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Why You Lose Momentum in Your Glide Swing
If your kip feels stuck, heavy, or like it dies halfway through the skill, there’s a good chance the real problem is your glide swing. One of the biggest gymnastics kip struggles beginner gymnasts face is losing momentum during the glide. A strong glide swing creates the power and movement needed for a smooth glide kip. Without enough kip momentum, gymnasts often compensate by bending their arms, muscling the skill, or throwing themselves backward. The good news is that most
Kaley Willekes
May 283 min read


Why You Keep Missing Front Support in a Kip
One of the most frustrating gymnastics kip struggles is getting almost over the bar… but not quite making it to front support. If you keep landing low on the bar, peeling backward, or collapsing your arms at the top of the kip, you are definitely not alone. Missing front support in a kip is one of the most common beginner gymnastics bars problems, and usually it comes down to timing, body tension, or momentum — not just strength. The good news is that once you understand the
Kaley Willekes
May 274 min read


Why Your Kip Feels Heavy
If your kip feels heavy, exhausting, or like you have to muscle your way over the bar every single time, you are definitely not alone. One of the biggest gymnastics kip struggles for beginner gymnasts is feeling like the kip takes way more effort than it should. A kip should require strength, but it should not feel like doing a full pull-up with your entire body weight. When a kip feels hard, there is usually a timing, momentum, or body position issue happening somewhere duri
Kaley Willekes
May 274 min read


Why You Keep Bending Your Arms in a Kip
If you’re struggling with a bent arms kip, you are definitely not alone. This is one of the most common kip problems in beginner gymnastics bars training, and honestly, it’s something almost every gymnast goes through while learning a glide kip. A lot of gymnasts think bent arms mean they are weak, but most of the time that is not actually the main problem. Usually bent arms happen because of timing, glide swing mistakes, or trying to muscle the skill too early. The good news
Kaley Willekes
May 273 min read


Why Your Kip Keeps Falling Backward
Few things are more frustrating in gymnastics than finally getting close to a kip… only to fall backward immediately after. If your kip keeps falling backward, you are definitely not alone. This is one of the most common gymnastics bars mistakes beginner gymnasts make while learning a glide kip. The good news is that this usually is not a strength issue. Most of the time, a kip falling backward comes from timing, body position, or momentum problems during the skill. Once you
Kaley Willekes
May 273 min read


Why Can’t I Get My Hips to the Bar in a Kip?
If you’ve been working on your kip and feel like your hips just refuse to get to the bar, you are definitely not alone. This is one of the most common kip problems in gymnastics, especially for beginner gymnasts learning glide kips for the first time. A lot of gymnasts think the issue is strength, but honestly, most of the time it comes down to timing, shaping, and glide swing technique. The good news is that once you understand why your hips are missing the bar, the kip usua
Kaley Willekes
May 263 min read


Basic Kip Drills for Beginner Gymnasts
The kip is one of the most important gymnastics bars skills, but it can also be one of the most frustrating skills to learn. A glide kip requires timing, strength, body tension, and technique all working together at the same time. That’s why simply “trying the kip” over and over usually is not enough. The good news is that breaking the skill down into basic kip drills can make learning a kip much easier. Whether you’re a beginner gymnast, parent, or coach, these gymnastics ki
Kaley Willekes
May 263 min read


The Most Common Kip Mistakes in Gymnastics
If you’ve been working on your kip for a while, you’re definitely not alone. The kip is one of the most frustrating gymnastics bars skills to learn because it combines timing, strength, technique, and shaping all at once. A gymnast can have a strong glide swing but struggle with timing. Another gymnast might have the strength but keep making the same glide swing mistakes over and over. The good news? Most kip mistakes are extremely common and fixable with the right drills and
Kaley Willekes
May 264 min read


How to Structure a Successful Gymnastics Class
Creating a well-structured gymnastics class is key to keeping athletes engaged, learning, and improving. A consistent class structure not...
Kaley Willekes
Mar 11, 20252 min read


Coaching Tips for Managing Gymnasts with Mental Blocks
Mental blocks can be incredibly frustrating for gymnasts and coaches alike. When a gymnast suddenly struggles to perform a skill they once h
Kaley Willekes
Mar 11, 20253 min read


6 Front Aerial Drills to Build Strength, Power, and Control
Mastering a front aerial isn’t just about throwing yourself into the air and hoping for the best. It takes strength, technique, and...
Kaley Willekes
Mar 5, 20252 min read


6 Strength Exercises to Power Up Your Back Handspring
A strong back handspring isn’t just about technique—it requires serious strength, control, and power. If you want to improve your snap,...
Kaley Willekes
Mar 5, 20251 min read
How to get more height in your Front Aerial
Struggling to get more height in your front aerial? You’re not alone! One of the biggest problems I see in athletes working on their...
Kaley Willekes
Mar 3, 20252 min read


How to get more height in your side aerial
Struggling to get more height in your side aerial? You’re not alone! One of the biggest problems I see in athletes working on their aerials
Kaley Willekes
Mar 3, 20252 min read


The Best Side Aerial Drills
it's about strength, flexibility, and confidence. In this post, I’m breaking down some of my favorite side aerial drills that will help you
Kaley Willekes
Feb 27, 20252 min read


How to do a Back Walkover
A back walkover is a gymnastics skill where you begin in a standing position, lift one leg, and arch your back as you bend backward. You...
Kaley Willekes
Feb 18, 20253 min read


How to do a Valdez
The Valdez is a powerful and graceful gymnastics skill that combines strength, flexibility, and control. Unlike a traditional back...
Kaley Willekes
Feb 18, 20253 min read


Heli Cartwheel Progressions: How to Heli Cartwheel
A heli cartwheel, also known as a helicopter cartwheel, is a skill that combines elements of both a cartwheel and a front walkover. It...
Kaley Willekes
Feb 17, 20252 min read


Front Walkover Progressions: How to Front Walkover
A front walkover is a forward gymnastics skill where the gymnast kicks into a split handstand, arches their back, and transitions into...
Kaley Willekes
Feb 10, 20252 min read


How to do a Helicopter Cartwheel (heli cartwheel)
Learn how to do a Heli Cartwheel with these quick steps.
Kaley Willekes
Feb 5, 20253 min read
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