| Balance beam is the most critical competition event for | | | | to prevent bad habits from seeping in and to reinforce |
| women because of the relative ease of falling off and | | | | beam techniques and landings and to further improve |
| the harsh deductions for a fall. A single fall can | | | | their beam capabilities. A program like this is not only a |
| eliminate gymnasts from winning a medal in the beam | | | | supplement for an advanced team training beam |
| event and often also in the All-around. Beam medallists | | | | program but can and should serve as the major part |
| are often the All-Around winners. | | | | of the basic development of younger and lower level |
| Complete Beam Basics in One Training Program | | | | beam basic training, even in a recreational program. |
| Because beam is different from the other gymnastics | | | | Romanian Beam Complex |
| events, gymnasts and coaches find the need to work | | | | A relatively well-known program that accomplishes |
| on a special and complete basic training program for | | | | some of these goals is the Romanian Beam Complex |
| balance beam that is designed to build strength for | | | | which is specifically designed to build the necessary |
| beam, develop balance, completely eliminate falls, and | | | | habits of balancing on the feet and with proper foot |
| improve balance beam skill consistency. | | | | and body position. |
| Beam Basics are Critical to Future Beam Success | | | | Soviet Beam Complex |
| Successful mastery of such a program can allow | | | | A relatively unknown program is the Soviet Beam |
| gymnasts to acquire more complex beam skills with | | | | Complex, which emphasizes becoming comfortable on |
| less effort, more confidence and in a shorter period of | | | | your hands in the handstand position and on increasing |
| time. Mastering such skills and drills has short and long | | | | and developing specific strength for beam skills. |
| term benefits. Skipping the basic beam building blocks | | | | Build In a Margin of Error for Beam Landings |
| puts a gymnast in a position where at some point their | | | | There is an additional need to develop a series of |
| bad habits can stop them from having success in | | | | good skill landing habits for both front and back (and |
| staying on beam. | | | | side) beam tumbling skills. When landings are practiced |
| Train Basics Before Trying to Learn Advanced Skills | | | | and done in a particular way, it can create a margin of |
| As with building sufficient strength and flexibility for the | | | | error to avoid falls. This additional margin of error can |
| skills that need to be learned, working on this basic | | | | be utilized to stabilize landings and eliminate falls. |
| beam training program before attempting to learn | | | | Have to Expand Original Beam Complexes |
| more difficult skills will pay the biggest dividends. | | | | Both the Soviet and Romanian Beam Complex |
| Continue with the Beam Training Program Throughout | | | | systems will have to be significantly expanded to deal |
| Your Career | | | | with new and more difficult skills and to train for skills |
| Every level of gymnast, from beginner to advanced, | | | | that are now popularly done to comply with the |
| will want to continue this training throughout their career | | | | updated difficulty requirements. |