Parallel bars

Parallel bars are special equipment used in artistic gymnastics. They consist of two long wooden bars, each about 350 centimetres (11 feet 6 inches) long, placed parallel to each other and raised about 200 centimetres (6 feet 7 inches) above the floor. These bars are very important for gymnasts who practice swings, flips, and other moves to build strength and skill.

Besides gymnastics, parallel bars are also used for physical therapy and home exercise to help improve strength and coordination. Sometimes, gymnasts wear special grips on their hands while using the parallel bars, but this is not very common. The parallel bars offer a fun and challenging way for athletes to improve their skills and perform amazing routines.

Apparatus

The parallel bars are two long bars used in gymnastics. They are held up by a metal frame and made of wood or similar material, often with ash rails and fiberglass for support. The height and space between the bars can be adjusted for each gymnast.

The bars are about 350 centimetres (11.5 feet) long and placed 200 centimetres (6.6 feet) above the floor. The distance between the bars can be changed between 42 to 52 centimetres (17 to 20 inches) to suit each gymnast.

History

Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths designed early exercise tools with bars and beams, but his first book in 1793 did not show parallel bars. A later edition in 1847 included them. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn is credited with inventing the parallel bars. He made the first known set based on the vaulting horse, with handles but no center part, and placed them in his outdoor exercise area in Berlin in 1811. At first, they were used to strengthen arms for vaulting exercises.

Later, there were disagreements about using the bars in gymnastics. They were removed from some programs but brought back in the 1860s. Early bars were fixed in place and sometimes had three bars. Over time, new designs made the bars easier to adjust and safer. By the 1920s, bars were shorter and often broke easily. In the 1950s, a new design made them stronger and more flexible, using fiberglass to improve durability. Since then, only small changes have been made to the parallel bars.

Routines

Routines on the parallel bars include swinging both backward and forward, holding still, turning in handstand positions, and doing flips between the bars. Each routine ends with a dismount from either the end or the side of the bars.

The gymnast must jump onto the bars to start, and a springboard can be used. A routine should include at least one move from each group: moves while holding or moving on both bars, moves starting from an upper arm position, long swings on one or both bars, and dismounts.

Deductions are made for poor form or mistakes in the moves performed. There are specific rules for hand positions in handstands and controlling swings. Many swing moves should briefly show a handstand.

somersaults springboard