A bridge kickover is a beginner gymnastics skill that can be really exciting when you first learn how to do one. It’s one of the first skills a gymnast learns where she is upside down. It’s also a requirement in the level 2 floor routine. While the bridge kickover is the basis of a back walkover, with a bridge kickover you can either start standing up and lean backwards into a bridge, or start from a bridge on the ground.
In order to learn how to do a bridge kickover, you will need to have the back and shoulder flexibility to do a bridge (learn more about flexibility in gymnasts). In addition to having the flexibility, you will need to have the right muscle strength. In this article we discuss some exercises to strengthen the muscles you need, along with some drills you can do to help you learn a bridge kickover.
Once you’ve mastered a bridge kickover, get the Bridge Kickover Club Certificate.
Bridge Kickover Step by Step
Here is a bridge kickover step by step.
1. Start in a Bridge: In this step you should be pushing your body forwards toward your shoulders.
2. Kick Your Dominant Leg: The next step in a bridge kickover is to kick your dominant leg off the ground. (In the picture her leg should be straight.)
3. Split Handstand: In the middle of the bridge kickover, you should be in a handstand with your legs in a split. During this step you should be squeezing your legs tight and pushing through your shoulders.
4. Lever out of the handstand: Push through your shoulders in order to control your bridge kickover ending, so you can lever or “T” out of your handstand.
5. Land it: Land your bridge kickover in a lunge and then finish with your arms up.
Muscles You Need for a Bridge Kickover
Core: You need strong core stomach muscles to do a bridge kickover because they are what pull your legs up off the ground.
Arms: You need arm muscles strong enough that they can hold your body up during the middle of the kickover.
Legs: You need some leg strength to kick your leg off the ground in order to kickover.
Exercises You Can Do at Home
Crunches: Crunches are a great exercise to help strengthen the stomach muscles you need for a bridge kickover. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head lightly with your fingertips. Using your core, lift your upper-body slightly off the ground. Lower your upper-body back to the ground to complete the repetition.
Handstand Hold: You can practice holding a handstand to strengthen your arms, for when they have to support you during your bridge kickover. If you can’t hold a handstand very long without support, you can practice them against a wall. You can either do a handstand with your stomach facing the wall, or your stomach facing away from the wall. Make sure to squeeze your core, butt and legs.
Lunges: Doing some lunges to strengthen your leg muscles will mimic the motion of one leg pushing off the floor to kickover. To do a lunge, stand with your legs together and your hands on your hips (you don’t need to use weights like the girl in the picture). Your back should be straight and you should be looking in front of you. Step one foot forward and bend both legs until your back leg is almost touching the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure your front knee is above your ankle, and that your back knee doesn’t touch the floor. Stand up and repeat with the other leg.
Bridge Kickover Drills
Bridge Kickover Off a Mat: A helpful way to learn how to do a bridge kickover is to practice them off a mat. Lie on your back next to a folded up panel mat, with your butt close to the edge. Put your feet on the edge of the panel mat and push up into a bridge. Then try to kickover. Once you have learned how to kickover on the raised surface, you can slowly lower the panel mat by un-folding it.
Bridge Kickover Down a Wedge Mat: Another way to practice doing a bridge kickover before you can do it on the floor, is to do it down a wedge mat. Push up into a bridge from lying down on a wedge mat and kickover.
Here is some of the gymnastics equipment listed above to help you learn a bridge kickover.
Tools for Learning a Bridge Kickover |
Description |
Price |
| Panel Mat
|
A panel mat is helpful to do a raised bridge kickover. | $333.44 |
| Wedge Mat
|
A great way to learn a bridge kickover is by doing one down a wedge mat. | $217.07 |
In conclusion, mastering the bridge kickover takes practice, strength, and flexibility, but with dedication, you’ll get there! Focus on building your core and leg strength, working on your shoulder flexibility, and practicing your bridge form. Want daily guidance and drills to help you perfect skills like the bridge kickover? Join SkillTrakker! With personalized drills sent straight to you every day, you’ll see consistent progress and reach your gymnastics goals faster. Check it out and take your skills to the next level!
