Name: Playbook - Danielle Gray - Front & Back Walkovers
Uploaded: 2023-08-23T00:22:41.102Z
Duration: 30 min
Description: Front & Back Walkovers

If you are working toward a front or back walkover, here are the drills that will complement your training and help you get stronger and feel more confident to hit consistently. These drills are in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest. You should already be able to backbend on your own before attempting a walkover. 

Recommended to do these drills 3-5x/wk.

Start lying on your back with your hands pressing into the floor. Dig your heels into the ground (optional to lift your toes off the ground) Lift and press your hips forward by squeezing your glutes creating a straight line from your shoulder to your knee.￼

Glute Bridges

Band is optional. Lie on your back, or on a stable elevated surface just about bra level. Straighten one leg and keep the knees fairly close together. Dig the standing leg's heel into the floor. (Raising the toes is optional but you will feel more hamstring engagement). Squeeze your glutes to push your hips forward until they are flat. Control back down. Do not let your torso move shapes. Ribs in, flat back, neck in line with your spine. Should feel very robotic. 

Modification: 
- Double leg Glute Bridge 

Progression: 
- SL Glute Bridge w/ Hop/Push Thru

Reps are per side

SL Glute Bridges

Lie on your back and push up into a bridge. Make the distance between your hands and your feet as small as possible. Lean more weight onto your hands and then rock back so more weight is in your feet, push through your legs and try to straighten them each time you rock towards the wall in front of you. Squeeze your glutes to maintain control. 

Modifications:
- Bridge Walks
- Bridge Hold

Progressions:
- Bridge Jump To HS
- Back Limber
- Bridge Jumps

Bridge Rocks

Push up into a bridge, try to make your arms as straight as possible, squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, push into the floor with both arms and one leg as you lift one leg straight off of the floor. No microbends! Lift and lower without bending your arms or rocking. Switch sides. 

Modifications: 
- Bridge Hold

Progressions: 
- Bridge Leg Lift w/ Hop 
- Bridge Kickover

Reps are per side

Bridge Kicks

VERY important drill! Please watch and read instructions. Start in a standing lunge. Arms straight, hiding your ears, shoulders shrugged up to your ears, core tight, back leg straight. Start to lift your back leg off the ground as you maintain a straight line from toes to fingertips. Keep lifting your back leg by squeezing your glute until your hands eventually tough the wall.

Lever to Wall

Start in a standing lunge facing a couch, mat, or wall. Lever into your handstand split, split as big as you can while keeping your shoulder angle open. Push your armpits towards the direction you came to counterbalance the weight of your legs going to the other side of your body. Once your first leg hits, keep your second leg straight up in the air. To kick back over, kick and split with your top leg and push and split with your bottom leg. 

Modifications: 
- Elevate Feet & Bridge Up
- Bridge Rocks
- Kick Up Wall Handstand 

Progressions: 
- Tick Tock on floor

Reps are per side

Tick Tocks

Push up into a bridge, try to make your arms as straight as possible, squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, push into the floor with both arms and one leg as you lift one leg straight off of the floor. Push your shoulders over your wrists and press through the bottom foot while simultaneously kicking your top leg in a split. No microbends! The bottoms leg should come up high enough to straighten the leg and point the toe before coming back down with control. Switch sides. 

Modifications: 
- Bridge Hold
- Bridge Rocks
- Bridge Jumps

Progressions: 
- Bridge Leg Lift w/ Hop 
- Bridge Kickover

Reps are per side

Bridge SL Push Thrus

Lie on your back and push up into a bridge. Try to straighten your arms and make your bridge as short as possible (hands to feet distance). Push your armpits in the direction you plan to kick towards. You want your armpits past your wrists. Straighten one leg to prep. When you kick that leg over, push through the foot of the bottom leg and split as big as you can. Be sure not to switch legs in the air! Keep your split, push with your fingers into the ground, and pull that first leg towards the ground. Lever out and finish with arms up.

Modifications:
Tick Tocks

Progressions:
Back Walkover
Back Limber

Strong side only

Bridge Kickover

Start on your knees. Arms overhead, shrug your shoulders up to your ears. Stand as tall as possible as you lift up and over looking between your hands. Hide your ears at all times keeping your shoulders shrugged. Try to bend in this order: neck, upper back, mid back - you should NOT be bending in your low back until the very end. The low back gets involved once we reach the floor. Squeeze your glutes to come back up in the reverse order and exhale. Chin should be the last thing to come back up. 

