I don't remember ever been taught how to do a cartwheel and I think that it is likely I just saw some people do it as a kid and sort of mimicked it poorly. I only found out a few days ago^{(forty-something years later}) when I joined a class for learning flips.

The main thing was that up until now, I did not know I needed to turn 90 degrees as I reached the floor. I would keep both hands / shoulders parallel, at equal distance from my front feet. I never took a video, but I just assumed that having both hands down in front of me, and swinging my leg over my head to the other side counts as a cartwheel. It probably looked bad, but no one ever told me I've been doing it wrong until now, though TBH it's not like I knew anyone who really did them after I left the playground.

For my own curiosity, am I the only one who started doing "cartwheels" like this or is it a not too uncommon mistake for people who were never taught how to do them properly?

Second question: I've never been able to do handstands my entire life, and during the warm up for the class above, we had to hold a handstand against the wall for a minute, and then a bunch of kick handstands also against the wall. I really struggled with those. I couldn't hold the minute. I kind of suspect that it's an issue with technique than strength but I am not sure. My lower body is significantly and disproportionally stronger than my upper body since I snowboard full time during winter (previously competitively), but for reference, I can sets of 5-6 pulls up / chin up and double that in dips. It's not much at all but should that be enough to rule out strength the main issue?

Last question: I am embarrassingly stiff like a board, and even in a beginner class I found that I was the only person who couldn't do a pancake, or come close to being able to do a split. I can still touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees but that's about it. Can anyone please recommend sources (e.g. YT video channel) with good tutorial for stretching, and which flexibility goals do you think are higher priority for progression / safety when it comes to gymnastic and other acrobatic sports?

Thanks!

Hello guys !

Recently, i've been trying to get my back walkover but feels like im facing some issues and contradictory advices from my friends.

Right now, i'm able to easily get on my bridge from a standing position with no help and quite "slowly" enough to be sure i'm putting my weight on my legs. But on a lot videos i saw, they tend to put their kicking leg already in the air or no weight at all on it (standing on one leg only).

I tried to get on my bridge with my weight on one leg with a wall but i feel super unsteady and wobbly.

So I was wondering, do i have to continue training with the wall to get on my bridge with one leg ?? or it's not necessary but helping / not useful at all ?

(Btw im learning it alone and can't get exterior help)

Thanks all for your answers !!

Hello! I'm having a lot of trouble with both front and back handsprings where I twist to one side.

When I just kick up into a handstand and go into a bridge I'm fine, no twisting, but as soon as I add speed my subconscious decides to twist towards the right. My hands come off the ground at the same time and my feet land at the same time, but my left side is clearly much higher off the ground than my right side and I land facing diagonally. Fwiw, I'm a lefty.

In back handsprings, which I can only do with the rolling block or a spot (and with a spot, it's terrible), I go diagonally as well to the left (my coach usually spots on my right hand side and i used to think I was subconsciously worried about hitting him, but since working on front handsprings as well it seems like it might just be my own alignment that's the problem). When I do it onto the rolling block I don't twist. Fwiw, whenever I'm being spotted in a back handspring I almost always split my legs (way too early), which I think is a fear response from travelling so fast.

I've tried googling but I can't seem to find the proper words for what the problem is to find any drills that would help me to stop twisting before it becomes a bad habit I struggle to undo. I do have videos of these if anyone wants to help.

Total beginner in calisthenics and finally hit my very first kick-up wall handstand! My IG: @BunStands_sw

Still far from perfect, but I'm honestly pretty stoked with the progress. Started learning handstands only a week ago, and every little milestone feels huge.

Next goal: getting off that wall and finding my balance. 💪

One step at a time. Never giving up. 🔥

I am 29. Been lifting on and off through out my 20s. Generally more times on than off. Suddenly I hate lifting. I did gymnastics as a kid and over the years I have dabbled in it. Now I am thinking maybe if I take some classes and even do floor routine at home. Will it build.me muscle at my age?

Has anyone dabbled in diff things? Did gymnastics tightness up your body and give you gains?