113 Comments
Thanks for the tips ! I still can’t get it though
I keep twisting my back! HELP ME!!!!
Haha! Just keep workin on it
Try building up strength by doing the drills in this article. Once you have the strength, you can try doing it on the bed. Then once you do that, try it on an elevated surface until you feel comfortable on the floor. Hope this helped!!! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I need so much help
Keep pushing hard on your hands and try not to let air touch your ears. I struggled with that too and my coach gave me that advice and it worked (for my bwo tho) but it works on this too
Try hopping with the leg on the ground, then throw yourself over
OMG- i’ve been trying for SO long- do u guys have any tips other then practicing lol, i’ve been trying everything but the MINUTE i go up into the split handstand and kickover, i just fall to the ground and i cant do anything…
OMG- i’ve been trying for SO long- do u guys have any tips other then practicing lol, i’ve been trying everything but the MINUTE i go up into the split handstand and kickover, i just fall to the ground and i cant do anything and its so annoying-
You have to push through your shoulders. Start from an elevated surface like the edge of a couch, the move onto something like a folded up mat.
Hi guys I am Dema I really want to know how to do a walk back over but I just can’t kickover
Idk why but pls if u know how to do u would really appreciate it have a extremely good one full with happiness
🙂 HELP ME !!!!!!!
It is so easy
Make sure you have a PERFECT bridge first. By perfect, I mean your chest is pushed up/out and your shoulders are directly over your hands before you kick over. If your body is shaped more like a rainbow in your bridge (shoulders are behind your hands) you won’t get over.
If I am not at all flexible, how long would it take to learn the bridge kick over. I can push up into a bridge by laying down though.
Yea….thats only the beginning-.-
frfr
Well, without any flexibility you can’t do it. You will hurt yourself going into the deep/ straight leg bridge.
I’m not flexible but I can still do it and I’m 11
You mite need to practice more on your flexibly so I super flexibility
Spin You mite need to practice more on your flexibly so I super flexibility
You said that twice
i reccomend streatching untill you feel like a noodle
you will still beable to do it esaly
I can’t get it!! I’m trying so hard though!!!
I finally got it
I can’t do it ,ugh!!!!!
I finally got it I have practiced nearly 2 and a half years
I can not do a brigde kick over and because I haven’t got wedge mat or a panel mat
Practice off high objects first, like a couch. Then something a little lower, after thats mastered, go lower and lower until your comfortable and not scared of kicking off the floor.
You also will need plenty of back flexibility and arm and leg strength.
Practice off high objects first, I started with couches. . Then something a little lower, after thats mastered, go lower and lower until your comfortable and not scared of kicking off the floor.
You also will need plenty of back flexibility and arm and leg strength.
What do you think could be lower???
My suggestion is to do it on something like a couch and then keep putting your hands back further away and it works just as good as a wedge. I hope you get it soon!
ok so heers the promblem ive been in xcel bronze for 1 session this is my 2nd one becas i would have to have a back handspring by xcel silver but i dont have a backbend kickover so how am i spossed to get a back walkover to get a back handspring
can you plees add a skill progression video
yes pls that would be helpful. i am having the same problem
How long does it normally take if your self taught
I had lots of flexibility in my back beforehand, so it just took me about a week to get over my fear of kicking over off the floor.
Still can’t get it
I’m trying it but I can’t because I feel like I’m gonna fall on my face but I’m not giving up
Keep practicing off the wall, and objects like couches and chairs.
Use stairs to kick off of. First do the high stair then get lower and lower and then try it on floor.
I can do a handstand but I cannot get into the split headstand on the kickover. I start than just collapse. Why?
You should practice 3/4 handstands, other wise known as the split handstand. Practice front walkovers if you can. (Handstand to bridge kickover, split handstand legs down into a bridge.)
Hope this helps.
I’ve got a mental block. Twice I fell on my neck and kneed myself and got knocked out!! What can I do to get my mental block of doing a kickover away?
Practice at home from high objects, then practice at home with a thick pillow under your head. Practice on a thick yoga mat as well. This is what helped me! Hope it helps you.
