WAG Walkovers - do they cause more harm than use?

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pumpkinpie

hey guys,

I wanted to have your opinion on walkovers.

There is a girl in my gym, she is a little older than I am, something around 22. She has been doing
gymnastics as a child, she was an old L7, had a 4 year break and is back training
since more than a year, mostly for fun but still at least 12 hours a week.
She has all her L7 skills again, works hard on conditioning and wants to start training L8 skills.

She asked me
something I don't have an answer to.

The girl is pretty flexible, has all her splits+pancake, even a little hyperextended.
her shoulder flexibility is quite good as well, she has a decent bridge like the one of the girl in the first picture, with straight legs. She can do the bridge like the girl in the second one as well, but this looks unhealthy to me.

She asked me if she should go for more stretches, increase back flexibility by daily stretching it or not. She tries to avoid back walkovers as she is afraid of injury. Her front walkover is ok, but its not perfect as she can not place her foot close enough to her back to stand up pretty. Well, she actually can, but then she pretty overstretches her back and rushed the skill...

I was honest and said I don't kow, but I would recommend doing a normal bridge with straight legs everyday, stretch the shoulders but avoid walkovers and wrong bridges.

What would you say?

Should she stretch her back more by doing scorpions, needles and walkovers or would it be better to just focus on upper back?

I just can imagine the spine being so compressed that discs and vertebraes won't really like it

Why are walkovers important after L5+?

PS: I know I can't seek for medical advice here, but I would just like to her some opinions on it!

Thanks in advance!
 
forgot to upload the pics...
 

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First, I would never do bridges on a level floor. Always put your feet on at least an 8 inch mat, higher when first learning. Try and keep your lower back as flat as possible while focusing on stretching the upper back and shoulders. Not sure if I can ever recall asking a girl to increase the flexibility in her lower back, that just seems to come naturally.
You should limit the numbers of back/front walkovers each day. They aren't that hard or technical, so you shouldn't have to do a million. Make sure you start as tall and stretched as you can (not that rollie archie thing), and then make sure in the middle you are pushing tall with as flat of a back as possible. Remember, that's the same back that has to last you a life time. Take care of it! :)
Edit: just saw the pictures, had Cheerios fly out my nose, someone's back isn't long for this world. PLEASE read and follow what I said above! I've seen too many of those pictures, and they never have a happy ending.......
 
First, I would never do bridges on a level floor. Always put your feet on at least an 8 inch mat, higher when first learning. Try and keep your lower back as flat as possible while focusing on stretching the upper back and shoulders. Not sure if I can ever recall asking a girl to increase the flexibility in her lower back, that just seems to come naturally.
You should limit the numbers of back/front walkovers each day. They aren't that hard or technical, so you shouldn't have to do a million. Make sure you start as tall and stretched as you can (not that rollie archie thing), and then make sure in the middle you are pushing tall with as flat of a back as possible. Remember, that's the same back that has to last you a life time. Take care of it! :)
Edit: just saw the pictures, had Cheerios fly out my nose, someone's back isn't long for this world. PLEASE read and follow what I said above! I've seen too many of those pictures, and they never have a happy ending.......

Okay so if bridge work like this is so bad for your back, then why does the USA have the TOPS program, and Ontario the ODP program where the gymnasts spend a lot of time at a young age training long and short bridges, then are judged on how "bridgey" they can get them?
 
Okay so if bridge work like this is so bad for your back, then why does the USA have the TOPS program, and Ontario the ODP program where the gymnasts spend a lot of time at a young age training long and short bridges, then are judged on how "bridgey" they can get them?
Great question, you need to ask them, I did! ;)
People tend to think that these organizations are the knowers of all things, but they aren't. They are continually learning and adjusting as more information is gathered, albeit rather slowly. There are dozens of skills, drills, routines, etc. that they insisted we as coaches do and emphasize, and now it's like 'heck no, don't do that!' We coaches are the ones in the trenches day in and day out, and we see first hand the benefits and pitfalls of these various skills and techniques that we are asked to pass on to our children. I don't care what these organizations want, if I feel it's harmful to the kids......Not happening! Seen any front limbers lately. ;)
 
First, I would never do bridges on a level floor. Always put your feet on at least an 8 inch mat, higher when first learning. Try and keep your lower back as flat as possible while focusing on stretching the upper back and shoulders. Not sure if I can ever recall asking a girl to increase the flexibility in her lower back, that just seems to come naturally.
You should limit the numbers of back/front walkovers each day. They aren't that hard or technical, so you shouldn't have to do a million. Make sure you start as tall and stretched as you can (not that rollie archie thing), and then make sure in the middle you are pushing tall with as flat of a back as possible. Remember, that's the same back that has to last you a life time. Take care of it! :)
Edit: just saw the pictures, had Cheerios fly out my nose, someone's back isn't long for this world. PLEASE read and follow what I said above! I've seen too many of those pictures, and they never have a happy ending.......

is the first one bad as well? the second pic looks unhealthy - but the first?
could you give me a "right" bridge pic??? I would appreciate it!
 
Great question, you need to ask them, I did! ;)
People tend to think that these organizations are the knowers of all things, but they aren't. They are continually learning and adjusting as more information is gathered, albeit rather slowly. There are dozens of skills, drills, routines, etc. that they insisted we as coaches do and emphasize, and now it's like 'heck no, don't do that!' We coaches are the ones in the trenches day in and day out, and we see first hand the benefits and pitfalls of these various skills and techniques that we are asked to pass on to our children. I don't care what these organizations want, if I feel it's harmful to the kids......Not happening! Seen any front limbers lately. ;)

So you would say limbers are not that healthy and should be limited?
how flexible should a good gymnast be in their back/shoulders?
 
So you would say limbers are not that healthy and should be limited?
how flexible should a good gymnast be in their back/shoulders?


My dd said they do 2 lines of limbers once a week for warm up. One front one back. About 3 each line. And they only do the long bridge now with emphasis on rocking the shoulders. But on the floor, not with feet elevated.

And my dd who is probably going level 9 this year, maybe 8 again, can barely do a front walkover with her tight shoulders. Always got a "merit" or participation badge for flexibility on our somewhat similar TOPS thing.
 

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