The gymnastics floor exercise area, as specified by the FIG (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique), is a 12 × 12 metre square. The floor must be sprung — built on a system of springs or foam layers — to absorb impact and enable the explosive tumbling and acrobatic elements that characterise modern floor exercise. A 1-metre safety border surrounds the performance area, bringing the total floor space to approximately 14 × 14 metres.

The balance beam used in women's artistic gymnastics is 5 metres long, just 10 centimetres wide, and elevated 1.25 metres from the floor. Despite this narrow surface, gymnasts perform back handsprings, somersaults, and complex acrobatic skills on it. The beam surface is covered in suede-like material to improve grip. The width of 10cm is narrower than a standard brick and narrower than most people's feet — making balance beam one of the most technically demanding apparatus in sport.

The vaulting table (replacing the older vaulting horse since 2001) is 1.2 metres long and 0.95 metres wide, set at 1.35 metres for men and 1.25 metres for women. Gymnasts sprint down a 25-metre runway, hit a springboard, place their hands on the vault table for a fraction of a second, and perform aerial skills before landing. The pommel horse (men only) is 1.6 metres long, 35 centimetres wide, and 1.15 metres high with two handles (pommels) set 40–45cm apart.