A gymnast is a person who trains in and practices the sport of gymnastics.

gymnast. noun. gym·​nast ˈjim-ˌnast. -nəst. : a person who is skilled in gymnastics.

Spotting is an essential part of coaching gymnastics. It is physical contact between a coach and an athlete that is reasonably intended to respond to the needs of the athlete. Spotting for guidance is used when needed to orientate or position the athlete so they can replicate movements.

The origin of gymnastics The word stems from the Greek word gymnos, or “naked,”—appropriate, since the youths trained in the nude, performing floor exercises, lifting weights, and racing one another. (How ancient Greeks mixed naked sports with pagan partying.) For the Greeks, exercise and learning went hand in hand.