New club, new questions! Tumbling and Flexibility!

[henrik541]

Merry Christmas to y'all!!! I hope you're having a great day!
So, as I probably have said a thousand times, I'm now training at a new club, where I'm learning lots of new stuff, and with that comes new doubts.
Ok, lets cut the talking and get down to the questions:

Flexibility:
1-Maybe you won't be able to answer this one, as I'm an acrobat, and AcroGymnasts usually have more back flexibility than Artistic Gymnasts (and not as much as Rhythmic Gymnasts). Here it goes: Sometimes, when I stretch, I feel a sharp pain on the left side of my back. I suspect it might be from stretching one side more than the other. What can I do to stop that?
2- What can I do to have my middle splits? Like, what stretches and types of stretching are the most effective?

Tumbling:
1- Okay, these are the tough questions: Where should I be looking when I'm doing a Front Tuck? I always jump as high as I can before tucking, but I keep going forwards instead of upwards.

2-Can somebody explain me what's going on with a Back Handspring, like, where should I be looking at (hands or ground), what's the arm motion, the leg motion, etc.
I'm not affraid of doing a bhs on my own, anymore, but I always undercut very badly!!!! Seriously, I use my back flexibility without wanting to, wish drills my hands to land where my feet began.

I know what's my biggest problem: leaning back! I never lean back enough! I tried squatting lower, singing my arms back, sitting on a chair, they all worked with a mat, without the back handspring part, but when I get to the real part, I always chicken out.

3- This is the last question: What can I do to connect a round-off to a back handspring: tips and progressions are welcome. I think that if I connect them I will be able to lean back and do it properly.

Sorry if it's too long, but I want to practice really hard, because my meet is coming soon...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yikes!................................

 

[Aussie_coach]

Hi, I hope you are enjoying your new club.

Flexibility - This is probably not what you want to hear but you really need to see a doctor/sports physio if you are having problems with your back. There is no way anyone on this board can diagnose the problem without seeing you. Coaches should never diagnose a gymnasts problems we are not doctors and we can get in a lot of trouble if we get it wrong. It may seem like no big deal but its best to go to the doctor when problems are small. Almost every injury that puts people out of gymnastics would not have done that if they went to the doctor early on. Instead they ignore it while it is small and let it get too big.

Middle splits - just lots of stretching at home. My guess is you are already doing all the right stretches to get your middle splits down, you just aren't doing them often enough. Give yourself a big stretching session at home every two days, or smaller sessions every day. make sure you warm up fully first with lots of jumping and running, if you aren't warmed up fully your stretches won't be as effective. Start with smaller stretches like straddle sit before going into full splits. When you do your splits hold them. In the first 30 seconds of a stretch you are not gaining flexibility you are just relaxing into the point where you are already able to do it. Only after the first 30 seconds do you gain flexibility. So hold splits a few minutes.

Front tuck - the key is not to jump but to punch into the floor. A punch creates a jump which is similar to the rebound you get from a round off. Don't make the mistake of hurdling high, you want to hurdle low and long. Your feet need to move in fast and when you punch the floor for your front tuck your feet should be in front of the rest of your body. Arms should be up on take off. The most common reason from falling forward is that you are already leaning forward on your take off. You need to stand the take off up straight. Do lots of trampoline, tumble trak, double mini, beat board or what ever facilities you have and get them right there first. Its also good to practices up hill to a crash mat to improve your punch.

Back handspring - The main reasons for back handsprings to under cut are the take off positions. When you sit into your back handspring your knee's should be behind your feet and your hips behind your knee's. If you are taking off with your knee's forward it will under cut. The other common mistake is swinging the arms to early. If you swing to early again you will under cut. Sit first and feel the sensation like you are going to fall backward then push it back and swing your arms. Again do lots on tumble trak or other surfaces first.

Connecting skills - Connecting your first round off back handspring can be difficult. Practice round off and rebound to your back up onto a stack of mats. I prefer to have the kids learn two back handsprings connected first before going into the round off back handspring to get the feeling of going from one to the other, because when you first put them together you are usually so focused on the back handspring the round off can be thrown off. You can also practice handstand snap down to a back handsprings or start with cartwheel step in if you want less speed.

 

[henrik541]

Thanks for anwering me, it was (will be) really helpful! Yes, I love this new club, thanks.

My back pain is better now, it almost doesn't hurt, but if I will ask my mom to see a doctor, just to ,make sure. I don't wanna have to leave gymnastics, or something!

As for middle splits, you're right: I almost don't stretch. Basically, I just stretch on practice days for 5 minutes andit's more like a warm up. But now, with holidays, I have more free time and I'll do as you suggested.

Front tuck - the key is not to jump but to punch into the floor. A punch creates a jump which is similar to the rebound you get from a round off. Don't make the mistake of hurdling high, you want to hurdle low and long. Your feet need to move in fast and when you punch the floor for your front tuck your feet should be in front of the rest of your body.

I don't really know how to do this.

Back handspring - I know that the problem is on the take off, but I'm too affraid of going backwards. Is there any technique for "falling" backwards easily? Also, where should I look? At my hands?

The other common mistake is swinging the arms to early. If you swing to early again you will under cut. Sit first and feel the sensation like you are going to fall backward then push it back and swing your arms. Again do lots on tumble trak or other surfaces first.

You mean swing my arms backwards or upwards?

Connecting skills - Thanks, I tought of some of those, but I wasn't sure if they would be effective. The cartwheel and double bhs seem very appealing.

Once again! Thanks a thousand times, you're tips are really amazing!

 

[gymgurl]

When you say that you don't want the doctor/Physio to tell you to stop gymnastics they probably (99.9999999% chance) won't. I have a very sore back about 2 months ago to the point that I was almost unable to move without excruciating pain and it was bad and my mum asked her physic what it could be and It was simply I was studying to much and need to correct my posture so now I have a back support to help me sit right. So the point of this story is to say that sometimes its just a little thing easily fixed so it is worth seeing a doctor/physio.

Also, Physios like to encourage sport so unless its really severe they won't tell you to stop entirely they might just tell you to rest for a week or something like that, if your back hurts you need to see someone. You only have one back and it needs to last your whole life

 

[henrik541]

Yes, when I said I don't want to stop I meant, "if I don't go to the doctor, it might get worse and I'll have to stop gym", but I got your point.

Tomorrow I have practice and I'll try your suggestions, then I'll let you know how it worked out.