What Are The Main Easy Gymnastics Moves for Beginners?

Competitive gymnasts must compete in many settings, whether they are competing at their local gym or representing their country at the Summer Olympic Games. But what are easy gymnastics moves?Gymnasts must perform many maneuvers in events such as the vault, floor, and balance beam. Below is a list of some of these maneuvers divided into their respective categories.

It can be difficult to understand why gymnastics looks so impressive. These foundational gymnastics moves are essential to not only being able to do more difficult things but also to be able to do them well.

Handstands and cartwheels are some of the easiest moves for beginners. The pipe stretch is the easiest. You simply need to gymnasts bend over and touch your feet.

Beginners Gymnastics Moves

But, ease can be relative. A handstand can seem almost effortless to someone who is able to walk on their hands. To someone who struggles to hold a handstand, or even get in a handstand, a handstand can be quite difficult. Even if you know the moves well, it might be useful to learn how to do them.

13 Beginner Gymnastics Moves

These maneuvers are great for beginners or those who don’t want to compete against others. These moves require practice. It is important to take your time when you first step on a beam or bar. You can learn more acrobatic gymnastics moves through practice and classes in gymnastics. Don’t forget to stretch and warm up before you attempt any acrobatic moves. Also, don’t wear leotards or other flexible clothing.

  1. Forward roll – A basic skill where you tuck your head and roll forward, landing on your feet.
  2. Cartwheel – A sideways flip where one hand and then the other is placed on the ground.

  3. Handstand – A position where you balance on your hands, with your body held straight.

  4. Bridge – A backbend where you place your hands and feet on the ground and lift your hips toward the ceiling.

  5. Backward roll – A basic skill where you roll backward, landing on your feet.

  6. Split leap – A jump where you split your legs in midair and land in a lunge position.

  7. Lunge – A position where one leg is in front and the other is behind, with both knees bent.

  8. Pike fold – A position where you bend forward at the hips, with your legs straight.

  9. Straddle fold – A position where you sit with your legs spread apart, and then bend forward at the hips.

  10. Cat stretch – A position where you arch your back up towards the ceiling, like a cat stretching.

  11. Tuck jump – A jump where you tuck your knees up towards your chest.

  12. Roundoff – A combination of a cartwheel and a back handspring.

  13. Back handspring – A flip where you jump backward, push off with your hands, and land on your feet.

How to Learn How to Do Forward Roll And Backward Roll

Leaning forward roll. It is a simple skill that you can do quickly and doesn’t require as much flexibility as some of the other things I have on my list. Start in a standing or squatting place. Then, roll forward by tucking your head down, spreading your hands, and rolling your arms until you reach the end. It can be difficult to get your roll started if you’re hesitant or unsure. To help you gain more momentum, you can lean back and start to lean forward.

Forward Roll And Backward Roll

You will need to take a starting position for a backward roll. Then, you will need to squat down. To help lift your head off the ground and push yourself a little more, roll backward using your hands. When you complete the last portion of your turn, your feet should be pointed forward and ready so you can land on your feet.

Sometimes, you may feel hesitant to push yourself backward. You can try this time: lean forward, then rock back to gain momentum. You should end both the forward and backward roll in the same place you started them. However, this could be standing up, sitting down, or on the ground.

How To Do The Splits

It is not difficult to learn how to do the splits. However, it can take some time depending on how far you are from mastering them. You should aim to be able to do the splits comfortably with your arms supported on a chair or table. This will ensure that you don’t pull any muscles by accidentally falling lower than you intended.

How To Do The Splits

You will notice a gradual drop in your ability to reach the ground. Do this several times per day. Hold the same position for a while before standing up again. To improve this and to continue working on your muscles, you can first do your splits. Next, stretch out to touch your toes on each side until you feel comfortable touching them.

Splits can be either a forward or a side. When you think about a side split, it is the one you will most likely associate with a split. You can do the same thing but with one leg in front and the other in the back.

How To Do a Handstand

It is possible that you can do a handstand already. If you don’t know how to do a handstand, then it is not difficult to learn. However, perfecting the technique is a challenge as your body tries to keep its straightest possible. This is the most popular way to learn, but there are many other methods.

How To Do a Handstand

To do a spiderman, you will need to lay down on the ground or crouch down and point your legs at the wall. You will need to push your head up so your front is at least off the ground. Then, you can use your feet and hands to walk up the wall.

You will find that your hands are closer to the wall as you climb higher up the wall. Continue doing this until your feet are completely vertical against the wall. Then, you can reverse the process to go back down. You will eventually be able, with practice, to be able to move your hands away from the wall.

