Gymnastics is basically a sport that involves various aspects like balance, physical exercises, flexibility, endurance, strength, and coordination. The typical movements in gymnastics result in the proper development of arms, shoulders, legs, chest, abdominal muscle groups, and back.
Evolution of gymnastics:
The evolution of gymnastics happened from specific exercises that were used by the then Greeks. The exercises used to include typical skills such as mounting and dismounting a horse, performance skills of circus, and so on.
How many categories of Gymnastics are there?
In competitive gymnastics, the most common form is none other than Artistic Gymnastics. For women, it includes vault, events floor, beam, uneven bars. For men, it includes vault, events floor, pommel horse, rings, horizontal bar, and parallel bars.
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique or FIG is the worldwide governing body of gymnastics. They govern eight sports including:
- Gymnastics for All
- Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
- Tumbling
- Parkour
- Acrobatic,
- Trampoline with Double Mini-Trampoline
- Aerobics
At present, FIG doesn’t recognize certain disciplines which are:
- Aesthetic Group Gymnastics
- Wheel Gymnastics
- TeamGym
- Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics
- Mallakhamba
Who can participate in gymnastics-related sports?
- Young kids
- Competitive athletes
- Recreational level athletes
- World-class athletes
What are all the different kinds of gymnastics?
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics:
The shorter-term of women’s artistic gymnastics is ‘women’s gymnastics. It is the most popular type of gymnastics as of now. The Olympic Games recognize it.
The events are as follows:
Women athletes compete on these specific apparatus:
- Vault
- Uneven bars
- Balance Beam
- Floor exercise
What does the Olympic competition involve?
Team:
In a team, five athletes are allowed. There is a prediction that in the future, only four athletes will be allowed in a team. Four gymnasts have to compete in every event in preliminaries. Here, three scores are considered. Again in finals, three gymnasts have to compete in each event. Here, every score is considered in the team total.
Individual All-Round:
Here, a gymnast has to compete in all four events. The total score is considered.
Individual Events:
Here, an event champion is given the due name on each apparatus.
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics:
It is the oldest form of gymnastics. It is the famous gymnastics’ type in the United States.
Men gymnasts have to compete on these specific apparatus:
- Pommel horse
- Floor exercise
- Still Rings
- Vault
- The horizontal bar (high bar)
- Parallel bar
- Roman Rings
- Vaulting Horse
The format of competition:
The format of both women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics is the same. It takes team, all-around and individual events into account.
Difference:
Men gymnasts have to compete in total six events.
Women gymnasts have to compete in total four events.
Rhythmic Gymnastics:
In the area of rhythmic gymnastics, women gymnasts have to perform various activities like leaps, jumps, tosses, and other types of moves. Different kinds of apparatus are used. Presently, Olympics allows it as a sport strictly for females.
The events include:
Gymnasts have to compete with five kinds of apparatus:
- Rope
- Ball
- Hoop
- Ribbon
- Clubs
In the lower levels of Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition, floor exercise is also considered as an event.
What does the Olympic competition involve?
Individual All-Round:
A gymnast has to compete on four out of a total of five events. The total score gets consideration. One apparatus is switched every two years.
Group Competition:
Here, five gymnasts have to compete in two different routines of gymnastics. In one routine, the athletes have to perform with the same apparatus. Again in the second gymnastics routine, the gymnasts make use of two different equipment. Like, two gymnasts can use the hoop while three gymnasts can use the ball.
Individual Events:
Gymnasts are given the name of champion on each of four equipment that are presently in rotation.
Trampoline:
Here, the gymnasts have to perform movements such as high-flying flips and various twists on each bounce. The trampoline has got the chance to be an Olympic regimen for Olympics 2000. The artistic teams have been reduced from seven individuals to six in one team for adding trampolinists to the specific quota that is allotted for gymnastics.
About events:
In the Olympic competitions, gymnasts perform both compulsory as well as voluntary routines. Each event involves ten skills. A similar sort of trampoline can be used. In the case of double mini, performing gymnasts have to use a two-level and smaller trampoline. In the synchronized category, two gymnasts have to perform exactly simultaneously at the same time on various trampolines.
What does the competition involve?
Trampoline gymnastics involve an individual event that is for both men and women. The presence of a qualifying event is there. It is needed for reaching the prestigious medal round. Here, the scores don’t hold over or carry over.
Tumbling:
Gymnasts perform power tumbling on a distinct spring runway that is bouncier in comparison to floor exercise mats that are required for performing in artistic gymnastics. Here, athletes can perform various kinds of twists and complicated flips in succession due to the spring.
