Parallel bars are floor apparatus consisting of two wooden bars approximately long and positioned at above the floor. Parallel bars are used in

artistic gymnastics Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ...

and also for

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

and home exercise. Gymnasts may optionally wear grips when performing a routine on the parallel bars, although this is uncommon.

Apparatus

The apparatus consists of two parallel bars that are held parallel to, and elevated above, the floor by a

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

supporting framework. The bars are composed of

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

or other material, with an outer wood coating. The vertical members of the supporting framework are adjustable so the height of the bars above the floor and distance between the bars can be set optimally for each gymnast.

Dimensions

*Bar length: ± *Bar rounded profile: ± vertical by ± horizontal *Height of bar from floor: ± *Distance between bars: (adjustable)

History

The parallel bars (in German ''Barren'') were invented by

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (11August 177815October 1852) was a German gymnastics educator and nationalist whose writing is credited with the founding of the German gymnastics (Turner) movement, first realized at Volkspark Hasenheide in Berlin, the origin of modern sports ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. In 1819 the first transportable parallel bars were described. In 1856, Hermann Otto Kluge used tubes to adjust the parallel and horizontal bars in Germany. He used them in his gym. In Tolstoy's '' Anna Karenina'', published between 1873 and 1877, their use for exercise is mentioned.

Routines

A routine performed on the parallel bars must include various elements that depend on the gymnast's competitive level. A typical performance will involve swinging skills in a support position (on the hands), a hanging position, and an upper arm position (resting on the inner bicep). Also, parallel bar routines often feature a strength or static hold skill such as an L-sit or handstand. Each routine ends with a dismount from either the bars' ends or the apparatus's side.

International level routines

A parallel bar routine should contain at least one element from all element groups: * I. Elements in support or through support * II. Elements starting in the upper arm position * III. Long swings in hang, on 1 or 2 bars, and Underswings * IV. Dismounts

Scoring and rules

Deductions are taken for lack of form and precision of elements performed. There are specific deductions for adjusting the hand position in the handstand and not controlling swing elements; swing type elements should momentarily show handstand.

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parallel Bars Sports originating in Germany Artistic gymnastics apparatus German inventions 1819 in sports