Handstand Strength Training Tutorial – Unleash Your Handstand in 8 Steps

Handstand Strength Training Tutorial – Unleash Your Handstand in 8 Steps

Has your handstand been chained to the wall for ages?  It’s time to BLASTOFF!   Unchain yourself from the wall with this handstand strength training tutorial!  Practice this sequence 3x a week for a month for extra awesome results!

 

STEP 1:  Begin with stretches for strong, flexible wrists

  1. Tabletop – fingers forward, rock forward and back. Hold forward position a few seconds.
  2. Fingers facing knees, hold back position this time. Make sure wrists remain on the floor.
  3. Backs of hands down, fingers facing knees, elbows straight. Option to bring fingers closer to knees. Elbows straight. 5-10sec.

 STEP 2:  Move on to Wrist Stabilizers

Childs Pose– Extend arms forward. Press the pads at the base of each finger down, then thumbs and pinkies down 20sec x3

Down Dog– press mound at the base of each finger down. Gently, without moving hands, pinch thumbs and pinkies towards one another. Get hands set 1st, then press into Down Dog. This stabilizes muscles of the wrist.

STEP 3:  Connect to your core

Forearm (Hardstyle) Plank – engage glutes and abs by dragging forearms towards feet. Round space between shoulder blades, draw belly in, draw low ribs in. Strong quads. (This is what should be engaging for handstand.) Hold up to 1 min.

 Hollow Body Position

hollowbody

  1. Lie on back, knees up (as if sitting in a chair). Palms off the floor a few inches, facing each other (like you would in boat pose). Lift head, shoulders low, no space between low back and the floor.
  2. Lift legs straight up towards the ceiling.
  3. With low back flat on the floor, lower legs as much as you can, eventually arms up and overhead. If you loose contact with low back on the floor, go back to step 1 or 2

 Here we go!!!:

STEP 4:  Hands on the wall, chest parallel to floor

WallL

Roll triceps to the floor, lengthen sitting bones away from the wall. Over exaggerate by doing cat/cow back positions (may need to bend knees), then come to a neutral back position and draw low ribs in. Sitting bones straight back. Keep maximum length in your spine.

 

STEP 5:  ½ Handstand at the Wall

Lhandstand

Feet together, look at the wall, lift hips up and out as high as you can. Focus on pushing down with arms, and away from the wall with legs. Hold up to 1 min.

 

STEP 6:  Handstand Facing Wall

handstandfacingwall

Begin with a very shortened Down Dog, heels against the wall, facing the wall. Walk legs up the wall, and walk your hands about 6-10 inches away from the wall. If you are working on building the strength to get up, just practice a few steps up and down wall. Strong, straight arms, core engaged, low ribs drawn in. Body is not pressed flat against the wall. Flex feet, tuck chin, Drishti at the wall. Make sure you have enough energy to exit, then slowly walk hands away from the wall and slide legs down. Hold up to 1 min.

 

STEP 7:  Wall Handstand Facing Out

Kick up against the wall and find Hollow Body position (low ribs in, belly in – no bananas!). Hold up to 1 min.

 

STEP 8:  Free-Standing Handstand

kellisplitlegcosta-sm

Split Leg Style. Begin in Standing Splits, hips squared so that you don’t have to realign once in midair. Focus on pushing your arms down against the ground, holding hollow body position. Reach one leg high and keep it there. Bounce your bottom leg, bending your knee a few times, then spring up. Reach your top leg towards the earth behind you; keep your bottom leg heavy, dragging you back down.   Your legs will form a teeter-totter that will allow you to find your own center of gravity away from the wall. Repeat on other side. Hold as long as possible : ) !

If you can zip your legs together, maintaining your balance – GO FOR IT!!!! Keep pulling your low ribs in, squeezing your inner thighs together and reach the balls of your feet up.  The sky is the limit!!! Whoot Whoot!!!!

Kelli Russell
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