Back Walkover  Problem

It seems fairly evident that your daughter’s problems stem from a lack of shoulder (and/or lower back) flexibility.  This is all too common a problem and as you can see has inhibited your daughter’s progress on this skill and in the sport.

It has been proven time and time again that the best, most effective time efficient method of learning any skill, including back walkovers, is to be strong and flexible enough to do the skill before you try to learn it. 

Without the proper strength and flexibility, it is difficult to impossible to learn a gymnastics skill.  And repetitions of the skill with or without a spot are likely not the best way to improve flexibility and strength levels.

We are going to recommend a number of drills, skills and exercises that can and will increase your daughter’s flexibility level, but first we have some safety cautions.  Doing too back walkover type skills and exercises without having sufficient shoulder flexibility can cause too much stress on the lower back. This can lead to any number of injuries including stress fractures and create short and/or long-term back pain.

The flexibility for back walkovers is a combination of shoulder flexibility and lower back flexibility.  It would be wise to develop shoulder flexibility first in order to avoid overstressing the lower back.  Any lower back pain is an indication that sufficient shoulder flexibility has not been developed and the lower back is being overstressed.

Chances are that your daughter already has sufficient lower back flexibility (since she can do a backbend kickover).  We recommend that you first work on partner shoulder stretches and when you have made significant progress in improving shoulder flexibility, you can work on some of the lower back stretching exercises.

Partner stretching allows the shoulders to be stretched farther than just working in a backbend can do and targets shoulder flexibility rather than back and lower back flexibility.   Stretching should be done carefully and just to the point of pain, but it will not be uncommon for gymnasts doing partner stretching to experience some pain.  Make sure you are communicating.  Stretching for periods of time from a minimum of 10 – 60 second sets is desirable and effective.

The following is from one of our books:

Partner Stretches

Over-Paining is Over-Training
 Partner stretching may cause pain and decrease motivation in some gymnasts.  It shouldn’t be used with those gymnasts.  There are other methods to train flexibility. 

Don’t Put Excess Stress on Joints
 On all partner exercises where the partner is pushing or pulling on the arms, they should be holding the arm above the elbow to avoid excess pressure on the elbow joint.

Partner Shoulder Stretches

Another effective but not as quick a shoulder flexibility exercise utilizes a stick (like a cut-off broom stick).  Gymnasts inlocate/dislocate (move stick over the head forward and back) holding the stick in all of the possible grips (regular grip, reverse grip, elgrip, invert grip) holding the stick with the hands as close as possible.  Ideally gymnast will go straight over the top, but twisting the stick from side to side still will help.

Gymnasts may hang for a bar with their hands together and head forward chin on chest to stretch shoulders.

Once shoulder flexibility has been improved, the following variety of exercises can also be done.

LOWER BACK FLEXIBILITY

SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY

Good luck and if there is anything else we can do for you, please let us know.
 
 

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