Cartwheel Basics

Cartwheel Basics

(Cartwheel Basics)This book is a great starting place to gain an understanding of how to perform cart-  wheels. This book is designed for use in the gym or at home, and for coaches, par-  ents, and gymnasts.  Topics in this book include exercises for beginners. If you can already perform do a  cartwheel but have certain problems executing it, this book will help you with exer-  cises focusing on specific aspects of the cartwheel.  Let’s begin your journey into learning about cartwheels and the basic skills re-  quired to execute them.(Cartwheel Basics)

Equipment FOR Cartwheel Basics

You will need some basic equipment. Most people will already have all of the  equipment used in this book, the exception of course being the folding mats,  which are widely available on the Internet. Alternatively, you can use anything else  that creates an elevation (i.e. sofa pillows).

Cartwheel Basics

Line and Circle

Be sure to use an easy-to-remove tape when making your line and circle on the  floor. Any color will work with the exercises in this book. Depending on your cho-  sen surface, you might need to use chalk instead of tape.

Line on Floor

You will be using the line to help you execute a straight cartwheel.

Circle on Floor

You will use a circle to help you start learning to do your first cartwheel.  Lines and circles are the best tools for correcting your cartwheels and many other  gymnastic routines. Some even say they are like having a coach with you. That said,  I remind you that nothing replaces a real coach! Lines and circles are merely tools  that are there to help and nothing more. When you are proficient in executing the  cartwheel, then you should not need a line or circle. 

There are very few prerequisites for performing a cartwheel. Many gyms teach the  cartwheel as one of the first skills. You will need to know which side is your domi-  nant side. Knowing how to do a handstand using a wall will also help you greatly,  but is an optional prerequisite.

Lunge Forward with Left Foot

  (Will Be a Right Facing Cartwheel)

When learning to do a cartwheel, you should always practice on your dominant  side until you have mastered the basics. When you have mastered the basics, then  you should always train both sides equally.  Your dominant side will always be the same whether you are doing a handstand,  cartwheel or round-off.  An easy method to find your dominant side is to do a kick handstand up to a wall.  Before going into the handstand, you will fall forward into a lunge position. The leg  you support yourself on when falling forward in the lunge position is your domi-  nant leg.  If you fall forward with your left leg, then you will do cartwheels facing the right. If  you fall forward with your right leg, then you will face the left.  Your dominant side has nothing to do with whether you are right or left handed  IMPORTANT: All instructions and illustrations in this book are of a gymnast who  has a left-dominant foot, which means all of her cartwheels face to the right! If you  are a right-foot-dominant gymnast who faces left when doing a cartwheel, remem-  ber to swap all instructions that require left and right positions in this book.

Handstand with Wall

Being able to do a handstand will help you learn to do a cartwheel more quickly. A  cartwheel is a rotational skill that goes through what we might call a hidden hand-  stand.  Being able to support yourself on your hands will allow you to do the cartwheel  more slowly and therefore work on correct cartwheel form.  There is no rule that you must be able to do a handstand before learning a cart-  wheel. If you can do a handstand using a wall, then you are more than ready to  learn the cartwheel. If you have trouble doing a handstand, then you should work  on your handstand in conjunction with learning your cartwheel. 

Form cartwheel BASICS

It is important to have good form to get the most out of your cartwheel. Good form  allows you to execute your cartwheel with little effort and gives you a smoother  transition into other skills that you would like to connect with your cartwheel.

Hollow Body

  The hollow body position is one of the most important positions to understand  and master. It is also one of the hardest to do correctly. Here are the steps to pro-  duce a hollow body position: 

•Tilt your pelvis forward. 

•Suck in your belly button. 

•Tighten your gluteus. 

•Tilt your shoulders slightly forward. 

•Allow only your lower back to touch the floor. 

In the illustration, the hollow body position is exaggerated. In a cartwheel, your

ody  The hollow body position is one of the most important positions to understand  and master. It is also one of the hardest to do correctly. Here are the steps to pro-  duce a hollow body position: 

•Tilt your pelvis forward. 

