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Kufu / Skill trees / Cartwheel to aerial
Skill tree · Dynamic & Tumbling

Cartwheel to aerial progression

An aerial is a cartwheel done with no hands touching the ground. Kufu's cartwheel to aerial tree has 8 nodes, from Quality cartwheel (Straight legs, pointed toes, both sides) to Full aerial (No hands, flat ground). Each node opens only when you pass its challenge.

From the tree that ships in Kufu 2.0 · Last updated 2026-10-13

  1. Step 1

    Quality cartwheel

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfStraight legs, pointed toes, both sides
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Cartwheel practice (both sides) 5 each sideSlow and deliberate. Hand-hand-foot-foot in a straight line, legs long.
  2. Step 2

    Fast cartwheel

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfExplosive entry, quick hands
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Cartwheel practice (both sides) 8 each sideJump INTO it rather than diving. The hands are quick, not heavy.
  3. Step 3

    Hands together

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfBoth hands close together
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Hands-together cartwheel 5 each sideNarrow the hand placement. Builds the power the one-hand versions need.
  4. Step 4

    Far-hand only

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfOnly lead hand touches
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Far-hand cartwheel 5 each sideOnly the hand you put down first touches. Reach long.
  5. Step 5

    Near-hand only

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfOnly trailing hand touches
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Near-hand cartwheel 5 each sideHarder, and much closer to the aerial's mechanics.
  6. Step 6

    Dive cartwheel

    Challenge to open itJudge it yourselfExaggerated jump, delayed hands
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Dive cartwheel 5 each sideJump higher, put the hands down later. Some people reach the aerial this way.
  7. Step 7

    Aerial off platform

    Challenge to open it3 of 5 attemptsNo hands, 30-60cm raised surface
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Aerial off platform 5 attemptsThe extra air time buys you the moment you need. Drive the lead leg.
  8. Step 8

    Full aerial

    Challenge to open it3 of 5 attemptsNo hands, flat ground
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Aerial practice 5 attemptsFlat ground, no hands. Power comes from the legs and core, not the arms.

How the tree works

A node opens only when you pass its challenge: a timed hold, a number of clean reps, or landings out of attempts. Quality you can only judge by eye, such as a straight line or a clean exit, is self-assessed. Practice volume, gym numbers and the coach's opinion never open a node.

Practising a node in Kufu logs a real workout: a short warm-up, the node's drills and a cooldown, on the iPhone or the Apple Watch.

What it builds

Leg power, coordination and the confidence to turn upside down at speed.

Skills and weights

Kufu is a hybrid app: the cartwheel to aerial tree sits beside your barbell and dumbbell work rather than replacing it. Skill work goes first in a session, while you're fresh. The Skills & Lifts plan runs two bodyweight skill days and two gym days a week.

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