Bernie's Random Ramblings // Gymnastics!

Welcome to Bernie's Random Ramblings

Hey everyone!

Today I sat here wondering what to write about and I thought of gymnastics.

Basically, I'll be writing about how I started and what I'm doing now.

I started getting interested in gymnastics about a year ago. I became interested because I watched a lot of Youtube videos and a channel I started watching was a gymnastics related channel. I found some videos on Youtube and started learning simple skills like handstands and cartwheels. One thing I love to do is take pictures of my handstands behind a lake, just in my living room, or at the zoo.

A skill I learned early this year was a roundoff. It's a pretty easy skill, but super important because gymnasts use that skill in everything. One day I was just practicing in the house and I got my roundoff. Once I got it, I JUMPED IN THE AIR. I did tons of roundoffs after that. Then, a month ago I learned I was doing it wrong. It was a little hard learning the right way to do it, but I got it now. A lot of skills like cartwheels and handstands when you're done you are facing the same direction you started in. A roundoff is different because you do a twist so you are now facing the opposite direction you started in. If you are facing the other direction you can do back flips. That's why roundoffs are used a lot. I hope that's not confusing. It sounds like a hard skill, but it's actually not. You just have to run into a handstand and once your hands are on the floor you PUSH your arms UP and then your legs land at the same time. When you push up, your body does a twist that makes you land in a different direction.

Handstand are cool because you can always work on them. Once you get the standard one you can do a handstand while splitting your legs. There are other skills like double stagger, single stagger, or a scorpion that you can do, but it's a lot harder. You can also practice walking in a handstand. It's a easy skill, but very fun. I can do a hundred thousand of those a day and I'll never get bored.

I WAS BORN TO BE UPSIDE DOWN GUYS!

Okey dokey. In order to do these gymnastics skills it's VERY IMPORTANT to exercise to make your body strong. One time I was trying to do a front limber. Basically that a handstand then go into a bridge then get up from the bridge . A friend told me to not be so focused on getting my arms up, but lifting my hips up. In order to do that I needed a lot of ab strength. Everyday I did 60 crunches in two sets. In about a month I got it. My point is: if you exercise you can build up your muscles to accomplish these skills. So exercise guys! Who out here is a exercise freak like me? My enthusiasim for exercising has encouraged my brother and dad to start running with me. My sister and our friends participate in Bernie's Fitness Club (my fitness club;P). I just love doing exercises!

Right now, I'm working on a backhandspring. Basically a backhandspring is a back flip but you use you hands to lift you up. A back flip is with no hands, but a backhandspring is with your hands. I haven't done it successfully yet by myself, but I'm going to get it soon. I've had some fails, but it's okay. Last week I was at gym and I was doing roundoff backhandsprings. THAT WAS FUN. With a spotter, but still. IT WAS AWESOME. I'm also working on a front handspring. You go into a handstand and once your hands hit the ground REALLY LIFT your arm and arch your back. It's really fun. A couple weeks ago I was really bad at it, but last week I got A LOT of practice at an open gym. I was doing so much better. Then, I did it in front of my coaches. I could see he was expecting me to not be so well, but I was like, "I got this." It was pretty awesome!

So, right now I should be at my gym class, but unfortunately I'm not. My back has been hurting me for about a week. And we're talking to a friend about it. He told us some things I was doing that might hurt it. I skipped my class tonight because arching my back hurts it. Please pray that I get better. I can still do some gymnastics, but it's hard not to be able to do everything. I know this is all part of God's plan though!

I HOPE YOU LIKE!

If you'd like to hear more tell me!

Any specific things you'd like for me to talk about, I'd LOVE to hear!

Are you an exercising freak?

Can you do a handstand?

If not, are you maybe gonna learn?

bouncing in to say bye,

                                   Bernie