THE 6 MOST RELEVANT TYPES OF GYMNASTICS - ARTE - 2025

Among the main types of gymnastics are artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, acrobatic and aerobic. This sport is a complex combination that involves physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, grace, balance, and control.

There are primarily three types of gymnastics competitions: artistic, rhythmic and acrobatic; each is a separate sport. Generally, artistic gymnastics is simply referred to as gymnastics.

Gymnastics events often vary for men and women. In artistic gymnastics everyone has their own distinctive apparatus; on the other hand, rhythmic gymnastics is only performed by women.

The formal definition of gymnastics states that they are exercises that develop or demonstrate physical agility and coordination. This sport usually includes exercises on parallel bars, on the floor, on uneven bars, on the balance beam, and pommel horse, among others.

The 6 main types of gymnastics

1- Women's artistic gymnastics

Women's artistic gymnastics is often referred to simply as women's gymnastics. It generally attracts the largest number of participants and is the best known gymnastics. It consists of the use of various gymnastic equipment or the floor for different exercises.

This type of gymnastics is a creative mix of control and fearlessness; it is powerful and elegant, but at the same time refined and strong. Improves coordination, balance, and agility, leading to better body awareness. It also improves flexibility and body strength.

In female artistic gymnastics, athletes compete in four apparatus: the horse jump, the balance beam, the floor exercises and the uneven bars. To be successful on the apparatus you need balance, swing, cartwheeling, and momentum skills.

- Horse jump

In this modality the gymnast runs along a catwalk, jumps on a trampoline and is propelled towards a jumping table placed about 4 feet from the ground.

- Balance beam

The gymnast completes a choreographic routine with jumps, cartwheels, and twists on a 4-inch wide beam.

- Floor exercises

The gymnast performs a choreographed routine of jumps, turns, and dance moves to the beat of the music on a padded mat.

- Uneven bars

The gymnast performs swings, pirouettes, and takeoff movements on two horizontal bars at different heights.

2- Male artistic gymnastics

It involves the same skills as female artistic gymnastics: it has an emphasis on muscle strength and control. Men's gymnastics is the oldest type of gymnastics.

Unlike women, men compete on six apparatus: floor exercises, jump of the colt, parallel bars, horizontal bar, pommel horse and rings.

The characteristics of the last two modes, which are the most popular, are explained below:

- Pommel horse

This appliance is about 13.8 inches wide; It has two bows in which the men are held with their hands. Gymnasts cannot stop during a routine, so they must continue moving once they get on.

The hips must be in constant motion and it is considered one of the most difficult apparatus because all the weight falls on the arms and hands.

- Rings

This apparatus consists of two rings in the air in which the gymnast must balance with his arms. The idea is that the rings are kept as still as possible during the routine.

The rings must be suspended 5.75 meters above the ground and must be located at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other.

3- Rhythmic gymnastics

In this type of gymnastics jumps, throws, steps and other movements are performed with different devices. At the Olympics this sport is exclusively female.

Rhythmic gymnastics combines ballet, dance, and gymnastics in flowing compositions performed on a mat.

These gymnasts must be very flexible, have great coordination and great precision. In this sport, beauty, originality, elegance and personal style are very important.

They compete mainly with the rope, the hoop, the ball and the mallets.

- Rope

The rope is made of synthetic material and proportional to the size of the gymnast. The gymnast performs figure-eight movements, throws and catches the rope, and jumps across the bent rope.

- Ring

The gymnast rolls, throws, and catches a 31-inch diameter hoop.

- Ball

Athletes perform pirouettes, throw and catch, and balance an 8-inch diameter rubber ball on their body.

- Mallets

They are two decks about 16 inches long. The movements performed by the gymnast include making circles with the mallets, swinging them from side to side, throwing and catching them with different parts of her body, among others.

4- Trampoline gymnastics

In this discipline, gymnasts perform acrobatics by bouncing off a trampoline. The range of movement can go from simple jumps to somersaults. The idea is for the gymnasts to perform high twists and turns while in the air after bouncing.

An Olympic routine consists of 10 skills performed on the same trampoline. The Olympics include an individual event for women and another for men.

5- Acrobatic gymnastics

It is a group modality in which gymnasts perform in pairs (men and women), trios (women) and quartets (men). It has elements of somersaults and acrobatic jumps seen in artistic gymnastics and is performed on the floor to the rhythm of music.

Group balance poses are emphasized; "human architectures" are distinctive of this sport. They are also often thrown at gymnasts to be caught by their peers. Beauty and choreography are of great value in this discipline.

6- Aerobic gymnastics

It is characterized by high intensity movements that do not stop; it is a mix of dance, gymnastics and acrobatics. It is performed to the rhythm of music, which is almost always energetic.

This discipline is performed in many events: male and female singles, mixed pairs, trios, groups, and aerobic dances of eight gymnasts.

Groups tend to place an emphasis on precision and timing rather than complexity of choreography. Generally the choreography is quite robotic and much easier to follow than those that exist in rhythmic gymnastics.

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