Walkovers and Limbers

[Florian Nagel]

Hey there.

 

Three simple questions:

1. Is a front split necessary for walkovers?

2. Should i learn walkovers or limbers first?

3. How can i learn to go from bridge to handstand?

 

I welcome any advice.

[Jon Douglas]

1. No.

2. Walkover will usually be easier to learn without jumping as you can counterbalance with the raised leg. For GST purposes it is important to continue onto limbers.

3. Build a good bridge and lower to bridge as in Foundation mobility work, and learn the balance. Reverse wall or stall bar walks (walking your feet up) is one approach

[Katharina Huemer]

I am not a professional coach, every advice comes from my own experience/opinion.

1. Splits are absolutely not necessary for walkovers. It only matters when you perform them in a competition, then you will get deducted for not hitting 180° full split. You should not be too stiff either, because that makes it harder.

2. This is a personal decision. Some kids learn walkovers faster, others limbers. Personally. I find limbers easier and I also like them better. Walkovers are a little more complex, but if you have a good limber, a walkover should come quickly. 
At my gym, the kids only learn walkovers, however, with my group I work limbers a lot with good technique and I think it really helps.
But again, experiment on both. You should definitely start with going into a bridge, rock back and forth, and then kick over with one leg. Once this is easy, you can try both legs. Practice the same from a handstand; going into a bridge with one and two legs.

3. There are two ways. Either with one leg (kick over) or two legs (limber). Limber is harder, as you do not have so much momentum.


Please make sure you watch your back. Do not use back flexibility but shoulder!!

[Laine Rinehart]

Front Splits aren't necessary but they certainly make a walk over a lot prettier.

I find front walk overs much easier than back walk overs, dropping into one legged back bend is significantly more difficult for me than doing the front variation. Back limbers can be tough but it takes out the necessity of using one leg only.

I assume you mean pressing into a handstand from a bridge without the use of momentum? Mine is inconsistent but usually comes from the use of thoracic mobility. It's like pressing into a handstand but the reverse( think getting hips over the line of your shoulders but in a bridge rather than a standing pike or wide leg pike position). I also try to push my butt up towards my head and it kinda leaves no place for my legs to go other than up and over(it takes a lot of ability to reengage the core if you want to go into a straight line handstand from this deep of a backbend). I am not sure if this is the way to do it or not and relies a lot more on flexibility than the use of strength.

Edited March 17, 2016 by LaineRL

[Eva Pelegrin]

Want to learn those too (someday). Currently working on bridge and HS for now so very curious to see if and when my spine will be prepared to handle these challenges.