Gymnastics
Balance Beam Cartwheel
The balance beam cartwheel is a sideways inversion performed along a narrow beam. It develops balance, coordination, and shoulder support while challenging precise hand and foot placement.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Advanced
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Start in a lunge facing along the beam, with your preferred lead foot forward and arms overhead.
- Reach your lead-side hand onto the beam ahead of your front foot.
- Kick your rear leg upward.
- Place your other hand farther along the beam.
- Push off your front foot to bring your legs overhead in a wide split.
- Lower your first raised foot onto the beam beyond your hands.
- Push through your hands to lift your chest away from the beam.
- Place your second foot farther along the beam into a finishing lunge facing your starting point.
Form cues
- Keep your elbows straight.
- Press tall through your shoulders.
- Keep your hips over the beam.
- Look toward your landing foot.
Common mistakes
- Hands placed across the beamPlace your hands one after the other along the beam’s length rather than side by side.
- Legs sweeping around the sideReduce the beam height until you can send your legs through a vertical split instead of circling around it.
- Rushing the entryUse a controlled lunge rather than a run-up so you can place each hand accurately.
Safety
Missing a hand or foot placement can cause a fall onto the beam or floor, potentially injuring your head, neck, or limbs. Collapsing under your weight can also strain your wrists or shoulders.
- Master a consistent cartwheel on a floor line before progressing to a low beam and later to full height.
- Use a stable beam with gymnastics landing mats covering the surrounding fall area.
- Have a qualified gymnastics spotter present for elevated-beam practice.
- Stop the set when fatigue makes your hand support or landings unreliable.
If you have wrist or shoulder pain, dizziness, or balance problems, avoid elevated-beam attempts and seek advice from a physiotherapist or doctor first.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Balance Beam
- Gymnastics Landing Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–5
- Target
- 1–3 reps
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Practice early in your session, prioritizing accurate repetitions over volume.