About events:
Tumbling can be performed on the very same strip. Here, the gymnasts can perform a couple of passes in every stage of the ongoing competition taking eight elements in every single pass.
What does competition involve?
Tumbling is still not considered as a part of Olympic events. But, it is a valid part of the world-famous Junior Olympic Program that occurs in the United States. Gymnasts compete internationally.
Acrobatic Gymnastics:
Here, the gymnasts are considered as equipment. A team of a minimum of two and a maximum of four gymnasts have to perform various kinds of holds, handstands, and balances on each other. Team members throw and then catch each other in Acrobatic Gymnastics.
About events:
Performance of acrobatics is done on the exactly similar mat for floor exercise. The following events are:
- Men’s pairs
- Women’s pairs
- Mixed pairs
- Men’s Groups (four gymnasts)
- Women’s Groups (three gymnasts)
What does competition involve?
Acrobatic gymnastics is not considered a part of an Olympic event. It comes under the U.S. Junior Olympic Program. Acrobatic gymnastics compete in international games.
Group Gymnastics:
In the US, Group Gymnastics has a name in relation to competition and that is ‘TeamGym’. Here, gymnasts have to compete together making a team or a group of 6 to 16. The group can contain only males, only females, or, both.
About events:
In the event of the U.S, gymnasts in Group Gymnastics or TeamGym have to compete in a specific event or group jump where performances such as vault, tumbling, mini-trampoline, group floor-based exercise, etc. are added.
How many categories of gymnastics are there in Non-Olympic disciplines?
Sports aerobics:
In 1984, the first competition was held in the USA. It was presented as a commercial version of aerobics. The routine duration was 1:30 – 2 minutes. It usually depends on the specific organization that is FIG/FISAF.
The categories are as follows:
- Men
- Women
- Mixed pairs
- Group of three
- Teams
The requirements are as follows:
- Physical
- Artistic
- Technical
Acrobatic Gymnastics:
Acrobatic Gymnastics came from Greek expression ‘lifting up’ in the year 1939.
The categories are:
- Men’s pairs
- Women’s pairs
- Mixed pairs
- Women group (three)
- Men group (three)
Competition involves three different routines:
- Static
- Dynamic
- Mixed
The duration of routine is 2:30.
Esthetic Gymnastics:
Esthetic Gymnastics is a blend of dance and gymnastics. It is all women’s category. Choreography is done accompanied by music.
The duration is 2:45 min.
Three points of view are assessed by the judges:
- Artistic value
- Technical value
- Execution
Fitness:
It is a new discipline that is developed from bodybuilding. The main goal is balanced musculature. It is basically an individual routine accompanied by music.
The duration is 1:30 – 2 minutes.
Women have to compete in three categories:
- Under 160 cm
- 160 – 167 cm
- above 167 cm
Men have to compete in:
- Certain weight limits
Gymnastic Aerobics:
The rules of Gymnastic Aerobics are similar to Artistic Gymnastics’ rules. It is also called sport aerobics.
Routines involve:
- Individuals
- Pairs
- Trios
- Groups (up to six people)
The routines provide emphasis on flexibility, strength, and aerobic fitness. The time duration is 60 to 90 seconds. Athletes perform Aerobics on the floor without the need for any apparatus.
Acrobatic Rock’ n’ Roll:
It was first held in France. The first World Championship in Acrobatic Rock’ n’ Roll occurred in the year 1964.
The categories are as follows:
- Children
- Junior
- Senior (in pairs)
- Girls (junior and senior)
- Pairs (Junior and senior)
Cheerleaders:
It involves group routines blending with acrobatic elements and music.
Group Fitness Aerobic:
It involves group routines based on aerobics’ rules.
Types of Gymnastics (General Additional Notes )
Basic Gymnastics:
It involves exercises with or without equipment. It is acrobatic in nature and needs apparatus.
Rhythm Gymnastics:
It involves movemental exercises with music and dance. It happens both with or without apparatus.
General Gymanstics:
Federation Internationale de Gymnastique or FIG has developed personal fitness programs for people. It involves public presentations of various forms of music movements.
Conclusion:
Whatever the types of gymnastics are, athletes get multiple benefits like increased flexibility, good bone health, coordination, mental strength, focus, concentration, proper speed and balance, body control, personal discipline, muscle power, and strong immunity to fight disease, and much more. The hardest gymnastics move in the whole world is the Produnova Vault or Vault of Death.
