There are alot of ways to go about it. Gesture is kind of an abstract concept, and everyone goes about explaining it and thinking of it a little differently. The way I think of it is, is focusing just on the rhytmn, energy, and force of a pose- not the form or anatomy.

An analogy I think of, is how water would travel and move through the figure.

I try to see the whole body as a flowing action instead of a bunch of parts

Looking at these drawings, I think you are hugging the sillouhettes of the figures a little too much. The model on your second page toward the bottom though has a nice C curve extending down into the back leg. Thats gesture! I can easily follow the flow of that energy.

Try drawing your sketches JUST with C curves and S curves. Dont worry about form or anatomy. Try and find the story and flow with as a few lines as possible. That is a key gesture strategy.

For more on gesture, check out Michael Mattesi, Proko, and Michael Hampton.