Another way to learn is to lay down on your back or on something slightly above the ground. You can either be facing up or down depending on your preference. Let your fingers slide to the ground until you feel your palms touch the ground. To get into a handstand, let the side of your bed support you.

You can also use your hands to push your body away from the edge of your bed. This will allow you to increase the time you can keep your handstand vertically. You can make it more difficult once you are able to do a handstand.

14 Common Gymnastics Floor Moves

The floor exercise displays the most diverse moves in both men’s and women’s gymnastics. The floor routine includes the following:

  1. Backhandspring is a key tumbling move that involves a backward turn into a handstand and then a forward roll back to the starting position.
  2. Front handspring: The same as a back handspring but the gymnast runs and then moves forward. Find out more about front and back handspring by reading different guides.
  3. Front walkover – Similar to a forward handspring, but the legs of a front walkover gymnast move in a fluid, smooth motion.
  4. Back walkover: This is the reverse of a forward walkover, where the gymnast’s legs move fluidly one after another.
  5. Somersault – Also known as a forward somersault or front somersault, this is a forward flip on the floor with your knees in a pike or tuck position.
  6. Backward somersault is the opposite of a somersault. You must have tucked knees, and then do a backward flip on the floor.
  7. Roundoff is a cartwheel-style maneuver. It involves a half-rotation and a brief pause to hold a handstand, before returning to the original standing position.
  8. Cartwheel is a sideways rotation where a gymnast stands starting position and then rotates sideways while keeping her hands on the ground and rotating sideways with her legs in a split position. Then, she will take a standing position again.
  9. Aerial Cartwheel: Also known as a side aerial, or simply an aerial, this is a cartwheel that is performed in midair with no hands touching the ground.
  10. Aerial Walkover: Also known as a frontal, this is similar to an aerial cartwheel in that the gymnast does a complete turn without touching the ground. An aerial walkover is a forward tumble and not sideways, unlike a cartwheel.
  11. Straight jump – A forward jump in which the gymnast maintains straight legs while flying and landing.
  12. Scissors leap – Also known as a switch leap, this forward leap is where the legs move in a scissor-like motion.
  13. Split leap – A running forward leap in which the gymnast moves through a split position while still airborne.
  14. Back Bend/Back Bend Kick Over – standing straight up with your arms straight above your head is the starting position. Gymnasts will look at their hands and bend in an “U” shape to reach the ground. Once they have mastered this, they can lift their legs above their heads and land in a lunge position.
  15. Cross handstand – A variation on a handstand in which the hands are placed close to the ground.
  16. Bridge – Although a bridge is a more advanced skill in beginner gymnastics, it is essential for advanced movements. The bridge allows gymnasts to adjust their body position when they are inverted or under strain.

How To Do A Back Walkover

Once you are able to do a back walkover, it is quite simple. To begin, you must be able to reach into a backbend position with no walls or other support. To begin a walkover, you need to get in a backbend position and have one leg lifted into the air.

As you swing this leg towards the ceiling, try to jump off the leg that you are currently on. This will allow both your legs to be in the air and move toward the opposite side of your arms. Your legs should be pointing to the opposite side of your body.

Back Walkover

This can help you to keep your eyes on the ground. Looking around upside down can cause you to feel unbalanced, which can lead you to fall over. Your second foot should touch the ground just beside your other foot. This means that your second foot should be directly beside your other foot.

This will allow you to do the forward walkover in reverse. It’s a great way of practicing both.

How To Do A Cartwheel

This one is difficult to do because it requires a lot of space. You can make it easier if you start running, especially at the beginning. It is quite simple, but the most difficult part is not tensing or pulling back when you start. Instead of pushing forward and getting into a cartwheel, it is very hard to overcome. You will end up falling to the side and not making it all the way.

Cartwheel

You can practice this by doing half of a cartwheel on your sofa or bed to help you feel more comfortable with moving forward. To do this, you need to allow yourself enough space to be able to move from sideways to laying on your back on the ground.

You will feel more comfortable giving yourself the forward momentum you need. It should feel almost like you are putting your weight on your hands, then the cushions. You can then practice this by landing on your feet on a cushioned surface instead of flattening out on it.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of a cartwheel, you can start to experiment with different variations. This can be done by trying different types of cartwheels, such as one with only one hand. Then switch hands to make it more challenging. As you progress to an aerial, you will be required to do this cartwheel without hands.

