WAG Standing Backbends

[Ex member]

My dd (7) can do nice bridges with legs together and shoulders other her hands and she dan do nice standing back bends (she does them with control) and bridge kick overs, she would like to be able to stand up from a bridge.

What she has been doing is bridge walks up and down the wall with no trouble and she can get back up to standing from half way up the wall but can't do it from floor yet.

Dd is quite strong and flexible and think has strong abs (she has a noticeable 6 pack).

Has anyone got any tips on what she can work on at home to help her stand up from a bridge?

 

[xrachx]

A skill DDs coach got her doing was kneeling backbends. Kneel, bend back, touch the floor and return to upright. The easier it got, they added additional height under her knees (crash mats etc), until she was doing it from bridges.

Her coach was saying how much her tumbling has improved since doing this as she has opened up her shoulders a lot more (her shoulders have been her biggest problem when it comes to gym!)

 

[gymdog]

Yes the kneeling really helps. Also, one trick they showed at a clinic I went to that I'd never seen before was to help by grabbing their thighs above their knees and sort of anchoring their feet down. You don't really have to even pull forward, you just keep them from lifting up their heels. Have her start with her hands on the couch and feet on the floor. So she's standing up a short distance. Then move from anchoring above knees, to calves, to ankles. Then hands on something lower like one couch cushion. It is best to learn it this way to prevent her from overextending her back. It is mostly a rhythm and core strength/control so practicing it repeatedly from a full bridge can put too much pressure on her lumbar spine. When she puts her hands on something she should be keeping her lower back straighter.

 

[sce]

I don't have any advice to help her stand up from bridge but please use caution in how much she practices these skills, esp at home.

 

[flanny2112]

A skill DDs coach got her doing was kneeling backbends. Kneel, bend back, touch the floor and return to upright. The easier it got, they added additional height under her knees (crash mats etc), until she was doing it from bridges.

I really like this idea because it seems like it would get gymnasts to open their hips up and stay stretched vs. reaching forward like most kids do. My question is though, does it put a lot of stress on the back? Or do you have a lot of kids complain about their backs? I am in charge of lesson planning for rec classes and I might put this in there but I don't want to create back issues.

 

[IreneKa]

I don't have any advice to help her stand up from bridge but please use caution in how much she practices these skills, esp at home.

I second that! As a parent of a child who used to love doing all these backbending skills at home, and now recovering from a stress fracture, please limit doing those skills at home.

 

[gymdog]

I really like this idea because it seems like it would get gymnasts to open their hips up and stay stretched vs. reaching forward like most kids do. My question is though, does it put a lot of stress on the back? Or do you have a lot of kids complain about their backs? I am in charge of lesson planning for rec classes and I might put this in there but I don't want to create back issues.

Rec probably won't have enough core strength for it. I recommend not doing back bends unless they're very strong.

 

[Ex member]

Rec probably won't have enough core strength for it. I recommend not doing back bends unless they're very strong.

I agree with this, dd didn't do them in rec classes only bridging up from the floor briefly followed by rocking in a tuck shaped on your back, dd started doing standing back bends in her development class (they don't have to do them but some of them girls get into there bridges that way), when dd first started doing them they looked scary, 8 months on they look a lot better due to the gains she has made in strength and flexibility, she can do them with control instead of "chucking them"

Dd hasn't attempted to do any "standing up" from bridges since this post and most likely won't even think about it as she is now back at school and hasn't much spare time between that and gym training.

Thank you for all your advice and tips.

Forgot to add that the only time she even does normal bridges at home is when they get conditioning homework (7 days very other week) and they are asked to do 3 x10 second bridge holds, dd sometimes does her last bridge hold by doing a standing back bend and finishes it by kicking over to a stand (if she is in the mood for it). Dd does her bridges on her gym mat (it is one that folds 3 times and has now got quite worn with use lol)

 

[flanny2112]

Rec probably won't have enough core strength for it. I recommend not doing back bends unless they're very strong.

Our gym is not a USA Gymnastics gym. By the time our kids leave Rec classes they are expected to already have a front walkover. Everything is rec until they get to training team. The class I was thinking of using this for is supposed to be able to do a handstand to bridge, rock to stand and back bend, kick over.

 

[gymdog]

Our gym is not a USA Gymnastics gym. By the time our kids leave Rec classes they are expected to already have a front walkover. Everything is rec until they get to training team. The class I was thinking of using this for is supposed to be able to do a handstand to bridge, rock to stand and back bend, kick over.

Start with a half bend back from knees back up to knee stand, and go from there. Again without the core strength then you can have issues with overuse particularly of the lumbar spine. So the exercises should focus less on overextending and more on using the core.