Gold Medal Gymnastics Drills Vol. 1 - Bars

Amanda Borden, captain of the 1996 Olympic gold medal gymnastics team, explains why the uneven bars demand great strength. She walks through strength drills and progressions for the uneven bars.

Develop hollow body positions on the uneven bars through planche, lever to handstand, and casting drills to build core strength, shoulder stability, and precise alignment.

Develop the bar cast from hollow and tight-arch positions by driving the heels, pulling the chest, and keeping shoulders over the bar to reach a higher cast toward a handstand.

Master the glide kip on bars through barrel drills to reach table and pike positions, then build abs and lats with straight-arm pull downs to finish feet to bar.

Teach front hip circle drills from a tight arch to a straight hollow body, using momentum and theraband guidance to keep the hips against the bar.

Learn floor rail leg shoot-through technique with a tight hurdler position and a safe bar drill using a trapezoid, focusing on controlled jumps and secure landings.

Learn progressive squat on drills from floor rail to the high bar, starting in a push-up and moving to a squat on the bar with blocks for safety and balance.

Learn level four and five underswings on bars through two connected back hip circles, hollow body with extended candlestick, from low to high bar, under coach spotting.

Master the tap swing on bars by linking tight arch and hollow positions into a controlled bottom tap, using an orange dot target to extend and hold the arch.

Learn flyaway progressions from tap swing and cast to candlestick release, emphasizing a tight hollow body, correct head/chin alignment, and progressing from tuck to layout with a clear release point.

This lecture guides clear hip circle progressions from floor to strap bar to bar. It emphasizes a tight hollow body, strong shoulder engagement, and controlled drops into the circle.

Practice baby giant drills from tap swing to pullover, then cast and hollow-body through the arc to clear the bar with coach-assisted progression.

Progress from baby giant to giant circle on strap bar with hollow body, tight arch, and tap through bottom from cast to carry circle over.

Develop bar-to-bar proficiency through straddle back drills, including tap swings, seeing and catching the bar, and flying over high bar to land on the pit and progress toward a handstand.

Master the basic fundamentals of pirouetting on a floor bar, including weight transfer, tight body position, and hand placement for a half turn and blind change.

Build strength and refine technique on the uneven bars for levels four through eight. Stay patient, stay aggressive, and don't give up to become a great bar worker.