We all know what a cartwheel is, but what is a gymnastics cartwheel block?
A cartwheel block is a firm rectangular shaped block created to help gymnasts learn the cartwheel and other gymnastics skills. This piece of gymnastics equipment gives gymnasts a platform that is stable and has enough room to place your hands and rotate your body in to a cartwheel position more easily than if you placed your hands on the floor. We are going to look at blocks used for all gymnastics skills and also blocks aimed at helping you learn to do a cartwheel.
If you have some experience in gymnastics, you might already know what you can use a cartwheel block for. If you do, then skip ahead to our reviews and find out which block can aid your gymnastics practice the most. Even if you’ve already mastered the cartwheel a cartwheel block can be used for so many other gymnastics skills. Practice working towards the handstand, round offs and the core challenging suitcase crunch. Because the block is raised off the floor it makes rotating your body onto your hands easier because they don’t have to reach the ground, so they can help gymnasts feel the right
There are currently very few cartwheel blocks for sale so I will also show you some other gymnastics equipment that can help you learn the cartwheel and also make learning other gymnastics skills easier. Gymnastics is a lot of fun, whether you are taking part in toddler tumbling classes or competing at gymnastics meets and working up through the gymnastics levels. Choosing the right gymnastics equipment can make your progression through gymnastics easier and also a lot more fun.
The original block
Click the image above to view the current price on Amazon
The original cartwheel block is 22″ long, 13″ wide and 5″ thick. Velcro on the bottom surface of the original block help it to grip onto the floor and stay in place while you are placing your hands on it performing cartwheels. Ideally the block is suitable for pre-school aged gymnasts and tumbling classes as well as gymnasts beginning to learn the cartwheel. The block itself is big and sturdy enough even for older gymnastics to use but they won;t be able to fit their hands into the positions as easily and should just focus on finding their own best position for hand placement while performing the cartwheel over this block. I really like the red colour and white hands and the design is simple. The materials are good quality and you can easily wide the surface clean. On top there are some more Velcro sections in the corners, these may be for connecting to other equipment or placing the block the other way round to grip onto the floor on both sides.
I like the simple design of the original block. This is probably the most widely use cartwheel block I’ve seen used by gymnastics friends. A gymnastics block doesn’t have to be complicated, it just need to be large enough to place your hand on, support you while moving and also be able to stay stable and not slide or tilt. If you can buy this block for a reasonable price it can be used alongside a gymnastics wedge and full size gymnastics mat to allow you to practice all types of gymnastics floor skills at home.
Norbert’s athletic domino cartwheel block
Click the image above to view the current price on Amazon
The Norbert’s athletic domino cartwheel block looks great with it’s blue and orange colour scheme. There are handles along the side that make it easy for gymnasts to move this around or carry it to the gym. On the bottom of the block is a diamond grip non-slip surface which clings well onto most surfaces. On the top of the mat are two dots which are positioned where you should place your hands during a cartwheel. I really love how the vinyl surface feels when you place your hands on it and the block is stable.
You can also quite easily use this domino block for learning and practising your handstands and other gymnastics conditioning exercises. When learning the handstand or other hand balancing skills, a handstand block is another good piece of equipment that can help gymnasts build strength, coordination and balance skills while upside down on their hands. If you are an older gymnasts be sure to work up to a handstand starting with a headstand and then gradually build up the strength and balance along with other stretching exercises until you can safely perform a handstand. When learning the cartwheel or handstand I would always recommend warming up your wrists and upper body for 5 or 10 minutes first, to try and limit the chance of injury.
If you are looking for a gymnastics block that is easy to carry, looks great and is stable and comfortable to place your hands on, this block from Norbert’s athletic is a popular choice. The size of this block is 36″ x 18″ x 5″ so the size is perfect for placing your hands on while performing the cartwheel, handstands and other gymnastics conditioning exercises or hand balancing. This mat doesn’t have hands drawn on it because the brand want gymnasts to focus on the correct positioning of your hands as opposed to trying to place your fingers in a precise place on the mat.
