How To Do A Back Walkover - GymnasticsHQ

Back walkovers are a classic milestone—and a little scary at first since you’re moving backward. This guide shows you the exact steps, the strength and flexibility you’ll need, and safe progressions from floor to beam.

Start here: most gymnasts learn a back walkover after a solid bridge kickover and consistent handstands.

Safety first: Warm up thoroughly, use proper matting, and learn with a qualified coach/spotter—especially before trying beam variations.

Click Here to Download GymnasticsHQ’s Back Walkover Progress Checklist

Are You Ready? Quick Readiness Checklist

• Strong, straight-body handstand with control.
• Comfortable pushing up to a bridge with straight arms.
• Can bridge kickover from the floor (or from a small elevation).
• Sufficient shoulder & hip flexibility.

How to Do a Back Walkover (Step by Step)

1. Start in a Strait Stand & Lift your Dominant Leg : The first thing you want to do when you’re preparing to do a back walkover is to lift your dominant leg up off of the ground with your feet pointed and arms by your ears.
2. Reach & Arch to Hands: Lift your lead leg as you reach back, keeping arms glued to ears. Place hands shoulder-width on the floor as the lead leg reaches vertical.
3. Stack Shoulders: In the inverted split, push tall through shoulders (don’t sink). Keep both knees straight and toes pointed.
4. Kick Over: Drive the back leg up and over while the lead leg drops. Keep hips square; press the floor away.
5. Finish in Lunge: Land on your lead foot, then step to lunge with arms by ears—no extra steps.

Progressions (Floor → Beam)

1. Handstand – The first skill you should learn before attempting a back walkover, is a handstand. You need to be able to support your body weight on your hands.
2. Bridge– You also need to be able to do a bridge before attempting a back walkover.
3. Bridge Kickover on the Floor – Before learning a back walkover on floor, you should know how to do a bridge kickover. The idea of the skill is very similar, but the mechanics are different. Lay on your back and push up into a bridge, or reach back from a stand into a bridge (back baend). Then try to move your shoulders over your hand and kick your legs over your head.
4. Back Walkover on Floor – Once you have learned a back walkover on the floor, you can move on to a back walkover on the beam.
5. Back Walkover on a Line– Before you ever take a back walkover to a low beam or a high beam, you should learn it on a line first.
6. Back Walkover on Low Beam – If you can do a back walkover straight and confidently on a line, then you can move on to doing one on a low beam.
7. Back Walkover on High Beam – After you have mastered a back walkover on a low beam, you can move to the high beam. But make sure you have a coach there to spot you!!

Strength & Flexibility for Back Walkovers

Do this 2–3×/week on non-consecutive days:

• Hollow Body Hold – 3×20–30s (ribs down, lower back pressed).
• Plank (wrists or elbows) – 3×30–45s (shoulders stacked, body straight).
• Handstand Holds (wall) – 5×15–30s (push tall through shoulders). Try Spiderman handstands.
• Shoulder Opener on floor or blocks – 3×30s (arms by ears, ribs in).
• Hip Flexor + Quad Stretch – 2×30s/side (tuck pelvis under).
• Hamstring Stretch – 2×30s/side (long spine, flexed foot).
• V-Ups – 3×10–12 reps (controlled; no back arch).

Drills You Can Do at Home

• Wall Walk-Down to Bridge: Stand 1–2 ft from a wall, walk hands down to a bridge, then walk back up if safe.
• Bridge Rocks: From a strong bridge, gently shift shoulders past hands to open them.
• Elevated Bridge Kickover: Feet on a low panel mat → kick over, then lower height over time.
• Back Walkover on a Line: Hands and feet land on the line to train accuracy for beam.

Common Mistakes & Quick Fixes

• Dropping head early → Keep arms glued to ears; spot hands late to protect shoulders.
• Sinking shoulders → “Push the floor away” and elevate through the shoulder blades.
• Bent knees/toes unpointed → Squeeze quads, lock knees, think “long legs, sharp toes.”
• Twisting hips → Square hips; squeeze glutes to keep the split aligned.
• No finish → Stick the lunge for a full second, arms by ears.

Tools for Learning a Back Walkover	Description	Price
Low Beam	A low beam is important for learning how to do a back walkover on the high beam. It’s an important skill progression.	Check Current Price Here
Handstand Homework Mat	A handstand homework mat is helpful for practicing handstands at home without having to do them against a hard wall. Since the middle of the back walkover is basically a handstand in a split position, it’s important to practice and have mastered handstands.	Check Current Price Here

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a back walkover?

A: A gymnastics skill where you arch backward to your hands, pass through an inverted split, then kick over to land in a controlled lunge.

Q: How do I get over the fear of going backward?

A: Build from spotted reps → wall walk-downs → elevated kickovers → floor walkovers. Use thick matting, consistent cues, and a coach/spotter.

Q: How often should I practice?

A: 2–3 focused sessions per week (quality > quantity), plus short daily mobility for shoulders/hips/hamstrings.

Q: When should I try beam?

A: After consistent floor success and line drills. Start on low beam with a coach and proper mats before attempting high beam.

If you strengthen the muscles you need for a back walkover, and practice the drills listed above, we have confidence that you will soon learn how to do a back walkover. Once you have mastered a back walkover on floor, it just takes a couple of tweaks and lots more practice before you can learn a back walkover on beam.

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