•Suck in your belly button. 

•Tighten your gluteus. 

•Tilt your shoulders slightly forward. 

•Allow only your lower back to touch the floor. 

In the illustration, the hollow body position is exaggerated. In a cartwheel, your 

body should be straight, with very little hollow body position.

Hands Inward

  Your hands should face each other when they are on the floor while you are exe-  cuting a cartwheel.  Having the hands in this position will create a natural start and end phase for your  cartwheel.  This illustration shows the hand’s position as the gymnast executes a cartwheel.

Straight Arms

  Keep your arms straight at all times. Bent arms use unnecessary muscle energy to  hold your handstand as you execute your cartwheel. Bent arms also create bad  form and can result in your cartwheel not being straight. 

Arms Not Straight (Wrong)

Arms Parallel

You always want to work on having parallel arms. In reality, because you are mov-ing through a handstand, your arms will actually look more like the second illus-tration.When starting to learn the cartwheel, you will ignore this rule a little by beginningwith arms out to the sides. As you gain better understanding and feel more com-fortable doing cartwheels, you will then work on having your arms in the parallelposition.Have another person look at your arms. It is difficult to know if your arms are par-allel when you can’t see them. You can also practice standing in front of a mirror tosee if your arms are parallel.

Head Position (cartwheelBASICS)

Your head should be in a neutral position for all exercises.It is important to understand that there are two ways to tilt your head.

•You tilt your head and the neck does not move.

•You throw your head back as a result of bending your neck backwards.

The first example demonstrates that it is okay to tilt your head very slightly and useyour eyes to see the ground when doing a cartwheel. You need to be very carefulthat you do not tilt your head so much that you are bending your neck. This is stillcalled the neutral position.The second example shows that throwing your head back is not acceptable. Bend-ing your neck back causes your spine to arch. You do not want to arch at any pointwhen doing a cartwheel.Now that your head is in the correct position, remember to keep your arms next toyour ears when executing the cartwheel.

Open Shoulders

“Open shoulders” simply means that the angle of your shoulders is 180 degrees;that is, your shoulders form a straight line with the rest of your body.If you arch in your cartwheel, then you probably don’t have fully open shoulders.This is a very common mistake that takes lots of practice to understand and mas-ter.You can work on two main things to improve your open shoulders.

•Make sure that you are not arching your back. Keep your body in a slightly

hollow position and work toward being in a straight line.

•Make sure your ears are next to your arms. You do not want to throw your

head back, but instead tilt it slightly so you can see the floor below you.

Shoulders Shrugged

Shrug your shoulders toward your ears. Always do before and during your cart-  wheel.  Extend your arms up as far as possible. When you execute a cartwheel, push hard  down into the floor with your arms fully extended. Your shoulders should be  pushed all the way up.  This muscular tension will give you greater control.

Cartwheel Basics

Straight Legs

  The only times your legs will not be straight while executing the cartwheel are at the  beginning and ending stages. During all other stages, your legs should be straight  and your knees locked.  If you have problems keeping your legs straight while doing a cartwheel, try prac-  ticing the exercises that include a wall. Instead of facing the wall, you can try to face  outwards.  Have a spotter help you. It can be difficult to know if your legs are straight or bent.  Sometimes they might feel like they are straight even when they are bent.

Pointed Toes

  The rule of thumb is always to point your toes when your feet are not on the  ground.  A common beginner’s mistake is to begin pointing the toes when you are in the  middle of your cartwheel. You must point your toes as soon as you lift your feet  from the ground.  Pointed toes are used for aesthetic purposes and have no effect on your cartwheel.

Cartwheel Basics

 

Legs Spread

Your legs should be spread as much as possible. Some gyms practice cartwheels  with legs in a full split. If you train at a gym, consult your coach for the preferred  method. In this book, all illustrations show the legs apart a little more than 90 de-  grees.

Cartwheel Basics

Ending with Turn-In (Square Hips)

Turn-In  Ending in the turn-in position is the most common method of ending your cart-  wheel.

