Women Adult Gymnast - Back Walkovers?

[gymnast5]

I'm wondering about the necessity of back walkovers as an adult gymnast and whether it's worth it to (re)train them.

I am a former DP gymnast who quit at level 4 after 3 years of competition (the season after the 2013 level changes, bet you can guess why) and rediscovered the sport about a year ago through my college club. I am now competing NAIGC at xcel platinum. I've regained a lot of my skills and in some cases have surpassed my former abilities. However, the one basic I have not regained is my kickover/walkover. I always had problems with my shoulder/upper back mobility when I was younger, and it seems age has just made me crazy stiff there, so I have pretty ugly bridges and backbends and kickovers and walkovers have not been my friend.

It would be nice to regain some back flexibility, and walkovers are good for floor choreography and that sort of thing. But in terms of skill development/good physical foundations, are back walkovers something I should be working on right now or does it really not matter for more advanced skills? I'll be working on them regardless, I'm just not sure how much to focus on it compared to other skills/strength work.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

I'm not an adult but I competed Xcel Platinum last year and have also avoided walkovers for a while after my back injury (basically didn't do them much after the L4 season). Back walkovers hurt my back whenever I did them so I eventually just stopped doing them. I'd say some use it as a stepping stone towards back handsprings (going backwards, landing on your hands that sort of thing). It can be useful for L7 connections like back walkover-back handsprings. It's nice to have if you ever want to do a back handspring step out on beam because you'd typically warm up with a back walkover.
That said, you can absolutely not do them and still do fine. You don't need back walkovers to learn back handsprings. You don't even need back handsprings either but they are good to have for tumbling. But, you can compete Platinum with a round off if you'd like (thats what I did)

Hopefully that made sense lol

 

[gymnast5]

It can be useful for L7 connections like back walkover-back handsprings. It's nice to have if you ever want to do a back handspring step out on beam because you'd typically warm up with a back walkover.
That said, you can absolutely not do them and still do fine. You don't need back walkovers to learn back handsprings. You don't even need back handsprings either but they are good to have for tumbling. But, you can compete Platinum with a round off if you'd like (thats what I did)

This is partially why I ask about back walkovers - I've regained all my tumbling so I'm not using them as a stepping stone of sorts. I'm also not at all thinking about beam because xcel platinum (and xcel diamond) don't require specific skills, so I can do a roundoff to fulfill any flight requirement. And anyways, when I was competitive in DP I was training back extension rolls because my coaches felt I wasn't flexible/strong enough for a bwo or bhs.

Having learned walkovers when I did, and having to compete one for years, it just feels like I have a hole in my foundational skills. But because I've already essentially learned past it I'm not sure if I ever need to fill the hole?

 

[comingback]

hi! fellow naigc gymnast with a bad back here. i still CAN do walkovers but they don't feel very good and i know they are not good for my back (stress fractured L4-5 several years ago). occasionally I will do a front walkover to warm up my back and shoulders and that is the extent of it. i don't see any reason to train them as other tumbling (handsprings) don't need to directly build off of walkovers and are easier on the back anyhow. for naigc beam i mostly see people competing cartwheel-cartwheel or roundoff in platinum, cartwheel roundoff in 8 (diamond now?), and something like dive cartwheel roundoff or 2 dive cartwheels in 9 as they are simpler and more forgiving to athletes that don't have the flexibility + bravery of a little kid.
I would say though that it is important to try to stretch back and shoulders as much as possible for safety, bars and vault form, etc. and that that is a worthwhile hole to fill with bridges (even on a wall), even if those aren't building to walkovers

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I'm wondering about the necessity of back walkovers as an adult gymnast and whether it's worth it to (re)train them.

I am a former DP gymnast who quit at level 4 after 3 years of competition (the season after the 2013 level changes, bet you can guess why) and rediscovered the sport about a year ago through my college club. I am now competing NAIGC at xcel platinum. I've regained a lot of my skills and in some cases have surpassed my former abilities. However, the one basic I have not regained is my kickover/walkover. I always had problems with my shoulder/upper back mobility when I was younger, and it seems age has just made me crazy stiff there, so I have pretty ugly bridges and backbends and kickovers and walkovers have not been my friend.

It would be nice to regain some back flexibility, and walkovers are good for floor choreography and that sort of thing. But in terms of skill development/good physical foundations, are back walkovers something I should be working on right now or does it really not matter for more advanced skills? I'll be working on them regardless, I'm just not sure how much to focus on it compared to other skills/strength work.

IMO not worth it.

Honestly, I barely even consider back walkovers worthwhile for young gymnasts either. They are unfortunately necessary for mid-level beam, but otherwise I don't see any practical benefit to training them. There are easier, safer, and more efficient ways to train mobility in the upper back and shoulders, and no compelling reason to train that amount of mobility in the lower back.

Just my 2 cents