On parallel bars, the gymnast moves above the rails, swings beneath them and returns to handstand—sometimes after turning or briefly letting go. The easiest way to follow the routine is to notice where the body is supported and how that support changes.
- Three Positions That Explain Much of the Event
- Swings Connect the Positions
- Handstands Are Landmarks, Not the Whole Routine
- Turns Above the Rails
- Flight Skills: A Brief Release Between Contacts
- The Catch Is Part of the Skill
- How the Dismount Fits
- What Judges Notice Between the Big Skills
- Parallel Bars, Uneven Bars and Beginner Levels
- Watch the Change in Support
Parallel bars is a men’s artistic gymnastics event performed on two rails at the same height. This guide explains the main movements and a few familiar skill names, with enough context to help a new viewer follow a complete routine.
Three Positions That Explain Much of the Event
Support means the gymnast’s body is carried above the hands. In an ordinary straight-arm support, each hand is on a rail and the body is between them. The gymnast can swing from that position or rise higher.
Upper-arm support places the upper arms against the rails while the body moves between them. It has a different appearance and movement pattern from straight-arm support. It is a recognized part of the apparatus, not automatically a failed handstand or a fall.
Hang places the body below the hands. Long swings beneath the bars create another distinct part of the routine. Watch how a gymnast moves from hanging below the rails to supporting the body above them.
| Position or action | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Straight-arm support | The body is above the hands, supported through the arms. |
| Upper-arm work | The upper arms contact the rails while the body swings between them. |
| Long hang | The body extends beneath the hands and bars. |
| Handstand | The body rises vertically above the hands. |
| Flight | The gymnast releases hand contact and then returns to the apparatus. |
Swings Connect the Positions
A parallel bars routine should show more than a collection of balanced poses. Swings carry the gymnast through different positions and help connect the skills into a continuous exercise.
A giant swing passes around the bars through a long-hang action. It looks different from a support swing, where the gymnast stays supported above the rails. A kip is another kind of movement that brings the gymnast from a lower position toward support.
The names alone do not identify every variation. A turn, a change of final position or movement to one rail can alter the skill. For a first viewing, notice the starting and finishing positions before trying to identify the exact variation.
Handstands Are Landmarks, Not the Whole Routine
Handstands make the structure easier to see. A gymnast may swing into one, turn through one or use it as the starting point for another element.
Look for a clear vertical body line and control through the hands. A quick passage through handstand is not necessarily a missing hold: the intended element determines whether a pause is required. Some combinations are meant to keep moving.
That distinction also explains why “more stillness” is not always better on parallel bars. An unnecessary stop can interrupt an element that should flow continuously. The gymnast must show the correct finish for the actual skill.
Turns Above the Rails
Many turns happen while the gymnast is supported high above the bars. Some involve shifting weight to one arm and then replacing the other hand. The hand placement and finish are part of the skill.
A Diamidov is a forward swing with a full turn on one arm to handstand. The handstand finish helps distinguish the complete movement from a turn that simply passes through a similar-looking shape.
A Healy is another familiar one-arm turning element, continuing from handstand through a turn toward support. There are related variations with different finishes. The full skill description matters more than identifying any one-arm turn as “a Healy.”
It can help to follow the supporting hand. The feet may move quickly through the turn, but the hand shows where the gymnast is carrying the body’s weight.
Flight Skills: A Brief Release Between Contacts
Parallel bars includes flight as well as supported movement. The gymnast can let go, move through the air and catch the bars again. The amount of visible flight varies, so some releases are easier to recognize in slow motion.
A Bhavsar includes a forward swing and straddled flight along the bars before regrasping in a stretched, approximately horizontal position. It has a traveling appearance: watch the gymnast’s location along the rails before and after the release.
A Tippelt uses an underswing and straddled action that rises toward handstand. The change from below the rails to above them makes it a useful example of how different parts of the apparatus are connected.
These descriptions help identify the movement families; they are not instructions for attempting the skills. The Gymnastics Skill Explorer offers selected records with fuller descriptions and reviewed source information.
The Catch Is Part of the Skill
After flight, the gymnast has to return to the intended position and continue. A catch that requires a large correction can affect the quality of the routine even if the gymnast stays on the bars.
Where the gymnast catches also matters. Returning to straight-arm support, upper-arm support or handstand describes different outcomes. An element cannot always be identified from the airborne phase alone.
For the same reason, two skills that look similar from one camera angle may have different names or values. Watch the approach, the flight and the finish together.
How the Dismount Fits
The dismount takes the gymnast from the bars to the landing mat. Advanced dismounts can include multiple saltos—flips—and twists. The body position adds another detail to the name.
A tucked double salto, for example, describes two flips in a tucked shape. Adding a half-twist changes the description. The gymnastics dismount guide explains those terms across events.
Watch the whole finish, including the body’s opening before landing and the control afterward. A stuck landing is impressive, but it does not erase errors earlier in the exercise.
What Judges Notice Between the Big Skills
Clear positions, body alignment and controlled transitions matter throughout the routine. A gymnast may lose execution points for faults that are less obvious than a fall, including problems with arm position or the finish of a turn.
Difficulty and execution are evaluated separately. The men’s FIG scoring guide explains how they contribute to the result. Detailed element-group values and deduction thresholds belong in the scoring reference rather than this viewing guide.
Parallel Bars, Uneven Bars and Beginner Levels
Parallel bars and uneven bars are different apparatus. Men’s parallel bars uses two rails at the same height. Women’s uneven bars has a high and low bar, with transitions between them forming a major part of the routine.
Young gymnasts also perform different work from elite athletes. The USAG men’s levels overview explains the pathways. A precise level-and-event requirement needs the current program reference or a tool result verified for that program; it should not be inferred from this list of advanced skills.
Watch the Change in Support
On the next routine, follow the movement from hang to support, from support to handstand and from flight back to the bars. Those transitions reveal the event’s structure, even before every skill name is familiar.
Reviewed September 28, 2026. FIG terminology applies to the exact element and code cycle; domestic programs have their own rules.