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If you’re a gymnast, cheerleader or dancer, you will need to master a front walkover. It’s one of the most common skills needed in routines. Although it can be difficult to do at first, a front walkover only requires mastering a few key steps. You should be doing a front walkover in no time!
Steps
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Master other exercises first. You can break the front walkover down into other exercises that you can master before you try the full skill. Think of a front walkover as being similar to a cartwheel, but more advanced. It’s more difficult and requires more balance, though. [1] X Research source
- Practice bridges, front limbers , and handstands , handstands in split positions, and a standing backbend while holding one leg up. [2] X Research source
- To do a front limber, perform a handstand into a bridge. Let your legs fall over. Once your feet contact the floor, push off the floor with your hands to stand up, with your arms up. Push your shoulders back. The balls of your feet should touch the floor first. Then, put your heels down and keep in the bridge position for a few seconds. Then, stand up. The front limber is similar to a front walkover, but the difference is you keep your legs together.
- To do a bridge, lie on your back. Keep your hands by your ears, and your feet should remain flat on the floor. Push up into the bridge position. Try to keep the arch of your back high to help with the flexibility of the back. Push your legs until they are straight, and your shoulders are directly over your hands.
- Handstands can be quite difficult. If you cannot stay up at all, start by putting your hands flat on the ground about six inches away from a wall, fingers pointing to the wall, and kicking up until you are standing on your hands with your feet resting against the wall. You can try giving a tiny kick so that you are away from the wall and can practice balancing on your own. You should eventually be able to stand upright, place your hands flat on the floor, and kick into a handstand position without using a wall to correct yourself.
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Work on your flexibility overall. Doing a front walkover requires a lot of flexibility in your legs as well as in your back. If you improve the flexibility of your body, you will have an easier time completing the exercise [3] X Research source- In addition to lower back flexibility, it’s important to develop flexibility in other areas of your body too, such as shoulders, core stability, and butt strength. Work on stability and strength issues throughout the body in consultation with a coach.
- Improving flexibility takes time. One way to gain flexibility is through partner stretching, targeting areas like the shoulders for 10-60 seconds. For example, have another person lift your upper arms.
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Stretch and stay safe. Don’t try to push yourself beyond your abilities. It can take time to master a basic front walkover, and that’s okay. If you do not stretch, you may hurt yourself. You need to stretch your entire body because every part of you stretches during a front walkover, but pay particular attention to your back.
- Use a safe mat in case you fall, and use a spotter in the beginning until you are more comfortable with the skill. [4] X Research source
- Stretch your ankles and your wrists. Try doing the splits and bend your back. Do a bridge to stretch your back. Squat down, tuck your chin, and allow your body to roll over your head. Make sure you keep your body curled in a ball so you do not hurt your tailbone. [5] X Research source
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Get into the starting position. To do a front walkover, you need to stand as if you are going into a handstand. Put your legs in a split position. Start with whichever leg is easiest for you. [6] X Research source
- You should form a lunge position, putting your arms straight up by your ears and bending one knee while lunging forward with the other leg straight behind you. Start off by looking at the ground.
- Keep your legs apart as you stand in this position. Stand facing forward. Put one foot slightly in front of the other, and make sure to point your toes.
- Breathe out, and tighten your abdominal muscles. Start to bend forward in order to place your hands on the ground with your fingers pointing forward. You will want to lock your elbows when your hands touch the ground. [7] X Research source
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Kick your back leg up into the air. As your first leg is approaching a vertical position, kick your other leg up into the air. Move your weight to your arms and shoulders.
- It’s important to follow through. Keep your legs extended as you pull them up, over and behind your shoulders. Keep your toes pointed, and make sure that your legs are straight and an equal amount apart.
- As you pull your leading leg toward the ground behind you, slightly bend that knee. This will help you absorb your landing. At this time, your other leg will move into a vertical position.
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End the walkover properly. Shift your weight back to your leading leg as it touches down. Then, push off the ground with your hands. You should end in the same position you started in. Make sure that you plant your feet as you land. Keep your arms flexed when you land.
- Use your abdominal muscles in order to come back into a standing position. It can be tempting to put your chin to your chest and pull your arms forward to help you get up, but you should actually keep your head back and just use your stomach muscles to pull you up.