Six Common Gymnastics Vault Moves

The vault has fewer gymnastics maneuvers than the beam and floor. The vault is still a crucial component of a gymnast’s overall score in women’s artistic gymnastics. Here are some vault moves to watch:

  1. Front handspring – A vault handspring is similar to the one on the beam and floor. It involves a forward flip. Handsprings on the vault involve a running leap, then a flip to the handstand on the vault, and then a push-off to complete the flip. Finally, you land on your feet. Many handsprings include one-and-one-half twists.
  2. Yurchenko – Named after Natalia Yurchenko, this move combines a roundoff onto an elevated springboard, a back handspring onto the vault, and a backflip onto the vault onto the ground. Yurchenkos often feature multiple twists.
  3. Amanar is a variation on a Yurchenko. An Amanar begins with a roundoff onto a springboard. Next, a back handspring onto a vaulting platform is followed by two-and-a-half twists into a layout salto off the table. Finally, a landing is made. An Amanar in men’s gymnastics is sometimes called a Shewfelt. (Both Shewfelt and Amanar are the last names of notable gymnasts who have performed this maneuver.
  4. Tsukahara – This move is named after the gymnast Mitsuo Tsukahara. It combines a half turn onto a vault with a backflip. This move is also known as a moon somersault or a salto. Tsukaharas often feature twists.
  5. Produnova – This maneuver was named after the gymnast Yelena Produnova and consists of a front handspring onto a vaulting horse, followed by two tucked front somersaults.
  6. Chusovitina Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina is the inspiration behind two vaulting moves named after her. Both are derived from Tsukahara. The first involves a handspring forward onto a table followed by a piked salo forward with a full twist off. The second Chusovitina, sometimes called a Rudi after another gymnast, features a handspring forward onto a table followed by a straight salto forward and one-and-a-half twists off.

3 Common Bar Mistakes

Uneven bars are perhaps the most distinctive component of women’s gymnastics. They emphasize the upper body strength, which is something that’s not possible with the beam, floor, and vault. High-flying releases moves, including pirouetting and dismounts, are particularly important to judges. Judges will also be looking for handstand positions that are correct. Large deductions will be made for deviations. These are some of the most famous uneven bar moves:

  1. Hip circle – A circular move that moves around uneven bars while keeping your hips in contact with the bars. A gymnast can do either a front or back hip circle depending on their direction. A free hip circle is when the gymnast moves around the bar in a circle but not touching the bar.
  2. Kip is a bar move in which the gymnast moves from a hanging or gliding position to a support position. Although the legs remain in pike, their swinging momentum is crucial to propelling the gymnast’s entire body.
  3. Flyaway – A move that starts with a forward swing, release from a bar, and then transitions into a backflip of the bar. Flyaway is used by gymnasts to switch bars or dismount completely. You can decorate flyaways with many twists and flips.

4 common balance beam skills

The balance beam component of women’s artistic gymnastics sees gymnasts performing routines on a solid beam that is four inches wide. They should perform with the same grace and execution as if they were on the ground.

common balance beam skills

The balance beam uses many of the same moves as the floor exercise. The beam is particularly focused on certain moves, such as:

  1. Walkovers in front and back
  2. Front and back handspring
  3. Split leaps
  4. Saltos are maneuvered where the body rotates around an imaginary axis. Beam saltos include aerial walkovers and aerial cartwheels. Double and triple saltos are difficult to perform and can lead to higher scores if executed properly.

Safety tips to keep in mind as you practice

It is important to be safe when learning new skills. You will find it easier to be flexible, but it will take some time. You should not stretch further than you are comfortable with or you could pull or strain a muscle. A sprained or injured muscle can prevent you from learning the skills you need.

bridge

When you want to learn something new or increase your flexibility in a particular area, you must first warm up that area. There are many warm-ups and stretches that you can do, but it is crucial that you do them before every practice session.

It is similar to waking your muscles up and getting them ready to go. This will prevent you from pulling on a muscle incorrectly. Your muscles will feel a lot more limber after they have warmed up. This makes it easier to accomplish what you want to do with them.

F.A.Q.

What are the basic skills in gymnastics?

These are the basic skills needed to be a gymnast Flexibility, core strength and balance, upper- and lower-body strength and power, mental focus, discipline, and dedication are all important.  While not necessarily a skill or a requirement, gymnastic coaches often assess commitment.

What skills do you need for level 1 gymnastics?

Level 1 Gymnasts must perform the following beam routine:
Jump to the front support mount
Arabesque up to 30 degrees
needle kick.
relieve lock stand.
Stretch jump
Cartwheel to 3/4 handstand dismount