Learning the Front Flip

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been experiementing with vloging (video blogs) instead of writing. This might be my last blog (and the begining of many vlogs...)

Some time ago, I made a list of goals I wanted to achieve before my senior year ended.

The front flip was one of those goals.

Step 1: Workout

After scouring YouTube and Google, I realized I should be able to do a handstand roll. The idea is a handstand would make me comfortable upside down, and the roll would get me used to flipping.

Learning a handstand was waaayy harder than I thought. I didn't have enough shoulder strength to hold myself up... It kinda bothered me. That's when I started to work out through calenthenics. I really enjoyed it! The progressions were fun: pushup to one-arm pushups and pike-pushup to handstand pushups. Evautually I got the hang of the handstand, I even tried it when I was paddle boarding. I was strong enough for the flip.

Step 2: Fear

To be honest, I almost forgot why I started working out in the first place. I feel into a rythym and didn't think about the front flip for months.

I began practicing my form in my bedroom. I pushed my matress off of the bed frame and mimiced the slow-mo flips I studied online.

I knew I could land the flip without the matress (about a foot tall). But my body would freeze when I tried it on a smaller matress.

Evantually I was able to flip(kinda) on a small matress, but I wouldn't follow through. I would barely jump and go right into the flip.

Step 3: Follow through

This was the shortest, but scariest, step. After a few practice flips, I followed through.

WE DID IT!