I actually really need to learn the bridge and other moves
Practice at home from high objects, then practice at home with a thick pillow under your head. Practice on a thick yoga mat as well. This is what helped me! Hope it helps you. 😀
Hey! I’ve been working on my bridge kickover for a month or so now. However, I have not gotten very far and feel like I may be doing something wrong, and would rather know now so I can practice doing it the right way rather than later. Which leg should I be starting on in reference to my other skills? My right hand touches the ground first in cartwheels & I can push up into a handstand starting from both legs, but prefer/got it first on my right. I’ve been trying to raise my left leg and push off on my right leg to get it into the air, because I thought that the leg with the most strength would be the one to pushoff. However, I have not been able to make this work on the ground yet. I am wondering if I should be lifting my right leg off first?
Your dominant leg should be the one to come up first. It’s more comfortable and much easier.
Thanks! I’ll start practicing them like this!
I’ve been practicing for a while now. I haven’t got very far. I’m going to start practicing on my couch. But is there any way to get this skill quicker. And as there any other simple skills I can learn. I’ve already learned a cartwheel, handstand, handstand into bridge. Backbend, and a backbend recover
I’ve been practicing for a while now. I haven’t got very far. I’m going to start practicing on my couch. But is there any way to get this skill quicker. And as there any other simple skills I can learn. I’ve already learned a cartwheel, handstand, handstand into bridge. Backbend, and a backbend recover.
Sorry I said the comment twice, and there were a lot of typos.
I can do a back kick over if I do a front kick over with my feet on my wedge mat and I can do a back bend but not a kick over
yo dont have it yeet either
i never get it
I can kickover on a raised platform but i cant kickover on flat ground. Im not scared but i just cant kickover. When my left leg (non dominant) kicks off the ground i fall back down. Any tips?
What helped me is get my feet really as close as physically possible to my arms and when I kick off push my arms straight and tense my body as you would in a handstand. A neat trick to help in the beginning is also to lean your head backwards and take your chest with you as soon as you kick off to give yourself more momentum.
I got the back bend by my legs just won’t go over and I can’t do a handstand any tios
I got my back bend but I can’t kick over and I can’t do a handstand any tips
Practice kicking off the wall, keep getting lower and lower, then when u can do it really low, kick off a pillow, once u can do that, try kicking off the ground.
This help me because I have a lot of strength in my body.
I’m trying to get my back flip and I can’t get to Do it.
I just have managed to get my back flip on my trampoline and then I do a back handspring
Its too hard plz help me i cant even hold my handstand before i finish the kickover i just strait fall on my head. I ALMOST GO AN CONCUSSION, HELP ME!!
This is terrible I have a super bendy back and pretty strong arms and legs I use pillows and I can do it but without I can’t I have been doing crunches and lunges and trying to do it for 3 WEEKS! I needed to know how to do them 2 weeks ago
Could you help me to not be a scardy cat when i go over please LOL
kickover from a bridge on your elbows not hands. it helped me, it might help you
ok the thing is im really flexible but im super scared to push foward 🙁 I have a front walkover and a front handspring what should i do?
Breathe. Think positive. Your body has it, it’s just your mind telling your body that you don’t have it. Get over your mind block.
Thanks very much for the tips it worked maybe because I an flexible
I am quite flexible so I can do it
I’m going to become a cheerleader for the Baraboo Thunderbirds and I’m trying to do a handstand, but I must be pretty rusty because the last time I did a handstand was when Ms. Andrea had us do one in our hip hop dance. The day of the dance recital I nailed the handstand perfectly, but in practice I kept messing up.
Thanks for the tip I just got the kick over part wrong
When in the bridge i cant keep my legs straight like in the photos, and it i keep on slipping. does anyone know what to doo that might help me?
I just learned how to do a back bend but i always struggle to breathe when i´m trying to kick over??
I don’t have a wedge mate or a panel mat but my sister and I can do it on the floor.I wanted to learn how to do a back handspring but I know that you have to know how to do a back walkover in order to know how to do a back handspring.We thought that a bridge kickover might help us.My sister and I know how to do a bridge a split handstand and of course we know how to land.Sometimes we have trouble kicking up from our bridge into a Handstand.Thanks for the tips!!!!
