Men’s gymnastics is a highly technical and disciplined sport that is divided into a system of levels.
In the United States, these levels are governed by USA Gymnastics and range from Level 1 (beginner) to Level 10 (elite). Each level introduces new challenges and complex skills, and gymnasts must continually refine their techniques and performances to succeed.
Level 1: Introduction to Gymnastics Skills
At Level 1, gymnasts are typically very young or beginners, and the focus is on building a foundation of basic skills. The goal is to learn basic body awareness, strength, and flexibility, as well as the fundamental skills that will carry them into higher levels.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Forward rolls, backward rolls, bridge, handstand hold (against a wall), and basic jumps (straddle, tuck).
- Pommel Horse: Basic body positions (L-sit), leg swings, and simple circles.
- Rings: Pull-ups, basic support holds, and knee tucks.
- Vault: Running and performing a simple straight jump or squat jump over a low vaulting table.
- Parallel Bars: Basic support hold, leg swings, and simple movements like a straddle or tuck hold.
- High Bar: Basic swings and holding the bar with both hands.
Focus: Flexibility, strength, body control, and basic understanding of apparatus handling.
Level 2: Building Strength and Confidence
Level 2 begins to build on the skills learned in Level 1. Gymnasts are expected to increase their strength, flexibility, and coordination, while refining their technique.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Round-off, back extension roll, and more controlled cartwheels.
- Pommel Horse: Leg swings with a greater range of motion and more controlled circles.
- Rings: Pull-ups, knee tucks, and more advanced support positions.
- Vault: Introduction to handspring vaults (using a handspring entry).
- Parallel Bars: Simple swings and basic transitions (like a glide).
- High Bar: Simple swings and attempt basic skills like a pullover.
Focus: Coordination, form, and introduction to more complex movements.
Level 3: Increased Complexity and Skill Refinement
Level 3 begins to add more complexity and requires gymnasts to master more dynamic movements while still focusing on building strength and consistency.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Back handspring, front handspring, and front tuck.
- Pommel Horse: More consistent leg swings and basic circles with legs apart.
- Rings: Strength elements like muscle-ups (transition from support to a higher position) and stable holds.
- Vault: Handspring vault (with a more refined technique).
- Parallel Bars: Swings with leg separation, glide to a sit or straddle position.
- High Bar: Pullover, cast to a handstand, and a basic back hip circle.
Focus: Mastery of the basics, with a stronger emphasis on form, height, and flow of movements.
Level 4: Mastery of Basic Elements
At Level 4, gymnasts are beginning to look more like competitive athletes, performing more complex skills and starting to refine their routines for greater consistency and precision.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Round-off back handspring series, back tuck or layout, and step-out skills.
- Pommel Horse: Developing more advanced circles with leg separations and consistent rhythm.
- Rings: Muscle-ups, more advanced strength elements, and controlled swings.
- Vault: Handspring vault with a twist, or a handspring with a ½ turn.
- Parallel Bars: Glide swing to support, press to handstand, and the first elements of dismounts (like a back tuck dismount).
- High Bar: Cast handstand, underswing, and forward or backward hip circles.
Focus: Increasing difficulty and precision in skills, while still mastering body positions and proper form.
Level 5: Advanced Skill Development
Level 5 marks the first truly competitive level, where gymnasts must demonstrate control over more advanced movements and perfect their routines for consistency.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Series of back handsprings to back tuck, back handspring to back layout, and increased amplitude in tumbling passes.
- Pommel Horse: More complex combinations, like the scissor swing to a handstand.
- Rings: Dismounts, advanced holds like a maltese, and developing strength moves.
- Vault: Handspring vault with a full twist or a more difficult entry.
- Parallel Bars: Full swings, press to handstand, and a more advanced dismount (back handspring, double back tuck).
- High Bar: Cast to handstand, advanced release moves (like a ginger or a layout tkatchev), and a dismount with multiple rotations.
Focus: Precision, strength, fluidity, and mastery of more difficult combinations.
Level 6: Transitional Skills for Higher Levels
At Level 6, gymnasts are expected to perform even more complex combinations, with an emphasis on flow and control. They also begin to learn new skills that are essential for progressing to Levels 7 and 8.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: Combination of back handspring to back tuck, back handspring to back layout, and multiple tumbling passes.
- Pommel Horse: Longer, more fluid combinations of scissor circles, work toward a more dynamic approach.
- Rings: Handstand strength holds, controlled dismounts like double back tuck.
- Vault: Handspring vault with a ½ twist or full twist, aiming for more height.
- Parallel Bars: Glide swing to handstand, forward and backward hip circles.
- High Bar: Cast handstand to immediate release moves, layout tkatchev, and somersaulting dismounts.
Focus: Mastery of combinations, controlled dismounts, and learning new skills for Level 7.
Level 7-8: Advanced Skills and Complex Combinations
Levels 7 and 8 build heavily on the skills from earlier levels. The focus now shifts from mastering individual skills to creating routines that demonstrate a gymnast’s ability to string advanced skills together with clean form and high difficulty.
Key Skills for Level 7:
- Floor Exercise: Aerial cartwheels, back handspring to back layout, and high-level tumbling passes with controlled landings.
- Pommel Horse: Full, continuous circles with more difficult handstands and combinations.
- Rings: Muscle-ups, Maltese hold, iron cross, and release elements.
- Vault: Handspring front vault, or twisting vault with more advanced techniques.
- Parallel Bars: Release moves, giant swings, and a double tuck dismount.
- High Bar: High-flying release moves (e.g., tkatchev, cassina), and twisting dismounts.
Level 9: Elite Level Skills
Level 9 is the first step toward elite-level gymnastics. It requires the highest level of skill, combining perfect execution with powerful and complex routines.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: High-level tumbling, multiple flips in a row, and tightly executed layouts with more complex choreography.
- Pommel Horse: Elite-level circles, scissor movements, and continuous combinations.
- Rings: Iron cross, inverted cross, and combination strength holds with release moves.
- Vault: Tsukahara with 1.5 or 2 twists, and more complex vaults like a Dragulescu.
- Parallel Bars: Giant swings, release moves, and triple-twist dismounts.
- High Bar: Layout tkatchev, release moves like a kovacs, and twisting dismounts.
Level 10: The Elite Stage
Level 10 represents the elite level of men’s gymnastics, where athletes are training for international competitions like the World Championships and the Olympics. Gymnasts must demonstrate an advanced understanding of all apparatuses, coupled with flawless execution, high difficulty, and impressive amplitude.
Key Skills:
- Floor Exercise: High-level tumbling, including double layouts and triple twists.
- Pommel Horse: Elite scissor swings and full pirouettes.
- Rings: Iron cross, maltese, and advanced release moves.
- Vault: Tsukahara with 2.5 twists, handspring double front, or similar high-difficulty vaults.
- Parallel Bars: Release moves, giant swings, and multiple-twist dismounts.
- High Bar: Kovacs, Cassina, and triple twisting dismounts.
Focus: Maximum difficulty, execution, amplitude, and difficulty in both elements and choreography.
Conclusion
The progression through the levels of men’s gymnastics is a journey of gradual improvement, skill development, and increasing difficulty. The key to success at each level is not only mastering individual skills but also understanding how to combine those skills into seamless routines that showcase power, control, and artistry. For more information, check out USA Gymnastics.