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Fitness

How to do a Back Handspring

Kaley Willekes

Updated: 1 day ago

A back handspring is a backwards gymnastics skill where the athlete jumps back onto the hands and then pushes from the floor to land back onto their feet.




How to do a Back Handspring Step by Step


STEP 1: Start with arms over head and feet together

Start with a strong stance, while holding the arms over head and feet together.


STEP 2: Sit and squat

The next step is to swing the arms down by the side while sitting and leaning backwards. This position sometimes is referenced to sitting in a chair.


STEP 3: Jump and reach

You then aggressively jump backwards, reaching for the ground with the arms over head, creating an arched position with the hips pushing up towards the ceiling.


STEP 4: Arched handstand

Now that you've jumped backwards you should land in a slightly arched handstand. The hips should still be open towards the ceiling with the feet slightly behind the head.


STEP 5: Handstand snap down

After hitting the arched handstand phase you snap from the handstand so that the feet make contact with the ground. Make sure you push through the shoulders and hollow down.


STEP 6: The landing

Make sure to land with the feet underneath the hips and the arms covering the ears. Lots of coaches also teach rebounding out of a back handspring but when first learning it, it is okay to land like this.



Back Handspring Progressions

These are the steps you should take when learning how to do a back handspring.


Jump backs:

The first skill you should learn before attempting a back handspring, is a jump back of some sorts. This drill helps sets you up for the take off of the back handspring and builds leg strength for the jump back.


Bridge pop rocks:

Next are the bridge pop rocks. This drill helps with the foundational arch position, shoulder and back flexibility and just over all helps to build the rhythm of the back handspring. This drill is also great for building leg strength for the take off.


Handstand snap downs:

You should then learn how to do a handstand snap down properly. This drill is literally the snap down phase of the back handspring so it is a very important drill to help strengthen the body for the back handspring.


Elevated bridge jump to snap down:

Elevated bridge jump to snap downs are another very important drill to help you back handspring. This drill helps build the last half of the back handspring and doing it on an elevated surface makes it easier to learn with proper form.


Backbend bridge jump to snap down:

This drill is basically a slow motion back handspring and is a great way to break down the entire back handspring in one drill. It helps with the reach backwards, the arch position and even with the snap down and landing.



Muscles You Need for a Back Handspring


Legs: Your leg muscles are important for the take off and the landing of the back handspring.

Arms/shoulders: Your arms and shoulders are important for the middle portion of the back handspring and the snap down portion.

Core: Your abs and core are used throughout the entire back handspring.



Flexibility you need for a Back Handspring


Back: Having a flexible back helps to create the arch position.

Hip Flexors: Having flexible hip flexors helps with the bridge position.

Shoulders: Having flexible shoulders also helps to have a proper bridge position.





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This information is for general purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional for health or training needs and ensure children are supervised by an adult during physical activities. We disclaim all liability for any injuries or harm resulting from the use of information on this website. For further details, please review our disclaimer and privacy policy.

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