- Make sure that you do each step in a continuous motion. Fluidity of movement is very important. If you can get up from a bridge and still can't do a front walkover, that probably means your feet need to be closer to your head when you land.
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Make sure to stay in the proper form. You should press your hips forward, and make sure that you don’t stand up too fast. That could make you fall backwards.
- Your natural momentum is very important and will push you upright. Your head and arms should be the last to come into their final position.
- After you master a basic front walkover, you can add other skills into the walkover to make it more complex. Be careful trying any skills on your own. You don’t want to get hurt.
- You could join a gymnastics club and take classes or private lessons. For most people, it takes a lot of time and practice to achieve their first front walkover. Just be patient!
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat if I am afraid I will fall down?Community AnswerDon't think about it too much and be relaxed. Make sure that you can do all the other skills that you need to master the trick. Do it on on a soft mat or something soft and have someone to help you control your balance.
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QuestionHow do I make sure that I don't collapse when I go into a bridge?Community AnswerMake sure you don't land on your tip toes, because then you won't have much balance; try to utilize the balls of your feet. Also, to the best of your ability, try not to wobble!
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QuestionHow do I get up with one leg?Community AnswerAs your first foot touches the floor during your front walkover, use you tummy muscles to pull you up. Also, try pushing gently with your hands to give you more momentum.
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Tips
- Do a warm up before you do the front walkover.Thanks
- Make sure to stretch prior to attempting a front walk over to avoid injury.Thanks
- Do push-ups and exercises for your arms to get them steady and strong.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- When you're coming into the bridge, land with you foot flat and then push your hips forward. Keep your arms by your ears the whole time for the best form.
- If you're practicing at home and don't have a person who can spot you, then put pillows underneath you to soften your landing.
- It really helps if you put your legs in a split position and always push through your hips to get more upward momentum.
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Warnings
- If you don't feel physically comfortable doing something, keep practicing the easier steps.Thanks
- Attempt any gymnastic skills on a soft surface if you are still practicing.Thanks
- Don't force yourself if you can't do it! It takes a lot of practice to make it perfect.Thanks
- Don't let your legs land too far from your body; you could slip.Thanks
- Be sure to bend your back enough to be able to plant your foot closer to your head.Thanks
- Make sure your arms are strong enough before doing the full front walkover.Thanks
- Always stretch! If you don't you could hurt yourself and be in big pain.Thanks
- Stop immediately if you are injured in any way.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://ballet-lessons.wonderhowto.com/how-to/complete-front-walkover-for-cheerleading-dance-and-gymnastics-406906/
- ↑ https://sites.google.com/site/gymskillbasics/floor-1/handstand-walkovers
- ↑ https://legendarystrength.com/how-to-do-a-walkover/
- ↑ http://blog.omnicheer.com/post/rookies-guide-to-tumbling-for-cheerleading-front-walkover/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXsXnhLaTSU
- ↑ http://www.fitforafeast.com/on_the_mat-front-walkover-tutorial.htm
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7mpd5Nb1K8
- Videos provided by SevenGymnasticsGirls
About This Article
Article Summary
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To do a front walkover, start with one leg forward and bend to put your hands on the ground. Use your momentum to kick your back leg up in the air, then let your front leg follow. Bend both legs as they fall forward over and gently hit the ground. To return to a standing position, tense your abs and push off the ground with your hands in a fluid motion, working with your natural momentum. Remember to stretch your ankles, wrists, and legs beforehand! To learn more, like what exercises and positions you can do to prepare for a front walkover, keep reading the article!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I wanted to learn how to do a front walkover before gymnastics started. I had all the parts of the walkover except for how to get up with one leg. This article really explained how to get the momentum I need to rise up." ..." more
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"I wanted to learn how to do a front walkover before gymnastics started. I had all the parts of the walkover except for how to get up with one leg. This article really explained how to get the momentum I need to rise up."
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"This really helped me! I am not that flexible. I learned that when I keep my legs split in the walkover, it helps me stand up easier."
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"This helped because it was very descriptive and I needed to learn how to get up from bridge."
"Mastering a front walkover was vital to getting me into level 4 so I'm really grateful."
"It helped me realize I can try. I loved this, this is my dream, thanks for helping."