*I recommend videotaping yourself from the side to self correct or show me & your teammates your attempts! 

Modifications: 
- Kneeling Backbend to Wall 

Progressions: 
- Standing Backbends to Wall 
- Standing Backbends to Floor

Backbend From Knees

Start about 1-2 feet away from a wall. Arms up overhead and shrug your shoulders to your ears. Look at your hands with your eyes but keep your ears hidden by your arms. Lift upwards out of your hips over an imaginary hill like a candy cane and reach your arms behind your head. Follow your hands with your eyes to the wall and keep your arms straight. Once you get to the wall, walk your hands down the wall to the floor. When you're ready, walk back up. Stay out of your lower back. Use your abs and your balance to roll back up mid back, upper back, and chin is the last thing to come back up. 

Modifications: 
- Kneeling Backbend to Wall 
- Quad Lean Backs 
- Standing Backbend to Wall

Progressions: 
- Backbend to Elevated Surface 
- Standing Backbend to Floor

Backbend Wall Walkdown

Start on your knees about a foot and a half away from the wall. Arms overhead, shrug your shoulders up to your years. Stand as tall as possible as you lift up and over looking between your hands. Hide your ears at all times keeping your shoulders shrugged. Try to bend in this order: neck, upper back, mid back - you should NOT be bending in your low back just yet. The low back gets involved once we reach the floor. Squeeze your glutes to come back up in the reverse order. Chin should be the last thing to come back up. 

*I recommend videotaping yourself from the side to self correct or show me & your teammates your attempts! 

Modifications: 
- Start closer to the wall 

Progressions: 
- Standing Backbends to Wall 
- Kneeling Backbends to Floor 
- Standing Backbends to Floor

Kneeling Backbend to Wall

Start about 1-2 feet away from a wall. Arms up overhead and shrug your shoulders to your ears. Look at your hands with your eyes but keep your ears hidden by your arms. Lift upwards out of your hips over an imaginary hill and reach your arms behind your head. Follow your hands with your eyes to the wall and keep your arms straight. (Optional walk down) Stay out of your lower back. Use your abs and your balance to roll back up mid back, upper back, and chin is the last thing to come back up. 

Modifications: 
- Kneeling Backbend to Wall 
- Quad Lean Backs 

Progressions: 
- Backbend to Elevated Surface 
- Backbend to Floor

Standing Backbend to Wall

Start with one leg out in front of you about 1-2 feet away from the wall. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears and start lifting the leg before you bend backwards. Watch your hands the whole time. You should not bend any lower than your mid back for these. Pull back up and your chin is the last thing to come back up.

Modifications:
- Standing Backbend to Wall
- Kneeling Backbend to Wall

Progressions:
- Leg Up Backbend to Floor

Reps are per side

Leg Lift Backbend To Wall

Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Arms overhead, shrug your shoulders up to your ears. Stand as tall as possible as you lift up and over looking between your hands. Hide your ears at all times keeping your shoulders shrugged. Try to bend in this order: neck, upper back, mid back - you should NOT be bending in your low back just yet. The low back gets involved once we reach the floor. 

*I recommend videotaping yourself from the side to self correct or show me & your teammates your attempts! 

Modifications: 
- Kneeling Backbend to Wall 
- Standing Backbend to Wall
- Backbend To Wall Walk Down

Progressions: 
- Leg Up Backbend
- Stand Back Up

Standing Backbend

Sit in butterfly. Place your left hand on your right ankle and your right hand behind your head. Sit up tall and rotate to your right. Imagine a laser pointing out of your elbow and make it face the wall behind you. Then, tilt your left shoulder towards your left knee and shift your right elbow to face the ceiling. Breathe out, bring your chin towards your chest, and slightly curve your spine into a C. Repeat on the other side. Place your right hand on your left ankle and your left hand behind your head, twist, then tilt toward your right.

Low Back Stretch (Rotation)

Sit in butterfly. Place your left hand on your right ankle and your right hand on your right knee. Sit up tall and tilt your left shoulder towards your left knee and push your right arm straight and your knee down as far as you can. Breathe out, bring your chin towards your chest, and slightly curve your spine into a C. Repeat on the other side. Place your right hand on your left ankle and your left hand on your left knee, then tilt toward your right.

Front & Back Walkovers

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