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This paper investigates the dynamics of a 3-link gymnastic robot using both a simulation and an experiment to identify the dominant parameters required for a desired front-flip motion. The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) construct a mathematical model of the gymnast robot and verify the theoretical results via simulation for a 3-link gymnast robot, (2) design a 3-link mechanism and perform experiments under different conditions, and (3) compare the results of both the simulation and the experiment, and analyze the relation between the parameters and the corresponding locomotion. To achieve these objective, first, a theoretical model of a 3-link gymnastic robot is proposed. Then, simulation results are provided to verify the model. Next, a 3-link robot mechanism is designed and fabricated, and experiments are conducted to demonstrate the dynamics behavior observed in the simulation results. This paper provides the ideal initial condition to perform any desired front-flip locomotion. It is found that the initial angle of the 3-link mechanism is the parameter that mainly influences the front-flip performance.