Abstract: A device for training athletes in gymnastics, acrobatics and the like comprising a spotting rig wherein the slack in the gymnast's suspension lines is automatically removed by a take-up mechanism. In a preferred form, the take-up mechanism includes a pair of connected swinging arms having sheaves at their free end. The arms are spring loaded so as to urge their ends away from each other, and the suspension line slack is accumulated between the sheaves. A brake mechanism is provided to slow or stop the motion of the arms and thereby retard or arrest the downward movement of the gymnast.