Hey, you don’t have to have a back walkover to do a back handspring. I don’t have my back walkover but I do have a back handspring and back tuck. You not really arching your back as much as you are in a balk walkover. If you arch to much it’s considered an undercut, which makes your back handspring not very pretty. You do need the same strength a back walkover requires. In my opinion back handsprings are easier to learn, but everybody is different.
I am a ten year old level one gymnast and my sister is six years old she can do it but I can’t I can do a backbend though
I used to be good a gymnastics but when i saw other people do this trick i just had to learn
I have a quick question. Whenever I do a backbend kickover I can do it from about 4 inches above the ground but when I get to doing it from the actually ground I don’t know what happens but I tense up and get scared. I also do not think I have enough strength to do it, which is weird because I can do other skills that need way more core strength just fine. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m 12 currently and really want to do cheer when I’m in high school (14-15 yrs old). If I practiced everyday until i’m in high school, would I get on the team? Right now, I can do a cartwheel (need to improve form), hand stand for about 2 seconds, split jump, back roll, front, and close to my roundoff. I can also do a backbend, bridge, and do a front walkover except i can’t get up from a bridge at the end. And I can do a back walkover on a higher surface about 5 inches higher and land on my knees. Please answer! I need help! Thankk you,
Rosy
I have a quick question. Whenever I do a backbend kickover I can do it from about 4 inches above the ground but when I get to doing it from the actually ground I don’t know what happens but I tense up and get scared. I also do not think I have enough strength to do it, which is weird because I can do other skills that need way more core strength just fine. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m 12 currently and really want to do cheer when I’m in high school (14-15 yrs old). If I practiced everyday until i’m in high school, would I get on the team? Right now, I can do a cartwheel (need to improve form), hand stand for about 2 seconds, split jump, back roll, front, and close to my roundoff. I can also do a backbend, bridge, and do a front walkover except i can’t get up from a bridge at the end. And I can do a back walkover on a higher surface about 5 inches higher and land on my knees. Please make a post about improving form/technique. Please answer! I need help! Thankk you,
Rosy
I just care to do the gymnastics trick
haha some
I cant do it, my legs don’t have enough power
I still can’t get it I’ve tried everything I don’t think I have enough arm strength but I really need to get it by December for cheer tryouts..
My body is too scared to kick over. What can I do?
I try to do it and it`s hard and am a little bit flexible
Hi guys I am Dema I really want to know how to do a walk back over but I just can’t kickover
Idk why but pls if u know how to do u would really appreciate it have a extremely good one fuller with happiness
🙂
I believe in you Dema you can do this I learend my back walk over when I was 3 you can do this
Dear all the readers,
Just keep trying!
For months I couldn’t do it I just kept telling my self that I can do it and BAM I got it
Just trust yourself
YOU CAN DO IT!
I’ve been trying to get a bridge kick over for a while now. I’m in level 3. My coaches say I’m close and can probably do it, but I can’t. I can do the backbend, but not the kick over. At home I can do it off the wall and the couch, but anything lower than that is hard unless I’m at the gym. Any tips?
I’ve been trying to do this move for a while. I’m in level three. My coach says I’m close and am strong enough to do it, but I can’t. I can do the back bend, but not the kickover. At home I can do it off the wall and the couch, but nothing lower than that unless I’m at the gym. Any tips? I really want to get this.
I can’t do it
Gosh I remember doing this it took me forever to get one but if you just keep practicing you will get it!!!
Yay! I did it! Well, with the help of my friends. 🙂
Well done gal!
Also you can do push-ups for a bridge kickover
thats helpful
How it hurts my leg when I TRY to push up!!!
Keep practicing and strengthening your legs and core to help with this!
I got it. It is so easy. Once you get it you can show off it is also so fun.
HOW DID YOU GET IT SOOOO EASY
I just can do it of my bed but my back keeps twisting or I just make it to a handstand
thanks for everything