Tumbl Trak Booster Block
Click the image above to view the current price on Amazon
The Tumbl Trak booster block is a gymnastics block that can be used to practice a range of different gymnastics skills. Tumbl trak are one of my favourite gymnastics brands. The size of this block is bigger than a regular cartwheel block, at 48″ long, 18″ wide and 8″ high. This bigger size makes it perfect for practising gymnastics drills and vaulting skills. The materials are strong and the base has a durable and grippy Velcro section that will stick onto the floor and prevent the block moving during use. I really like different colour choices and the design is very professional and will fit well in any gym or at home for practice.
One exercise you could practice is to place your hands on the block and kick your legs over to the other side. This skill will help you practice supporting and shifting your weight in the way you need to when performing the cartwheel or other gymnastics skills. If you are learning to vault, there are many vault drills you can practice on a gymnastics block.
Tumbl Trak cartwheel beam mat
Click the image above to view the current price on Amazon
This isn’t a cartwheel block and is instead a flat mat that is a little thicker than your average yoga mat and thinner than a full size gymnastics mat. I really like this mat because, even though it isn’t thick and doesn’t have the height of a gymnastics block, it does offer a nice and comfortable surface to practice your cartwheels on, with the surface very similar to the surfaces you might one day practice gymnastics floor routines on. Gymnasts love these mats for learning the cartwheel because they come in a range of bright and fun colours, including, red, green, purple, blue and more.
Along the vinyl surface of this mat there are white hands and feet positioned along it. One set of hands and feet are positioned in the correct place for learning a left hand first cartwheel and the second set for learning a right hand first cartwheel. I would suggest if you are going to buy this beam mat that you take a look at these gymnastics mats first because if you are going to be practising gymnastics a lot, at some point you’ll need to buy one anyway. If you buy a mat now, it means you can practice the cartwheel and all your gymnastics floor skills on it without being limited to the smaller thinner surface. However, if you are a young gymnast or looking to help recreational gymnasts in a toddler gymnastics class have fun, this mat with the fun colours and hand and feet illustrations in more exciting and will keep young gymnasts more engaged in the activity.
What is a gymnastics block for ?
A Cartwheel block is a small rectangular block that gymnasts use as a tool for helping them learn the cartwheel. A cartwheel block is most useful for young gymnasts learning to do a cartwheel because it offers a platform they can place their hands on, with markers showing the hand positions. The height of the block and hand position markers help young gymnastics more easily complete and get used to the cartwheel rotation. Learning the cartwheel looks easy but for younger children who are still building up the strength it can take some time to master. First you can start by learning a baby cartwheel where you place your hand on the block and kick your legs around without going fully vertical. Having a block makes this stage of learning the cartwheel much easier as you can swing your legs around your body and feel where they should be.
How to do a cartwheel on a block
If you are learning to do a cartwheel, take a look at our article about how to learn the cartwheel for more advice and tips for learning a cartwheel. Practising the cartwheel on a raised block is very similar to a floor cartwheel. The main difference is that you don’t have to rotate and reach down quite as far and the position feels a little bit different. The height can help you to learn a cartwheel more easily and feel more confident developing your strength and hand and feet positions for a cartwheel. Start off by learning a baby cartwheel and figure out the correct hand positions and the motion for kicking your legs and feet around your body and then you can advance to being able to fully kick your legs over your head in a vertical position and land in a lunge position to finish the cartwheel using good form.
Final thoughts about Gymnastics blocks
I want to help you make a final decision about whether a cartwheel block is for you or not. If the gymnast intending to use this block is a toddler or a young gymnast who just wants to have fun learning a cartwheel then this is perfect for them to more easily learn the cartwheel and have a lot of fun while doing so. If your gymnast is intending to progress quickly through gymnastics then they might find they don’t use the cartwheel block for doing cartwheels for a long time, but instead they can quickly switch to using the block to help support them learning the handstand and doing other important gymnastics conditioning and fitness exercises, so the block will still be of use to them.
If you don’t already have a gymnastics mat, I think you’ll find them more use in the long term and an incline wedge can also help with more advanced gymnastics skills. For a beginner having a cartwheel block can give you the motivation you need to take gymnastics more seriously, while also enjoying your own fun and colourful piece of equipment you can practice on at home anytime you like. Using these blocks can also help build up your wrist and arm strength for back handspring training and other more advanced gymnastics skills.
