Better Back-Handsprings Video Information |
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Welcome! |
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| These fun-filled
Olympic-class lessons encourage safety and skill achievement. Join me in my exploration of the Back-handspring. On stage, in the gym or in the backyard, now boys & girls, ages 5 to 17, can... "Have Fun, Be Safe & Push HARD!" |
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Some DETAILS about this Video! |
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This program is a collection of SEVEN complete
videos. The complete program is 148 minutes long! Each video contains
a warm-up, extensive lessons and a cool-down.
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...more details about this Video! |
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| World-wide, many of the (over 1,000) students
who have purchased this video do NOT have regular access to a qualified
gymnastic instructor. This video is INCREDIBLY helpful in those circumstances.
However, I HIGHLY recommend that all tumblers participate in live tumbling
lessons, clinics, private classes or group spotting activities. The exercises in this video collection are appropriate and extremely helpful for beginning, day-1 students, ages 5 and up. Because so many tumbling skills are inter-related, these exercises are NOT exclusive to the Handspring, but are ALSO applicable to MANY other basic skills. INSTRUCTORS PLEASE NOTE: There are numerous exercises and techniques in this collection that you will find insightful and valuable for your lessons. HOWEVER, the GREATEST benefit is NOT in YOUR VCR ... but in the VCR of your students. By having this video at home, your students are expanding the amount of time that they are participating in PREPARATION for your class. When they walk in, they'll be STRONGER, and MORE ATTUNED to your lessons. You'll be able to dedicate MORE time to coaching technique and less time to raw strength-work. |
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DAY 1: Middle Body Strength
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| In this picture you see Brian demonstrating the handstand position, a key feature of a back-handspring. Having strong back and tummy muscles makes a safer and stronger handspring. In day one we introduce four exercises to strengthen the middle body, plus stretches & mental conditioning. | ||
| The back-handspring often takes many months
(or even years) of regular practice to perfect. It's used in Martial Arts
like Karate, in cheerleading routines, baton-twirling competitions, many
theater & dancing routines and of course, artistic gymnastics. The
exercises and lessons needed for better back-handsprings also condition
the body for many other skills. |
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DAY 2: Wrist Strength
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| Here we focus on how to best prepare the wrists & arms for the powerful push needed in great back-handsprings. We introduce five new exercises. This picture shows one of the many wrist exercises we practice. In the exercise illustrated below, Christy (the GIANT HANDS) is clapping with Coach Wayne in an alertness drill. | ||
| How drills are performed is important, but
understanding WHY is critical too! For those of you not familiar with
the Back-Handspring, (also known as a flic-flac) it's a beginner-intermediate
level tumbling skill. It's often featured in movies and music videos.
The back-handspring sometimes follows a"Round-0ff" and in "power-tumbling,"
it is usually sequenced with many handsprings in a row, followed by a
back-tucked salto (flip!) It's an EXCITING and DYNAMIC skill that's LOTS
OF FUN! |
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DAY 3: Middle Body Strength
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| This picture shows Jennifer rolling to a standing position. It's a simple coordination exercise. The PUSH into a back-roll is similar to the PUSH in a back-handspring. You can see furniture in the background of this scene because we taped this session in the living room of a house. All the exercises on this video CAN be performed in front of the TV at HOME. | ||
| Each training session includes warm-up exercises,
and specific drills focused on an important part of the body for that
particular lesson. Powerful concepts for great tumbling techniques such
as timing, coordination & injury prevention are illustrated in each
daily lesson. |
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DAY 4: Secrets of Champions
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| Day four is a mid-week rest from tough strength-building
exercises. The focus of lessons is on proper positioning of the arms,
angle of knees in the leg-push (see pic) and how to measure progress. |
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| How long should a handspring be? You'll see
that both boys and girls with a mixture of ages, skill levels and body
sizes (short / tall / fat / skinny) demonstrate the exercises and lessons.
This is a GET UP and GO show, with solid, back-to-basics FUN. |
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DAY 5: Ankle Strength
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| How straight should your legs be when jumping into your handspring? The ankle is a joint in the body that is particularly prone to injuries caused by jumping. To ensure safety, good tumblers maintain STRONG, FLEXIBLE ankles. In this exercise-set we focus on stretching and strengthening. | ||
| In this picture Chasity (with her giant feet)
is demonstrating how the ankles flex and point. This 109 minute long Valu-pak
video is jammed full of great exercises and lessons, all of which can
be performed AT HOME, in front of the TV. The tape is actually a compilation
of SEVEN complete training sessions, one for each day of the week. |
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DAY 6 Shoulder Strength
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| Here you can see Derita demonstrating the tremendous
REACH in the handspring. Where should the head be positioned? How wide
are the arms? What CAUSES the SPRING off of your hands? Each day offers
a healthy dose of positive motivation, mental conditioning and of course
lots of strength work. Warm-ups and Cool-downs help prepare muscles and
focus attention. |
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| We demonstrate some spotting techniques in this video, but they are NOT emphasized. No video can take the place of a hands on coach in a live gym class. But, gym lessons, when coupled with the extra workouts in this video have proven to be a TERRIFIC combination. | ||
DAY 7: Leg Strength
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| The picture you see below, exhibits Lisa
during a cooldown stretch. A wide variety of skill levels are demonstrated
in each segment so that beginners... just learning gymnastics for the
first time... feel comfortable with the common mistakes, goals and language
of gymnastics. By adding weights and repetitions to the exercises, more
advanced students gain power & understanding of the refinements needed
for great tumbling. |
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| To practice your back-handspring lessons at home, all you'll need is a clear floorspace that's soft enough to roll on. (4'x5' or about two square meters) A tumbling mat is recommend for comfort, but not essential; a rug works perfectly well. You'll also need a narrow bit of wallspace to push against. A sturdy (closed) door is perfect. Lastly, you'll want a chair our couch that you can put your feet on. | ||
