Parents back bend with legs together?

[gymhorsemom]

My DD (7.5) has been doing backbends and walkovers for about a year. She is very flexible and had a very easy time with splits and backbends. I just realized that she can't do a backbend with her legs together -she separates her legs before arching back from standing. When asked to keep her legs together she can't get into a backbend. What might be her limitation?

 

[GlobalNomad]

I don't think my dd has ever been asked to do one that way.

 

[COz]

When asked to keep her legs together she can't get into a backbend. What might be her limitation?

Self preservation

 

[Jenny]

Self preservation

Agreed . Can't see why she would be asked to? Does she not need her spine when she is older?

 

[Muffinsmom]

My dd (6) had the same issue, but worked through it quickly. It was due to fear in her case...far more stability with your legs apart.

 

[2G1B]

Do you mean like in the falling back phase having her legs together? I don't think I have ever seen this done. When going back I have always seen the legs separated. When doing a handstand to bridge I have seen landing with the legs at least close to together though...

 

[Moxiegrl83]

We only have a couple girls who can do this. It looks pretty in the Level 3 routine, but there is no deduction for having your legs apart. There would be no way my DD could do it.

 

[bogwoppit]

Best avoided. Spines are great things.

 

[Bess]

We only have a couple girls who can do this. It looks pretty in the Level 3 routine, but there is no deduction for having your legs apart. There would be no way my DD could do it.

I think you may be talking about the handstand into bridge and then kickover in the L3 routine ...the OP is talking about standing and then going backwards into a bridge with no leg separation...which IMO is only something you should see Gumby or someone in Cirque de Soleil do.....ouch

 

[roll123]

Can the legs be separated at all in skills like bwo or bhs, or is that a deduction?

 

[sce]

Who's asking her to do it with legs together? Just to make sure, you are talking backbend not bridge. Backbend is standing and bending over into a bridge. Bridge is from laying down and pushing up. With proper flexibility a gymnast should be able to hold a bridge with legs together and straight (bent in upper back, not lower). But, very few can backbend with legs together.

As for backwalkover, legs are apart the whole time. Backhandspring, yes legs should be together, but it's not as extreme an arch as a back bend, hands and feet are not on the floor at the same time for backhandspring.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

I think you may be talking about the handstand into bridge and then kickover in the L3 routine ...the OP is talking about standing and then going backwards into a bridge with no leg separation...which IMO is only something you should see Gumby or someone in Cirque de Soleil do.....ouch

Oh wow! I was talking about the bridge kick over. I've never seen anyone do that. ^

 

[auswi]

The back bend is called a limber at Dd's gym. All her teammates do it in warmup, only 2 do it with feet together but their knees separate slightly as they go over and come back up- no back problems so far for any of them.
Just tried to put in a smiley and CB 's having a little moment - it's putting in little blue squares instead of the nice yellow smiley I envisaged interested how it will show to the rest of CB

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

Years ago, we used to work limbers a lot, both front and back. The emphasis was always on tight body, legs together. Many gymnasts couldn't do it and even though I could, they always felt like a stress on the spine.

I must have been one of the lucky ones who didn't incur any lasting spinal horrors. I'm very glad I don't see limbers worked very often these days.

 

[gymhorsemom]

Ugh. This is worrisome. I think they are asking her to do a backbend from standing with legs together. This is what she said. I don't often get to watch practice -particularly the first part which is when they do backbends -so I am not completely sure. I like her coach a lot and wouldn't expect her to have the girls doing anything that could be damaging. I hope that I am correct. I will try to watch a bit tomorrow.

 

[gymdog]

1. Legs apart gives them more balance so they need less strength to do it

2. It takes less hip flexibility to,do it that way than with knees together.

 

[AcroA21]

Ugh. This is worrisome. I think they are asking her to do a backbend from standing with legs together. This is what she said. I don't often get to watch practice -particularly the first part which is when they do backbends -so I am not completely sure. I like her coach a lot and wouldn't expect her to have the girls doing anything that could be damaging. I hope that I am correct. I will try to watch a bit tomorrow.

Before you stress too much about it and since you don't watch practices often (at our gym they do not like the parents hanging around) talk to the coach about it. From what I remember reading your DD is 7.5 yrs, at that age and even the older girls will get information wrong because they didn't completely understand what was being asked of them. It may just be mis-communication.

 

[gymhorsemom]

Before you stress too much about it and since you don't watch practices often (at our gym they do not like the parents hanging around) talk to the coach about it. From what I remember reading your DD is 7.5 yrs, at that age and even the older girls will get information wrong because they didn't completely understand what was being asked of them. It may just be mis-communication.

Good point! I think miscommunication is very likely. We've even had this with her and school this year -the way she tells it isn't always the way that it is!

 

[Amusibus]

With legs together is harder because the hips internally rotate in this position (turn inward), and in internal rotation, less hip extension is possible. Therefore, the extension needed for the backbend comes from the lower spine. With legs apart, the hips rotate outward and away from the pelvic bone, therefore they are able to extend backwards much further. With the hips extending more, the lower spine doesn't have to. Essentially legs apart reduces the hyperextension of the lower spine, not a trivial issue with gymnasts.

 

[gymhorsemom]

So I watched backbends at practice yesterday and didn't see any sort of leg together action going on. So I think my daughter did get this wrong. Kind of funny! Thanks for all of the responses anyhow!