How to Do a Back Bend Kickover

A back bend kickover is a gymnastics skill in which the gymnast arches backwards and then kicks her feet over her head. Prerequisites for this skill include having the ability to arch back into a bridge and the ability to bend backward from a standing position. The more advanced version of a back bend kickover is a back walkover, a maneuver in which the gymnast points her foot forward and raises it while leaning back into a bridge and then kicks the foot over in one fluid motion.

Instructions

    • 1

      Stand in an upright position with hands extended over your head.

    • 2

      Arch backwards with hands remaining over your head until you have made a bridge form with your back. Hands and feet should be resting on the floor.

    • 3

      Take one foot and swing it backwards to activate the kickover. Once the foot is half-way over, its force will cause the other foot to lift off of the ground and follow the same path.

    • 4

      Extend hands over head to signal finish of back bend kickover.