Have you never done gymnastics before and don’t know where to start? Then you’re in the right place! Gymnastics is a sport that involves a lot of building up from basic principles. Learning the correct shapes and positions of more basic skills will help build a foundation for learning more difficult skills. For example, learning a handstand and cartwheel is essential before moving on to more complex tumbling skills like a back handspring.
To help beginner U-turners, we have compiled a list of basic skills on each apparatus that are a good place to start. We also have some links to YouTube channels (some in Dutch and some in English) that do a really nice job explaining the skills. A lot of videos include “drills” that will help with the skill progression. These involve, for example, set-ups of mats that can help you practice the movements for a skill. Try using the word “drill” in your search when looking for your own resources.
We hope to help beginners get started on their own this way. Please be safe! Ask a trainer for help when needed, and don’t try skills that you aren’t 100% confident in. Good luck!
To help beginner U-turners, we have compiled a list of basic skills on each apparatus that are a good place to start. We also have some links to YouTube channels (some in Dutch and some in English) that do a really nice job explaining the skills. A lot of videos include “drills” that will help with the skill progression. These involve, for example, set-ups of mats that can help you practice the movements for a skill. Try using the word “drill” in your search when looking for your own resources.
We hope to help beginners get started on their own this way. Please be safe! Ask a trainer for help when needed, and don’t try skills that you aren’t 100% confident in. Good luck!
List of basic skills
Floor
General:
- Forward roll
- Backward roll
- Handstand
- Handstand forward roll
- Cartwheel
- Front handspring
- Round-off
- Cat leap
- Scissor jump
- Jumps with twisting ½ or full turn
- Turns/pirouettes
- Split jump
- Leap
- Handstand (holding for 2 seconds) and also rolling out of it
- L-sit
Vault
- Squat-on onto the table, straight jump off
- Straight jump on to the table
- Handstand onto the table and landing back down on the springboard
Balance beam
- Walking across the beam, working on balance (forward, backwards, sideways)
- Balancing on one foot (arabesque)
- Straight jumps, practicing jumping on both 2 feet and on 1 foot
- Squat on mount
- Jumps and leaps
- Straight jump
- Tuck jump
- Cat leap
- Leap
- Turns on one foot, start with a half turn
- Forward roll
- Straight jump dismount
- Round-off dismount
Uneven bars
- Swinging
- Pull-ups
- Tap swings (practicing the hollow-arch body positions)
- Pull over mount
- Cast
- Back hip circle
- Squat-on
- Sole circle dismount
Rings
- Pull-ups
- Swinging
- Supporting
- L-sit
- German hang
- Backwards salto dismount
Parallel bars
- Swinging with straight arms (under the bars, hanging from your hands)
- Upper arm swings
- Supporting
- Swinging in support position
- Dips in support position
- Dismounting off the side of the bars from support position
- L-sit
- Shoulder roll
High bar
- Swinging
- Pull-ups
- Tap swings (practicing the hollow-arch body positions)
- and with a half turn
- Pull over mount
- Cast
- Back hip circle
- Sole circle dismount
Pommel horse
- Supporting
- "Suisse simple" mount
- Swinging your legs
- L-sit
- Practice circling on the mushroom
- One-leg circles
- Scissors