OUR top tips for improving bars as an adult gymnastics

It's no doubt that improving bars for adult gymnasts can take a lot of work. However, bars are super fun and it's totally possible to improve as an adult gymnast on bars with consistency and dedication!

uneven Bars training tips for adult gymnasts

beginners on bars

Shaping Hollows These exercises are great for improving basic shapes for kips and giants.

Beginner Shapes for Bars

By getting better at these basic shapes, you will find that you learn new bars skills a ton faster!

Have you seen our camps page?

intermediate bars

Glide Kip Home Tutorial

These exercises can help you learn or improve a kip.

Mat Kip Drill

If you have trouble keeping your feet in front of the bar at the end of a kip, this drill's for you!

Developing Straddle Casts and Presses Building a straddle up cast from scratch? No problem. These drills will help you with that, as well as improve your straddle press.

Learn a Kip to Straddle Up Cast The first two drills will be paramount for you developing a strong and consistent kip to straddle cast handstand.

Straddle Up Cast Handstand Drill

This drill doesn't require a spot if you can do it over a pit. It's how I got my straddle cast handstand! The drill teaches you'll need to shift your weight on your hands in order to make the straddle cast.

Connect Kips to Straddle Cast Handstand in a Row Drill

This one is just like it sounds :)

Straddle Cast Floor Bar Drill

By elevating the floor bar and having stomach face the wall, you will have a harder time with this drill which will more closely replicate what needs to happen when it's done on the real bar.

Using Your Strap Bar

These clips from Tony Retrosi will show you some of the ways strap bar drills can lead to big skills.

Optionals Bars Conditioning side stations While you're waiting for your turn, these exercises are perfect to make sure that you get the most out of your time on bars.

Conditioning and Shaping for Optional Bars

These are great side stations or warm-ups for your bar workout.

advanced bars

Improve Your Clear Hip with this Home Workout

I share my favorite exercises that can practiced at home or at the gym to get better at a Clear Hip, either to horizontal or to handstand.

Toe Handstands

Drills and Progressions for Toe on, toe off.

Straddle Back Drill

I love this setup for emphasizing getting hips up so that you'll know you'll have plenty of time to catch and swing out cleanly. Use this station to try pike backs which can help teach the swing for straddle backs without a spot. Adults often appreciate not having to worry about swinging over a low bar that is in the way if you're going to a whale mat off a set of bars, so a high bar like this works best if you have it. If the pike back goes well, you can try the drill as a straddle back, thinking of straddling at the last minute.

Double Flyaway Progressions

This tutorial assumes you have a layout flyaway already, as well as a loose foam pit.

Double Flyaway Full Out Drills

I hope you enjoyed these adult gymnastics training tips for bars!

Did you know we have a gymnastics camp that is only for adults? Go here to learn more.

Disclaimer: Adult gymnasts and coaches give advice and suggestions on this page. By reading and implementing the information, you assume all liability for injury. The advice given is for educational purposes only. Please check with your in-person coach and ensure that you have the proper pit, mats and/or spot available before trying any suggestions. If you don't agree to these terms, do not attempt anything that you see on this page.