We will study only Artistic Gymnastics:

In it, Men do 6 apparatus, and women 4:

 

A) WOMEN:

1) Floor work or Floor Exercise: (Suelo) takes place on a square mat. Gymnasts cannot leave the mat.

 

 

 

 

 

  Image: www.nbcolympics.com

 

 

 2) Vault: (Potro de salto) They jump on to the vault first, then, gymnasts do some acrobatics before jumping down to the ground

 

 

 

 

  Image: www.sportsmatik.com

 

 

3) Asymmetrical parallel bars or uneven bars: (Paralelas asimétricas)  are two parallel bars at different heights. Gymnasts use them to do acrobatics

 

 

 

 

   Image: www.nbcolympics.com

 

 

4) Balance Beam: (Barra de equilibrio) Gymnasts balance on a wooden beam. They need great concentration so they don´t fall to the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

   Image: www.spieth.com 

 

 

 

B) MEN:

1) Floor work or Floor Exercise: is the same as the women´s exercise, with two differences: it´s shorter and does not include music

 

 

 

 

Image: english.kyodonews.net

 

 

 2) Vault: is the same as in women´s but they must jump it lengthwise

 

 

 

 

 

   Image: edition.cnn.com/

 

 

3) Parallel bars: (Barras paralelas)  are two parallel even bars that gymnasts must use to do various acrobatic exercises.

 

 

 

 

  Image: www.nbcolympics.com

 

 

4) High bar or Horizontal bar: (Barra fija) is a raised bar. Gymnasts must use the bar to do acrobatics. 

 

 

 

 

 

  Image: www.nbcolympics.com

 

 5) Pommel horse: (Caballo con arcos) is like a vault with handles. The gymnasts must not touch the vault while doing acrobatics.

 

 

 

 

 

  Image: www.liveabout.com

 

 

6) Still Rings: (Anillas) are two wooden rings that gymnasts must use for their exercises.

 

 

 

 

 

   Image: www.nbcolympics.com

 

 

 

 

Physical fitness is the ability to do a daily physical workout without feeling too tired. For this, you need the four “S´s”

 

 

 These are the components of physical fitness. In Spanish, we call them “Capacidades Físicas Básicas”.

 

Take a look at this excellent video explaining the components of physical fitness in england. They also include the skill-related ones we call "cualidades motrices básicas"

 

 

 

1. Stamina:

Stamina helps your muscles to work for a long period of time. 

With it, you can do exercices for a longer period of time, no matter the intensity. For example:

Cycling: In the Tour of France they ride more than 200km over a lot of days, but they also sprint!
Marathon runnners run for more than 2 hours at a very fast pace.
Swimmers in the 1500m race
Footballers need to run for 90 minutes without being tired so they can dribble and shoot.

There are two types of Stamina, Resistance or Endurance:

Aerobic and Anaerobic.

During Aerobic activity, your heart and lungs give your muscles plenty of oxygen, and you can do exercise for long periods of time at a medium intensity. (marathon, cycling..)

During  Anaerobic activity, your muscles don´t have enough oxygen. These exercises are shorter but have a very high intensity (100m sprint, a basketball attack). With anaerobic stamina, you can do these exercises faster and get tired later.

Benefits of regular stamina training:

-Your heart grows larger and thicker          -You have more capillary.
-Your breathing capacity increases.            -It´s easier to maintain your ideal weight

 Aerobic Exercise is very good for your health. It develops your heart, your lungs and your circulatory system.

 

 

2. Strength:

Strength is the ability to use muscles against a resistance (a force or a weight). 

With it, you can move or lift weights, and you can move your body weight more easily. 

Some sports in which strength is important:

Weightlifting: to lift as much weight as you can.
Judo: to throw your opponent.
Climbing: you need to move your body weight up the mountain.
Athletics: to jump higher or longer and to throw the javelin or hammer.

 

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF STRENGTH:

Maximum strength: to lift very high weights : the best example are olympic weightlifters.

Explosive strength: to do a movement as fast as we can, moving a small weight (javelin throwers, for example)

Resistance-Strength: to do exercises with medium weights for a long time (in judo, combats last 4 minutes; rowers must move the boat for a long time also)

Benefits of developing your strength:

-You have more muscular power                                            -Your muscles and tendons grow in size.
-You can move weights easier (including your own body).        -It helps you keeping a good posture in daily life and sports

 

 

3. Speed:

Speed is the ability to do one or more movements in a short period of time.

Some examples of sports where speed is important:

Fifty metres swimmers, react quickly to the horn and swim very fast.
Handball goalkeepers react very fast to stop balls.
Fencers must move fast to touch the opponent with their sword.

When we talk about the speed to move from one place to another (running, biking or swimming), we call it a sprint.

So you can find three types of speed:

Reaction speed: moving as fast as you can after the referee blows the whistle in a 100m sprint. In team sports there is also reaction speed: chasing your opponent when he runs away from you, or reacting to a volleyball spike quicly.
Single movement speed: e.g. a karate kick or a tennis service must be very quick.
Cyclic movement Speed: any sprint in running or swimming, a dribbling in football...

