Gymnastic Apparatus

Gymnastic Apparatus

Sports equipment used in gymnastic exercises.

Gymnastics, Gymnastic Exercise - a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength and balance and agility.

Artistic Gymnastics is usually divided into Men's and Women's Gymnastics. Men compete on six events: Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars, and High Bar, while women compete on four: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and Floor Exercise.

Gymnastic Apparatus:

Balance Beam, Beam - a gymnastic apparatus used by women gymnasts.

High Bar, Horizontal Bar - gymnastic apparatus consisting of a bar supported in a horizontal position by uprights at both ends.

Gymnastic Horse, Horse - a padded gymnastic apparatus on legs.

Bars, Parallel Bars - gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights.

Rings - gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises; "the rings require a strong upper body".

Sports Equipment - equipment needed to participate in a particular sport. (Including Vaulting Box).

Stall Bar - a gymnastic apparatus used for strengthening exercises; uprights fastened to a wall and connected by horizontal rungs.

Trampoline - gymnastic apparatus consisting of a strong canvas sheet attached with springs to a metal frame; used for tumbling.

Gymnastics Floor Exercises

In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The event in gymnastics performed on floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is FX.

A spring floor is used in most competitive gymnastics to provide bounce. Spring floors are also used sometimes in cheerleading. The spring floor used for indoor athletics however, is designed to reduce bounce. 

The apparatus originated as a 'free exercise' for men, very similar to the floor exercise of today.It wasn't until 1948 that women were allowed to compete on the floor.

Most competitive gymnastics floors are spring floors. They contain springs and/or a rubber foam and plywood combination which make the floor bouncy, soften the impact of landings and enable the gymnast to gain height when tumbling. Floors have clearly designated perimeters—the "out of bounds" area is always indicated by a border of white tape or a differently colored mat.

The allowed time for a floor exercise is up to 70 seconds for males and up to 90 seconds for females.Unlike men, women always perform routines to music.

Aerobics Dance and History

Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It is usually performed to music and may be practiced in a grou p setting led by an instructor (fitness professional), although it can be done solo and without musical accompaniment. With the goal of preventing illness and promoting physical fitness, practitioners perform various routines comprising a number of different dance-like exercises. Formal aerobics classes are divided into different levels of intensity and complexity. A well-balanced aerobics class will have five components: warm-up (5-10 minutes), cardio vascular conditioning (25-30 minutes), muscular strength and conditioning (10-15 minutes), cool-down (5-8 minutes) and stretching and flexibility (5-8 minutes).Aerobics classes may allow participants to select their level of participation according to their fitness level. Many gyms offer a variety of aerobic classes. Each class is designed for a certain level of experience and taught by a certified instructor with a specialty area related to their particular class.

Both the term and the specific exercise method were developed by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, an exercise physiologist, and Col. Pauline Potts, a physical therapist, both of the United States Air Force. Dr. Cooper, an avowed exercise enthusiast, was personally and professionally puzzled about why some people with excellent muscular strength were still prone to poor performance at tasks such as long-distance running, swimming, and bicycling. He began measuring systematic human performance using a bicycle ergometer, and began measuring sustained performance in terms of a person's ability to use oxygen. In 1968, he published Aerobics, which included exercise programs using running, walking, swimming and bicycling. The book came at a time when increasing weakness and inactivity in the general population was causing a perceived need for increased exercise.

Aerobics gained world-wide popularity after the release of Jane Fonda's exercise videos in 1982.

Choreographed Dance

Choreography is the act of designing dance. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. A choreographer is one who designs dances. Dance choreography is sometimes called dance composition.

Aspects of dance choreography include the compositional use of organic unity, rhythmic or non-rhythmic articulation, theme and variation, and repetition. The choreograhic process may employ improvisation for the purpose of developing innovative movement ideas. In general, choreography is used to design dances that are intended to be performed as concert dance.

The art of choreography involves the specification of human movement and form in terms of space, shape, time and energy, typically within an emotional or non-literal context. Movement language is taken from the dance techniques of ballet, contemporary dance, jazz dance, hip hop dance, folk dance, techno, k pop, religious dance, pedestrian movement, or combinations of these.

Locomotor And Non-Locomotor

Locomotor Movements

These are movements where the body travels through space from one location to another. Locomotor movements primarity use the feet  for support however, the body can travel on other parts such as the hands and feet.

Even Rhythm

Walk - The walk is a transfer of weight from one foot to the other.  Usually the heel touches first.
Run - The run is a transfer of weight from one foot to the other however, the body is propelled into the air and suspended between run steps.
 

Jump - The jump required the body to push off from one or both feet. Most common is a two foot take off and two foot landing.  A jump can take off on one foot and land on two or take off from two feet and land one one foot.
Hop - The hop requires a push-off from one foot and landing on the same foot.
Leap - A leap is performed by pushing off from one foot and landing on the other foot. The body is suspended in the and between the push off and the landing. Can be combined with a run or walk.

Uneven Rhythm

Skip - A combination of a step and a hop on the same foot followed by a step and hop on the other foot. The rhythm is uneven long -short.  Long (the step) and short (the hop).
Gallop - A forward movement where one foot leads the gallop while the other foot follows. The lead foot steps with a bent knee and pushes off into the air and landing on the trailing foot. The rhythm is uneven, long -short. Long (the step) and short (the landing).
Slide - Is similar to a gallop performed with the right or left foot leading. The rhythm is uneven, long -short.   Long (the step) and short (the landing).

Non Locomotor

 These are movements that occur in the body parts or the whole body and do not cause the body to travel to another space.  However, non locomotor movements can be combined with locomotor movements such as a walk and arm swing.

Swing - a pendular motion of a body part that can move forward and backward or side to side.

Twist - a partial rotation of body parts around an axis.

Turn - a full rotation of the body around a vertical or horizontal axis.  Full, half or quarter turns

Shake  - a short quick vibrating movement in a body part or the whole body.

Bend - a flex of a body part at a joint

Stretch - extending a body part or the whole body

Wiggle - a small or big, fast or slow curvy movement of a body part or the whole body.

Rock or sway - shift of the body weight forward, bac  kward, side to side or in a circular pathway.