Have you heard of the Pareto principle?

No?

Then maybe you’ve heard about its other popular name: The 80/20 rule.

It’s named after an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who found out that 80% of Italy’s wealth was generated by 20% of the population.

But what’s really fascinating, is that this principal didn’t just apply to Italy and its economy, but to nearly everything in life.

So as a tumbler, this would mean that that 80% of your success will most likely come down to the 20% of the drills, techniques and conditioning exercises that you spend the most amount of time on.

In fact, I realized that while coaching tumbling, I was giving athletes the same few corrections over and over again, regardless of their skill level or what gym they were training at.

And once these basic few corrections were applied, pretty much all other minor mistakes and problems corrected themselves.

Eventually I boiled these corrections down into what I call The 3 Golden Rules of Tumbling, and I make it my mission to ensure that all my athletes from Tier 1 to 12 know them by heart.

What’s more, if you’re new to tumbling (either as an athlete or a coach) then these 3 corrections are basically all you need to focus on in the beginning.

So How Important Are These Rules, Exactly?

Well let me just put it this way: you send me an athlete that can tumble at any level with these 3 golden rules embedded into their muscle memory, and I’ll show you someone who can double full in under a year. No question.

Heck, maybe even in a few months. I can say this confidently because they’ve been tested time and time again. So let’s take a look at what makes them so special.

Golden Rule #1: Straight Arms Covering The Ears

Everything from handstands to setting for layouts and fulls require you to “open” your shoulders by getting your arms up.

However just the simple correction of “open your shoulders” isn’t enough. You can have open shoulders while still having lazy noddle-like arms over the head, which is why I like my athletes to practice straight, tight arms while shrugging their shoulders to cover their ears.

For younger athletes, a cute sound bite you can use is for them to show you their “tumbling ear muffs”. This is especially helpful if you live in a region or country known to have nasty winters. Oh Canada, how I love you so. (P.S If you want a complete list of all the sound bites that I use, Click Here )

You can also make fun little contests out of this golden rule. For example, I’ll get my seniors to perform their passes (such as a RO BHS Tuck) and every time I can spot their ears, they have to do 5 reps of a conditioning exercise or a tumbling drill of my choosing.

So either they do the perfect tumbling pass, or they get stronger.

Win-Win.

Golden Rule #2: Double Chin For The Win

This rule used to be called “keep your chin in” but if you’ve read my coaching sound bites article then you know I got this from Dave Tilley who runs Shift Movement Science. Trust me, any time you have something that sounds catchy, it’s a win.

The benefits of a neutral head position is also something I’ve talked a lot about on this site so it’s nothing new under the sun; whether you’re doing tucks, layouts or fulls, your body will respond to where your head goes. Or as Debbie Love famously says, “The head is the body’s GPS unit”. Wise words from a wise lady.

By the way, if you haven’t listened to my interview with her, be sure to tune in by going right here. It’s invaluable for both athletes and coaches.

The 3 Exceptions

Just as certain laws of physics completely break down at the quantum level, so does this golden rule when it comes to 3 specific tumbling skills. Again these exceptions are something most of my athletes are made aware of from the very beginning so they don’t get confused or surprised later on.

These three skills are:

• Walkovers (Front/Back)
• Front Handsprings
• Whip Backs

Some might argue that a back-handspring breaks this rule, but that’s only if you do it incorrectly. Too many athletes throw their heads back as the very first step, and this is a big no-no. It’s called a HAND spring for a reason, not a HEAD spring.

Golden Rule #3: Legs Together

They say you should save the best for last, well I saved the hardest for last. Helping tumblers squeeze their legs together tightly is an ongoing battle.

In fact, my friends from Perfect A Flip and I recorded an entire podcast dedicated on sharing our tips, tricks and drills on how to make this happen so I highly recommend you check it out right here.

With that said, just know that the earlier you practice this rule (I’m talking from the time you begin with handstands) the easier it is to follow down the road.

Now That  You Know, You Must Understand

Ok so you know that keeping legs together is important. And if you’re smart, you listened to the podcast I listed above and got all the drills under the sun to make it happen.

But do you know why?

To be honest, it almost has nothing to do with aesthetics. I mean yes, bent open legs look hideous – I’ll be the first in line to admit it. But the reason I harp on my athletes about this little correction is that it kills efficiency. 

Open legs means my athletes are working much, much harder than they need to be. Every inch that your legs come part, you lose power. A great tumbling pass not only conserves momentum, but builds upon it.

Think About It This Way…

Without getting too scientific, let’s say your tumbling pass starts with 100 joules of power and momentum (biomechanics majors pls don’t hate me). And every time you open your legs, say you lose 5-10 joules.

So if you have a pass that’s 5 series long, you’ve just lost upto 50% of your steam by the end.

If that happens, what are the chances of you having enough speed and momentum to execute your end skill such as a full or double?

I’d bet almost none. Or if you DO attempt it, you’ve just cut your chances of landing it by half. Do you think your coaches want an athlete with a 50% success rate? I think not.

The amount of work you do during each skill after the round off should be minimal. Since no one is perfect, everyone loses a bit of momentum every time they add an element to their passes, but that’s where the small bursts of effort comes in.

If you watch a power tumbler, you’ll see that about 60-70% of their energy is expended in the initial run up and round off. Then they expend little spurts of energy during each whip to keep the pass going (or on their mid-skill if they’re on the elite level). By the time a power tumbler reaches the end of their pass, all they have to do is combine the total momentum conserved, with an extra burst of energy to execute their end skill.

That’s what a good tumbling pass should feel like. Take a look at the video below of Canadian National Tumbling champ Jordan Sugrim to see what I mean (if you recall, she’s the one who help me put the massive whip guide together)

The Exceptions:

Of course, just like rule #2 there are exceptions which exist, and I’ve listed them below. But for other 90% of the time you’re working on your tumbling, this golden should be followed religiously.

• Walkovers (Front/Back)
• Step outs (Front tuck/Arabian etc.)
• Cartwheels/Aerials
• Kick Fulls

Learned Something From This? Then Here’s What To Do Next…

First, be sure to click one of the share buttons below (or on the side) and pass on this article to your fellow coaches and athletes. I’ve thought very long and hard about these three rules. In fact, I’ve scrapped more pieces of paper trying to nail it down to these 3 than I’d like to admit. But I put it out there because I know first-hand how badly they can ruin a good tumbling pass if not followed.

Heck, I know first hand how many injures could have been avoided if these rules were followed. So be sure to do your part in helping our sport reduce its injury rates (yes, even if they’re your competitor).

Second, spend the next few weeks applying these 3 Golden Rules to all your tumbling passes. In fact, do a before/after: record your current pass, spend 1 week on each of these 3 rules, then re-record that exact same pass with all 3 rules applied. The difference will be night and day!

Finally, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to subscribe to my Tumbling Tips Newsletter so you can get the latest updates and exclusive content such as drills sent right to your inbox before everyone else. Oh and feel free to leave a comment, telling me which of these rules you’re having trouble with the most. I’d love to help.

As always, train hard, eat well and stay fierce!