Practice
• Learning to Walk on a Balance Beam: Foot Placement, Pace and Control
• Balance Beam Exercises for Beginners: Walks, Balances, Jumps and Turns
• How to Balance on a Balance Beam: Tips to Stay Steady and Wobble Less
• Moving From Low Beam to High Beam: What Changes for the Gymnast?
• Beam Choreography Explained: Poses, Balances and Connected Movement
• How to Do a Front Walkover on Beam: Steps and Technique
• How to Do a Handstand on Beam: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• Beam Dismounts: Types, Examples and What Makes a Good Landing
• PlannedArabesque in Gymnastics: Position, Height and Common Errors

  An arabesque is a balance on one straight leg with the other lifted straight behind. How to do one, the leg height at each USAG level, and common errors.

Hangs, pullovers, circles and the kip, with drills for each.

• Start hereWhat Children Learn on Gymnastics Bars: Beginner Skills Explained
• Bar Exercises for Gymnastics Beginners: 5 Foundations
• How to Do a Pullover on Bars: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Do a Front Hip Circle on Bars: Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• How to Do a Mill Circle (Stride Circle) on Bars
• How to Teach a Mill Circle: Lesson Planning and Troubleshooting
• How to Do a Kip on Bars: Glide Kip Steps, Drills and Common Mistakes
• Bar Conditioning for Gymnastics: Exercises and a Sample Session

Getting started on rings, strength holds and pommel horse basics.

• Start hereHow to Start Training on Gymnastic Rings: A Beginner’s Guide
• Gymnastics Rings vs. Calisthenics Rings: Which Specifications Matter?
• Ring Workout: 5 Gym Ring Exercises, Beginner to Advanced
• Gymnastics Rings Chest Workout: Push-Ups, Dips and Progressions
• How to Do Skin the Cat on Bars and Rings: Steps and Safety
• Front Lever Progressions on Rings: Tuck to Full Hold
• Front Lever vs. Back Lever on Rings: Positions, Demands and Learning Order
• How to Train for the Iron Cross: Prerequisites, Progressions and Exercises
• Maltese on Rings: Assisted Practice and Progressions
• Handstands on Still Rings: Balance Demands and Coach-Led Preparation
• Circles vs. Flairs on Pommel Horse: How to Tell Them Apart and How Gymnasts Learn Them
• Keeping Rhythm Through the Turn: The Key to Clean Spindles and Russians
• Ring Rows, Push-Ups and Supported Holds for Shoulder Strength

How gymnasts build strength at the gym and at home.

• Gymnastics Conditioning: Exercises, Strength Training and a Weekly Plan
• Gymnastics at Home for Beginners: What to Practice Between Classes
• Home Equipment for Gymnastics Conditioning: What Is Worth Buying?
• Gymnastics Core Exercises: 6 Ways to Build Body Control
• Do Front Flips Build Your Abs? Core Strength, Rotation and Better Training Goals
• Straight-Arm Strength in Gymnastics: Leverage, Holds and Progression
• Strong Shoulders for Gymnastics: Support, Holds and Rotator-Cuff Exercises
• Weight Training for Gymnasts: How Gymnasts Use Weights, Dumbbells and Pull-Ups
• Gymnastics vs. Calisthenics: Differences in Training, Strength and Risk

Safe stretching, active flexibility and daily routines.

• Start hereFlexibility in Gymnastics: Why It Matters and How Gymnasts Train It
• Beginner Leg Stretches for Gymnastics: Position, Comfort and Control
• Higher Leg Holds in Gymnastics: Build Active Flexibility and Control
• 15-Minute Daily Yoga Routine to Improve Gymnastics Flexibility
• Male Gymnast Flexibility Routine: How Top Athletes Build Power and Mobility
• How to Do the Splits: A Safe Plan for Beginners
• How Rhythmic Gymnasts Train for Unbelievable Flexibility

Wrists, ankles, shoulders and feet: keeping joints ready to train.

• Start hereWrist Strength for Gymnastics: Preparation, Loading and When Pain Needs Attention
• Ankle Exercises for Gymnasts: Seven Ways to Train Mobility, Strength and Control
• Why Do Gymnasts Tape Their Ankles? Benefits and Limits
• Gymnast Foot Care: Blisters, Calluses and Healthy Skin

Spotting, lesson planning, body mechanics and meet preparation.

• Start hereWhat Is Gymnastics Spotting? What Parents Should Expect From a Coach
• How to Build a Recreational Gymnastics Curriculum (Step-by-Step Lesson Plan)
• How Gymnasts Keep Their Balance: Center of Gravity, Support and Body Control
• Gymnastics Biomechanics: How Body Shape Changes Rotation, Leverage and Balance
• What Is Podium Training in Gymnastics? What Happens and How to Watch It