How to Do a Back Flip

Performing a back flip is no easy feat. It takes training in strength, timing, and agility. If you have no gymnastics training, you may want to take private classes to avoid injuring yourself when you attempt a back flip because it is a very dangerous trick to learn how to do. If you don’t have a professional helping you learn how to do a backflip, you definitely should consult one for your safety.

Initial Training for a Back Flip

The first thing that you want to work on is your vertical jump and your abdomen and leg muscles. When you’re starting to train you want to work on jumping as high as you can vertically and landing in the same spot. Once you feel you can jump high enough in one spot, jump up and bring your knees up to your chest in a tuck position. This is the first position you want to hit when performing a back flip and it is called setting. All experts will tell you to set before you flip. This means you want to jump as high vertically as possible before you start rotating.

Learning a Back Flip Rotation

Laying flat on your back facing the ceiling, practice pulling your legs in to a tuck position, crunching your stomach and lifting your tailbone off the floor. The tighter you tuck, the faster you rotate, and the less likely you will be to hurt yourself.

Understanding this rotation is key to getting a back flip because you want to pull yourself around with the leverage of your hips and knees, not your shoulders and head. You want to set first, and then start rotating by pulling your knees up to your nose. Thus, learning the feeling of this movement by laying on the floor and tucking upwards is the best way to understand what it’s supposed to feel like.

Experiment with a Spot, Bungees, or a Trampoline

To start, try jumping as high as you can in the same spot on a trampoline and then starting a back flip. You want to swing your arms in a circular motion (down by your sides when you are at your lowest point, and up above your head by your ears at the highest point). At the top, you want to pull your body upwards and tuck yourself around allowing your knees and lower body to start the momentum. If you are completely new at this, you should probably consult a spot (a professional who can help you), or clip on some bungees which are readily available at every gymnastics gym.

Putting the Back Flip Together

1. Stand upright with your hands by your side.
2. Bend your knees and bend your body at the waist slightly forward, keeping your back straight. At the same time swing your straight arms backwards past your hips in the opposite direction of which you’re flipping.
3. Using the momentum of your arms, swing them upwards and jump vertically at the same time. Once you reach your peak, bring your knees up to your chest, grab them with your hands and rotate backwards. Try to keep your head straight with your body – if you look towards the ground you may injure yourself or mess up your momentum.
4. Try to land on your feet. You may land on your knees the first few times you try. Just be safe and use a mat!!