Exercise – Cartwheels
The Cartwheel is a fundamental skill in building confidence towards your handstand entries and safe falls. The 1-2 Foot Pattern in Side Monkey is a great starting point.
You’ll need open space to practice – we recommend working on a soft surface such as carpeted or grassy areas. Start in a lunge position, reach forward towards the ground with straight arms and wide open hands and twist though the shoulders, turning 90 degrees as you pass though the handstand shape. Continue this twist as you pass though to the landing, attempting to land in the lunge position again.
When you’re confident with your cartwheels, try the following to advance your progression:
- Handstand against the wall and cartwheel out
- Cartwheel with straight legs
- Start your cartwheel on a straight line and land on the same line
- Slow your cartwheel down by attempting to press into the ground and stay up in the air with your hips and legs