· Back Hand Spring

• Starting Position should be a straight upright body

• The skill begins with a backward sit.

Your head should remain forward and the back should be straight.
As you begin the sit, swing your arms backward to gain momentum.
Throwing your arms too far behind you will cause you to drop your chest.

• Explode with your legs, keeping them straight and together (this is accomplished by tightening the butt and squeezing at your ankles and inner thighs) and simultaneously driving your arms through the starting position to a parallel placement beside your head.
  
  
• Your arms should be kept straight throughout the swing-through and your head should remain between your arms.
  
  
• Throwing your head back can cause you to “undercut” your handspring—or not travel far enough away from your starting position.

• As your hands reach toward the ground, extend through your shoulders, keeping your arms in a locked position.
  
• Once you are more comfortable with the skill, you can bend your arms slightly at this phase to push off the floor with increased power. Your eyes should begin to look for the floor, but your head should remain between your arms.

• Once your hands make contact with the ground, your stomach muscles are used to force your legs to the ground.
  Tumblers often rely on the momentum generated at the beginning of the skill to get their legs over or simply let their legs fall to the ground to finish the skill. Not using your stomach increases the chances of bent legs on your landing and decreases the possibility of a strong transition into your next skill.
• As your legs force downward, your upper body is in turn lifted, taking the weight off of your hands and..

• …returning you to the starting position.

TIP: Strong stomach muscles are the major key to great tumbling. They help you snap your handspring down faster and will be a big help when learning more difficult skills.

You have to do some conditioning first before you can move on.  Start doing handstands against a wall in your home.   Do as many as you can each day (tons of them!), staying up as long as you can.  This strengthens your wrists, upper body and abdominals.  Try shrugging your shoulders while you are in your handstand when you get stronger.  You can't tumble without those muscles developed. 

Condition lower body by jumping - on a trampoline, up and down the bleachers – gym jumps. Any kind of jumping to develop leg muscles.  In a month you'll have the strength where you need it.

To strengthen and limber your wrist, rest your forearm on a table with your hand over the edge. Keep fingers relaxed and bend your wrist up and down.

To strengthen the small muscles of the hand, slide your arm back until your fingers hang over with your knuckles at the table edge. Keeping your fingers straight and together and your palm flat, move your fingers up and down. 

Door Opener: This exercise stretches the muscles and ligaments that rotate the forearm, letting you turn doorknobs, use a screwdriver, of put your hand in your back pocket. 

Start with your forearm resting on a table, palm down.

Keeping your little finger on the table, turn your hand so the palm faces up.

If you use your other hand to help, grip your forearm, not the wrist or hand. 

ARMS and Shoulders:

Handstand Shoulder Shrugs

• Kick up to a handstand against and facing a wall. With your body tight and no arch in your back, push up and down with your shoulders. You should push your shoulders up towards your ears as far and possible, then let your shoulders drop. These should be done slowly and your head should remain neutral.

The abdominal muscles are essential in most skills, and if they're not directly involved, abdominal strength is usually very helpful. 

Body Tighteners

• Begin by lying on the floor on your back, with your arms above your head and legs straight out. Then pull your arms down by your side and lift your legs an inch or two above the ground. Your back should be the only part of your body touching the floor, and your lower back should be rounded and in contact with the floor. Do not let your lower back arch and come up off the floor; this would place harmful stress on your back.

Hold this position for a set amount of time (between 15 and 30 seconds). Rest and repeat for the same number of seconds as before.

V-ups

• Begin in a body tightener position, but with your arms above your head. Then using your stomach muscles, bend at the hips and bring your chest and legs up simultaneously into a V-position. Drop your arms in front of you. Then drop back into a body tightener, but do not let your arms or legs touch the ground. Repeat.

Tuck-ups

• Begin in a body tightener position with your arms above your head. Use your stomach muscles to lift your chest and pull your knees to your chest simultaneously. Drop back into a body tightener, without touching your arms or legs to the ground. Repeat.

Hollow-body rocks

• With your body in a hollow-body position, with your arms squeezing by your ears, rock back and forth on your back, only letting your arms and legs coming about six inches from the ground. Throughout these repetitions, your body should remain hollow and tight.

Hip rises (or "butt-ups")

• Begin by lying on your back, your arms out to the side on the floor, and your legs elevated about 90 degrees from the ground. Using as few other muscles besides your lower abdominal muscles, lift your hips up off the floor only a few inches. Then roll your hips back on the floor and repeat.

Leg Lifts

• This exercise can be done in both pike and straddle position. Place your hands on the floor next to your knees, and then scoot them forward three inches. Leaving your hands in this position, lift your legs off the ground about three inches. Drop your legs, but do not let them touch the ground, and repeat.