A short and simple question came in the other day: “What are the benefits of doing back flips?”
Well, if you’re just looking for ‘general fitness’ this move isn’t for you.
Really it should be looked at more as an application of your fitness rather than a method to build it. Does that make sense?
That being said let’s dive into those benefits.
#1 – Back Flips are Cool!
The number one reason to do a back flip is because they are cool. And that coolness rubs off onto you when you can do them. Suddenly you are more awesome of a person.
That’s not to say you can’t be a good person if you can’t do a back flip.
But back flips do help. And people of the opposite sex will flock to you 😉
Being more cool is the reason I pursued this skill.
#2 – Jumping Power
In order to be able to do a back flip you need to be able to jump. You don’t need the hops of an NBA star but the higher you can jump the better off you are. This is simply because you’re giving yourself more time with which to execute the flip.
Thus working on back flips will tend to improve the explosiveness in your legs.
#3 – Strong Abs
If you’ve never tried back flips, this benefit might surprise you.
But let me tell you this. If I haven’t done back flips in a while and then I do a bunch, what will be sore the next day? The abs!
This is because in order to generate the flip, or tuck as its often called, at the height of the jump you explosively pull in your legs.
#4 – Overcome Fear
Going over backwards is scary. Not making it or bailing out poorly and breaking your neck is a possibility. As such your body/mind tends to react to this idea in a fearful way.
But that fear can be overcome. And perhaps if you overcome this fear, other fears will be easier to deal with as well.
#5 – Body Coordination
A back flip is a technical skill. The fact is most people have the physical power in jumping and tucking ability in order to be able to do it, it’s just the fear and lack of technique that stops them.
But with the right training you’ll improve your body coordination and be able to pull off this skill anywhere, anytime.
I wrote this short booklet, Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days, to cover everything I know about training for back flips.
It lays out every step I took to gain this skill. It lays out a few alternative methods. It lays out possible gear and the no-gear way. It’s jam-packed with technique and training tips.
And just for fun here’s 5 backflips in a row.