BARS

In gymnastic, there are three different types of bars: high bar, asymmetric bars and parallel bars. The asymmetric bars are for girls and the high bar and parallel bars are a men’s discipline. 

The asymmetric bar

Women have to perform on two bars: a high and a low. They make swinging movements over and between these two bars. The bars are in wood with a steel frames. The high of the bars depends of the age. For Youngers they are lower but for professional gymnast the low one is at 165cm and the high one is at 245cm. Gymnast can spread them until 180cm, it is also depend of each gymnast. Gymnast have to be very regular on this apparatus because it has to be enchainment, if they stop they have less point on their final mark. They have to start with a mount and finish with a dismount and the movement has to contain some swing, arm support, rotation, hang… on both bars. Certain gymnast use handguard to protect their hand and magnesia to make the bars less sliding. They can make a lot of different elements on the bars as swing with half-turn, upstart, upward hip circle, giant swing, backward giant, forward giant, release, lay away…

The high bar

The high bar is only one bar in steel as the frames of 28mm of diameter, only men perform on it. As asymmetric bars the high bar incorporates swinging and flight movements. The bar is at 2.60m high, but they can change at the beginning for younger gymnast. A professional gymnast has to chain eleven elements. As asymmetric bars, gymnast can do a lot of elements as swing with half-turn, upstart, upward hip circle, giant swing, backward giant, forward giant, release, lay away… In contrary of the asymmetric bars, men don’t have to start by a mount, their coach help them to go on the bar.

The parallel bars

It is two bars, they look like the asymmetric bar (in wood) but they are parallel. Men have to swing and balance between and across the bars. It requires a lot of strong because gymnasts stand of their arm the whole movement.  The two bars are at 275cm high and they measure 350cm of long. The distance between the two bars vary between 42 and 52 cm and change with each gymnast. In movement there is a lot of straddle; force handstand … The dismount is at the end of the bars or on the side.