This type of ending has many names, such as step back, step out, turn-in, and  lunge.  Most of the exercises in this book that end in the turn-in position will continue  with a push off the front foot until the gymnast is standing tall. 

Cartwheels

This chapter covers many different types of cartwheels that all work on a certain as-  pect within the execution of the cartwheel. The general execution method is basi-  cally the same for all cartwheels. Some of the exercises focus on getting more power into your swing leg, and others focus on having proper form.

Basic Movement Introduction

  This exercise focuses on shifting your weight from one side to the other.  Using the edge of the mat, do the following: 

Stage 1 Cartwheel Basics

Starting Position

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 2 

Change Position 

•Jump over to the other side with both feet.

Cartwheel Basics

Basic Movement of Low Cartwheel (Over Mat Edge)

  This exercise focuses on shifting your weight from one leg to the other.  Using the edge of the mat. do the following: 

Stage 1 

Starting Position

•Place both hands on the mat. 

•Spread your feet wide.

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 2

Lean Left and Lift Right Leg 

•Lift your right leg. 

•Lean to the left.

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 3

Land on Right Foot 

•Jump over to the other side. 

•Land on your right leg.

Left leg is now up. 

Jump back and forth 10 times. 

Cartwheel Basics

Side – Semi Extended Cartwheel – Side (With Mat Edge)

  This exercises focuses on understanding hand and foot combinations used to exe-  cute a cartwheel.  It is not important to be fully extended in your cartwheel, but that is what you are  aiming for.  The basic hand and foot combinations are left hand, right hand, right foot, and left  foot. You should be able to place your hands and feet without having to think  about the sequence.

Stage 1 

Starting Position

Stand, facing away from the edge of the mat. 

•Arms out. 

•Legs spread.

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 2 

Left Hand Down 

Swing up. 

•Place your left hand down. 

•Swing your right leg up.

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 3 

Right Hand Down

Push off with your right leg. 

•Swing up.

Stage 4 

Right Foot Down

Push off with your left hand. 

•Swing down. 

•Right foot down.

Stage 5 

Left Foot Down and Stop

Push off with your right hand. 

•Left foot down. 

•Stand in the same position in which you started.

Side – Cartwheel – Side (With Circle)

This exercise focuses on making your cartwheel straighter by working on getting  your legs above your head.  It might seem strange that you would work with a circle on the ground to become  straighter. This works because as you improve you will work on a bigger and bigger  circumference. As the circle becomes bigger, your movement on the circle will be-  come straighter.

Stage 1 

Stand on the circle with both legs spread apart. 

•Arms out.

Stage 2 

Left Hand Down 

Swing left until your left hand touches the circle. 

•Swing your right leg up and over toward the other side

Stage 3

Right Hand Down

Push off with your left foot. 

•Place your right hand down on the circle.

Stage 4

Push off with your left hand. 

•Place your right foot down on the circle.

Stage 5 

Left Foot Down 

Push off with your right hand. 

•Place your left foot down on the circle. 

•Stand with arms out.

Side – Cartwheel – Side

This exercise focuses on executing a proper cartwheel using a line as a guide. It is  important that both hands and feet make contact with the line when executing your  cartwheel.

Stage 1

Starting Position 

Stand on the line. 

•Arms out. 

•Legs apart.

Stage 2 

Swing Body Left

Push off with your right leg. 

•Swing your body to the left.

Stage 3 

Left Hand Down

Place your left hand down. 

•Swing your right leg up.

STAGE 4

Right Hand Down 

Push off with your left leg. 

•Place your right hand down.

Cartwheel Basics

Stage 5 

Right Foot Down 

Swing down. 

•Place your right foot down. 

•Lift your left hand up.

Stage 6

Left Foot Down 

Push off with your right hand. 

•Place your left foot down. 

•Lift your right hand up

Stage 7 

Finish 

Stand. 

•Arms out.

•Legs apart.

Cartwheel Basics

HANDSTAND BASICS FROM HERE