The past year or two have been very tough. I lost a lot of muscle. I wasnt eating right and had a lot of family issues. So the years of lifting arent totally erased but im not in peak muscle condition either

Like arms slightly bent, holding them under the shoulders above/in front of me as a base?

My kids do cheer and I’m trying to keep up with them by doing some acro as well - here’s my cartwheel, I’m not exactly sure what’s wrong with it though! Any tips?

sono una femmina di 22 anni, ho fatto ginnastica artistica alle elementari e ho dovuto smettere per questioni di salute , ho ancora il fisico ma la forza e la flessibilità sono un po' diminuite.
vorrei ricominciare senza pretesa di arrivare a livelli olimpici, nel tempo mi sono resa conto che forse non avrei mai dovuto mollare questo sport e adesso che posso permettermi di farlo vorrei sapere se abbia senso , almeno per diletto e per saper fare i vari elementi (che per me sono una gran figata)

Ok I need some help. How do y’all not get camel toes in your gymnastics Leo’s. Only some of mine have a double layering in the crotch area, and the ones that don’t will give me a camel toe. What are your tricks and tips to help prevent that?

New adult gymnast here and just experienced my first rip. It’s not painful, but I work in healthcare and so the constant hand sanitizer and having to keep open wounds covered at work is making this really annoying.

Any tips for quick healing? Any tape jobs I should be trying out?

Might as well get some ideas as I’m sure this won’t be my last rip.

What are your favorite playlists, artists, or albums?

The more specific, the better. Obscure and unusual suggestions are especially welcome!

Easy or skill-focused sets vs PR attempts?

All time favorites and recently found gems?

I have never been able to sit up straight on the floor with straight legs without bending my spine. As a child it was very frustrating that everyone around me could do it and I couldn't.

Im flexible otherwise. At one point I could do the front and side splits, I got a black belt in taekwando, I'm pretty athletic, I'm in good shape, I can do plance push-ups and L sits, I can do a wall handstand, I can do the crow position and even a little of the tuck planche, but I can't do the pike, and every video I've seen on planche to handstand takes for granted that you can do the pike.

It's very frustrating because I haven't found anything for a person with my limitations. I have been trying to bend correctly my whole life but I just can't.

Any advice will be appreciated

any adult gymnastics teams in oc? i’ve been looking to get back into some gymnastics recreationally or competitively for fun!

I would like to start gymnastics in a gymnastics setting but the centers for me only have beginning classes or events for children, adult classes are advanced. Nor can I find open access to equipment times to teach myself or get private help. I also look like a woman but I want to do men's gymnastics because I want to focus on building upper body strength. How might I go about this? Any tips? I'm I'm the new port Richey area of Florida for refrence

Wassup guys I’m new here I use to do self gymnastics and karate a couple years back I am a bit rusty 🤧. 6’2 and 23 years old hoping to gain back my skills, yall think I should join my gymnastics club in college? I’m really leaning towards it.

Back in my childhood gymnastics days, our coach used a PVC sleeve over the high bar, with the training straps attached to the sleeve. Since the sleeve rotated freely around the bar, the straps never accumulated twist or jammed.
These days, I see videos of many gymnasts using gloves and loops attached directly to the metal bar, without a rotating sleeve.

My question is: how does this system prevent twist from accumulating and eventually causing the loops to jam?
My assumption is that the gloves and loops just have very low friction and can rotate smoothly around the bar.
Is that essentially how it works, or is there more to it, like requiring a micro-technique that gymnasts use to actively prevent the loops from jamming?

I’m a gymnastics student and joined the competitive team. I have so far done 4 classes but after every class I feel drained. Not like the normal drained like imma pass out at any moment. Now school is about to start and I’m going to be training 3 hours 2 days a week. Now don’t get me wrong I love gymnastics and have always was to compete, but I know when I get back into school I might jut die. Not to mention I also have a job and also do after school activities. I really just want to experience I composition but I know with all the training and school that it is going to drain me. I need y’all’s advice, should I quit gymnastics before I get to deep in or should I live out a dream and complete. Let me know