In this lesson, you will learn how to perform a gymnastic back handspring. Before attempting it, you should master the gymnastic handstand, the back roll to handstand, and several bridge variations.
A proper back handspring goes backward, not upward. Beginners often find it easier to swing their arms too far and jump up, but a correct back handspring should go back, and you should avoid over-arching your back. Keep your abdominals tight and fully extend your knees and elbows.
Find more gymnastics instructions in the Artistic Gymnastics section.
Stand upright and look straight ahead. Extend your arms overhead and stretch your fingertips as high as possible. Align your legs, torso, and arms vertically.
Then sit down as if sitting in an invisible chair, lowering your arms to horizontal (keep your elbows extended). You may lean forward slightly and keep your arms aligned with your upper body. However, if you lean forward, do not lower your arms.
Avoid sitting too far down—your thighs should not go below horizontal. Keep the arm swing small. Maintain eye contact with a point straight ahead and ensure your weight is evenly distributed across your feet.
Instead, tuck your lower back and pelvis slightly to round the lower spine.
Why all this? A strong back handspring travels far back. If you lean forward or hollow your back early on, the movement will be shortened and much harder to control.
Swing your extended arms back up and extend your legs. Jump flat from both feet (or slightly from your heels), but not from the balls of your feet. From the moment your upper arms are next to your ears, your head and arms must move as one unit. If your arms are already beside your ears from the beginning, even better.
Do not throw your head back or jump with bent legs.
Again, a back handspring travels back, not up. To create this motion, jump at the moment when you're almost falling backward from the sitting position.
As you jump back, push your hips up so your back is slightly arched—but don’t overdo it. Keep your elbows and knees fully extended. Your head and arms must stay together and move as one. Elongate your body.
Bend your hands early enough to prevent wrist injuries. Land on your hands and pass through a perfect handstand position. Keep your abdominals tight, all limbs extended, and your toes pointed.
Whip your extended legs over and push off the floor using your shoulders and forearms—similar to a handstand hop. Do not bend and extend your elbows to push off; your arms should already be straight.
Kick your legs back, but don’t flex your hips too much. Your legs, torso, and arms should remain aligned.
If you're transitioning into another back handspring, land flat on your feet, not on the balls of your feet. Your knees should line up vertically with your feet, and your upper body and arms should be vertically aligned.
If you’re transitioning into a back flip, bounce off the balls of your feet without letting your heels touch the ground (see Gymnastic Back Flip lesson).
You can learn the back handspring using spotters, a special handspring trainer, or progressions such as the bridge, back walkover, or macaco (from Capoeira).
Earlier versions of this lesson included more training methods, but newer, more detailed drills and progressions will be added soon.
See the Safe and Risk-Free Jumping Lesson for tips on setting up mats and using trampolines effectively.
