Gymnastics Shapes: A Complete Guide

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Basic gymnastics shapes are the building blocks of gymnastics. Every skill from rolls, swings and somersaults requires a gymnast to change their body into a number of shapes.

The better you are at performing the basic gymnastics shapes, the better you will become at more advanced gymnastics skills.

Gymnastic Basic shapes

In this article, I will show you the basic shapes and explain how to perform the shapes correctly. These are ideal for practicing at home because you are at lower risk of injury and no equipment is needed although a gymnastics mat could help. Just make sure you have enough space and always warm up beforehand.

All of the gymnastics shapes are static so should be performed with good posture and held for at least 5 seconds without wobble.

Disclaimer: Gymnastics carries an inherent level of risk. Information contained in this article does not replace the need for professional coaching in a recognized gymnastics facility.

Tuck Shape

Tuck shapes make the body round and easier to roll and rotate. Practice sitting in a tuck on the floor.

  • Bring knees into chest
  • Round back
  • Knees together
  • Arms forward or left-hand holds the left shin and the right-hand holds the right shin (don’t cross hands over)

Tuck shapes are found in skills across all disciplines and apparatus. Simpler moves will include rolling and tuck jumps. More advanced skills include somersaults, flyaway on the bar and Tsukahara on the vault.

Pike Shape

Pike shape is also used to help the body rotate but it is not as easy as the tuck shape. Practice sitting in a pike shape on the floor.

  • Legs straight out in front
  • Legs together
  • Arms also straight out in front
  • Back straight and eyes forward
  • Toes Pointed

Rolls, jumps and somersaults can be performed in the pike shape but they rotate slightly slower than tuck. Pike shapes are also used in Kip on the bar and versions of the Tsuk vault are also performed in pike.

Straddle Shape

Very similar to the pike shape but the legs are apart. Practice sitting in a straddle shape on the floor.

  • Legs out in front but split apart at a 90-degree angle
  • Knees point to the ceiling (don’t let them roll inwards)
  • Arms above the legs
  • Toes pointed

Straddle jumps are common on both floor and beam. Turns will be added to increase the difficulty. Press and cast to handstand start in a straddle shape and the Stalder on bars also passes through a straddle shape.

Standing Straight (stretched) Shape

This is probably the most common gymnastics shape as gymnasts stretch up straight at the start and finish of a lot of skills and routines. Practice standing up and stretching to the ceiling.

  • Arms straight and touching ears
  • Every muscle stretching including fingertips
  • Hips tucked under
  • Tight core
  • Bottom squeezed

Star Shape

The star shape is used a lot at the beginner and recreational level but not so much at a more advanced level. It’s still worth practicing though. Do this one standing up.

  • Legs and arms straight
  • Back straight
  • Head forward
  • Tight core

The star shape is used in jumps on the floor and beam and also as a dismount from the vault such as squat on. The Cartwheel also passes through a star shape. It’s basic stuff but still focus on getting the posture correct.

Arch Shape

Arch Shape
Arch

Having a tight arch will help you start to master more advanced skills and the ability to change from arch to hollow dish (see below) quickly will create power in a number of skills. Practice arching by lying flat on your tummy.

  • Stretch your body to make it as long as possible.
  • Lift your arms and feet about 4 to 6 inches from the floor
  • Don’t bend at the elbows or knees
  • Arms cover ears
  • Squeeze your legs together and point your feet

The back handspring passes through a tight arch shape as you are upside down. Swings on the bar also use the quick arch to dish to create an efficient swing.

Hollow Dish Shape

The opposite of the arch is the hollow dish. Practice this lying flat on your back instead of your tummy. The hollow dish is one of the most commonly used gymnastics shapes as its needed in many Tumbling and Vault skills.

  • Lift your feet, shoulders and head about 4 to 6 inches from the floor
  • Eyes should look at the feet
  • Arms can either be back behind the head (harder) or pressed into the hips (easier)
  • Legs squeezed together and feet pointed
  • Lower back pressed into the floor

Concentrate on the core muscles holding the shape. Avoid arching your back – this is a sign of a weak core. Try sliding your hand under the lower back. If you are unable to get it through then the shape is good. If the hand can fit under the back then it is arched and it needs correcting.

Support Shapes

There are three support positions front, back and side. They are important for skills such as layout through vault, leg circles on pommel horse and swings on parallel bars. The pommel and parallel bars are men’s artistic apparatus so female gymnasts may use them less often.

Front Support Shape

front support

Like a press-up position but without the up-and-down motion.

  • Back and hips flat to create a straight slope
  • Shoulders over hands (lean forwards slightly)
  • Head in a neutral position looking at the floor
  • Push shoulder blades apart

Apply a small amount of pressure on the back and shoulders to check stability. If the support collapses it needs to be stronger.

Back Support Shape

The tummy faces the ceiling for the back support shape.

  • Hips push upward
  • Eyes look at the feet (don’t throw the head back)
  • Hands point towards feet
  • Legs together

Side Support Shape

Side support is mostly used for leg circles on the pommel. Start in front support and turn towards back support. Stop halfway to create a side support shape.

  • Straight arms and legs
  • Feet slightly apart to create stability
  • Top arm points toward the ceiling

Bridge

Having a bridge with good form is super important for a lot of skills including handstand, walkover and back handspring. The key to a good bridge is shoulder flexibility and being able to have ‘open’ shoulders. If you are new to bridges start by lying on the floor on your back and then pushing up. A good bridge will have:

  • Arms and legs straight
  • Shoulders pushing backward over the hands
  • Eyes looking at hands
  • Flat feet (no tip toes)
  • Legs together
  • Control your body as you lower your back to the floor

Doing a bridge badly can cause injury so take care and seek professional coaching if possible.

Splits

Splits are used a lot in floor routines, the split jump and walkovers also pass through splits in the upside down phase. Doing splits badly will affect your form and can cause injury so these pointers are meant only as a guide. A professional coach will always be able to give you personal feedback. Correct splits will have:

  • Both legs straight
  • Front knee pointing directly upwards
  • Back knee pointing directly downwards
  • Good posture in the back and head
  • Toes pointed
  • Upper body facing forward and not twisted to one side

If any of these points are not correct the best thing to do is come up higher from the floor and try to correct it before pushing back down.

Final Thoughts

Keep the focus on improving your basic gymnastics shapes as these will be key to improving your gymnastics in the long term.

Interested in learning gymnastics shapes in a professional gym? Sign up for a free trial session at Synergy Gymnastics here.