 

Benefits of speed training:

-Speed is basic in all sports. Even in a marathon, the winner is the fastest!
-It is related with coordination and agility. If you react and move fast, you have an advantage in all sports.
-Speed training develops and makes your muscles grow.

 

 

 4. Suppleness:

Suppleness is the ability to have a wide range of movement with any part of your body. It is also called Flexibility.

Flexibility is very important in all sports, because with it, you have better performance and less injuries.

It is important for gymnasts, for hurdle runners or tae-kwondo fighters to do kicks.
Flexibility depends on the joint range of movemnt and the stretching ability of the muscles around it.

 

There are two types of flexibility:

Dinamic Flexibility: you use it when you do wide, ample and relaxed movements.
Static Flexibility: you use it when you hold one position for some seconds. There is no movement.

Flexibility is the only physical ability that decreases as you grow older. 

You need to spend a little time everyday to maintain and enhance it.

Benefits of supleness training:

-Your range of movement in joints is bigger, so you can accelerate your arms and legs for a longer distance. Then, you can kick, throw and hit faster and stronger.

-You have less injuries.           -Your movements are not limited.         -Your muscles are more elastic and more powerful.

 

 

 

A) ORIGINS:

Gymnastics is a traditional sport in the Olympics.
It was practiced in Ancient Greece. Gymnos means “nude” in greek. Gymnasts did their exercises nude then!!
It is a very spectacular sport, with incredible and powerful movements.
In this unit you will learn the basic vocabulary and skills of Gymnastics.

 

Gymnastics is a sport that needs flexibility, balance, strength and endurance.

It has different apparatus. Gymnasts do exercises in those apparatus and a judge gives them a score. We will only study Artistic Gymnastics, but... It has two forms:  Artistic and Rythmic Gymnastics.

 

Watch this highlights videos showing you the different apparatus for women and men gymnastics:

 

 

 

B) BASIC VOCABULARY:  

 

GENERAL:

Lenghtwise: A lo largo		Upside down: Del revés
Backwards: Hacia atrás		Mat: colchoneta
Straddle: a horcajadas (con piernas abiertas: "straddle roll")

 

 
    

ACTIONS:

To take place: tener lugar, celebrarse		To face: mirar hacia
To balance: equilibrarse, guardar el equilibrio		To be awarded: ser concedido u otorgado
To perform: llevar a cabo, realizar		To compete: competir

  
  
 

SKILLS:

1.     The roll: (voltereta) is a complete roll on the ground.
2.     Straddle roll: you already know !
3.     Front cartwheel: (la rondada) is like a side cartwheel, but instead of facing one side, you turn your body to face front.
4.     Headstand or Head-and-hand balance: (equilibrio de cabeza o puntal) is a handstand that also uses your head for balance.
5.     Somersault or Front flip: (mortal) is a complete forward roll in the air
6.     Backwards somersault of Back flip: is a complete roll backwards in the air.
7.     Side cartwheel: (rueda lateral) is a complete side rotation of the body.
8.     Handstand or Hand balance: (el pino o equilibrio de manos) is balancing your body upside down on your hands.
9.     Bridged handstand: ( pino-puente) is the sum of a handstand and a bridge.
10.     Front angel: (el angel frontal) is a balancing position on one leg. You should hold it for a few seconds.
11.     Running handstand or Front handspring: (paloma) is a complete inversion of your body with a running start and a hand push on the ground.

 

APPARATUS:

Floor work or floor exercise: Suelo	Parallel bars: Paralela
Vault: Potro de salto	High bar or Horizontal bar: Barra fija
Balance Beam: Barra de equilibrio	Pommel horse: Caballo con arcos
Asymmetrical parallel bars: Paralelas asimétricas	Rings: Anillas

 

 

A) TACTICS FOR SINGLES:

Serve long and high to your opponent's back court. This will force your opponent to move back to the baseline and open up the front part of his court.
Throw some low serves occasionally and you might just catch your opponent off guard and win a point outright.

Always try to hit the shuttle away from your opponent and make him/her move around the court. You can also smash straight to your opponent´s body to gain an advantage.

Observe your opponent's strengths, weaknesses, favorite shots and pattern of play. Use it to your advantage.

 

B) TACTICS FOR DOUBLES:

In doubles, the tactic is to serve low.

Take up a position at the front to serve, and move to the middle of the court immediately.
Your partner must then cover the back court.
This is known as the Attacking Formation (Front-Back).

But sometimes you and your partner will have to take up a defensive position standing side by side.

This is known as the Defensive Formation (Side by side).

Driving the shuttle to the area in between your opponents makes them doubt and sometimes scores a straight point.

Use as many combinations of these shots as you can, so your opponent never knows what to expect.

 

 Here you have a video showing you multiple tactics for doubles: