horizontal bar / rack
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horizontal bar
A gymnastics apparatus consisting of a horizontal steel bar attached to two supports, used especially in men's gymnastics.
Der Olympiasieger zeigte eine fehlerfreie Kür am Reck.
The Olympic champion performed a flawless routine on the horizontal bar.
The noun 'Reck' (horizontal bar / rack) is closely related to the verb 'recken' (to stretch, to extend). This connection explains both meanings: stretching the body in gymnastics and violent stretching as a method of torture.
Der Turner reckte sich an der Stange in die Höhe.
The gymnast stretched upward on the bar.
The meaning becomes clear from the context. Words like 'Turnen' (gymnastics), 'Sport' (sports), or 'Olympia' (Olympics) point to the gymnastics apparatus. Terms like 'Mittelalter' (Middle Ages), 'Folter' (torture), or 'Kerker' (dungeon) point to the historical torture instrument.
Er trainiert jeden Tag mehrere Stunden am Reck für die Meisterschaft.
He trains on the horizontal bar for several hours every day for the championship.
When referring to the gymnastics apparatus, the preposition 'an' is almost always used. You do gymnastics 'am Reck' (on the horizontal bar) or do an exercise 'am Reck' (on the horizontal bar).
Die schwierigste Disziplin für ihn ist das Turnen am Reck.
The most difficult discipline for him is gymnastics on the horizontal bar.
The meaning as a torture instrument is purely historical. The word is used in this sense only when talking about the past, especially the Middle Ages or the early modern period.
In alten Gerichtsakten wird beschrieben, wie Gefangene auf das Reck gespannt wurden.
Old court records describe how prisoners were stretched on the rack.
bar / ingot
'das Reck' and 'der Barren' are both pieces of gymnastics apparatus, so they are easy to confuse. 'das Reck' consists of a single horizontal bar that you hang from and swing on. 'der Barren' consists of one or two bars on a frame; in gymnastics, people often say 'die Barren'. So the difference is mainly in the shape of the apparatus. Memory aid: on 'das Reck' there is one bar; on 'der Barren' you do gymnastics on bars.
Beim Training übt Tom am Reck einen neuen Schwung.
During training, Tom practices a new swing on the horizontal bar.
Für die Prüfung muss Lena eine Übung am Barren zeigen.
For the exam, Lena has to perform a routine on the parallel bars.