Hi, I'm Lachlan from the Ring Fraternity, and this is THE Handstand Tutorial!
This tutorial will cover the handstand on the floor. For the rings, please see the link to our other tutorial in the description below
There are five key points to note on form when training the handstand
Notice the angle of my shoulders on the right is more obtuse compared to the image on the left
As the angle becomes more obtuse the degree of 'openness' increases
When first learning how to create a hollow body position, it's helpful to liken it to an angry cat, or, the position you would take when being punched in the abdomen
The hollow body shape is VERY important
Note the arched back, and how this pulls everything out of place, and also puts undue pressure on your lower back
Straight arms create a sturdy base for balance
Bending creates unnecessary work for the wrists, forearms, triceps and shoulders
Looking too far forward throws off your centre of gravity
This is important for more than just aesthetics, as it helps keep everything tight and rigid
This involves flexing the calves, quads, and so on
Keeping these five points in mind, your handstand should look like this:
When a handstand is balanced, the weight passes straight through the joints resulting in very little muscular effort
There are two different methods for a safety exit
The first of which is a simple turn out, which can be used if you are leaning too far forwards
Second, is the forward roll out
A benefit of learning the forward roll is it gives you more time to fight to correct the handstand before exiting
To learn how to master the forward roll, please click on the mallet...
To progress from a forward roll to a forward roll from a handstand, follow these progressions
Forward roll on the floor
Forward roll from handstand, with knees on a block
Forward roll from a handstand against a wall
Forward roll from a handstand without assistance
It is important to warm up the wrists before training the handstand as they will be bearing a lot of the effort
Perhaps counter intuitively, a softer surface is less supportive to the wrist than a hard surface
This is generally because a softer surface absorbs the force from the hand, while a hard surface counteracts the force coming through your hand, enhancing stability
Pushups and walk-up-the-wall handstands are going to target your upper body, and really get the blood flowing
Remember to keep a tight 'hollow' shape in both these exercises
In the walk-up-the-wall handstands, go as far as you're comfortable
You can work on these exercises every day aiming for thirty or more pushups and ten or more upright walk-up-the-wall handstands
Hovers will help prepare the midsection for the handstand
Proper form on this exercise involves no major arching or hollowing, with a noticeable linear descent from the shoulders to the heels
Aim for one minute or more
Good shoulder flexibility is very helpful in holding a straight handstand
Two movements aimed at increasing shoulder flexibility are:
Bend over against a wall or bar
Shoulder dislocates with a bar
It's important not to grip too wide, or too narrow
We recommend you follow these progressions
Handstand against a wall, leaning INTO the wall
Handstand against a wall, leaning OFF the wall
Freestanding handstand
Consistency and patience are the key
Push your fingers into the ground if you feel like you are going to flip and push the palm into the ground if you feel like you are falling back the way you kicked up
You can also balance by either opening the shoulder angle when leaning too far forward
Or compensate for falling backwards by closing the shoulder angle
DON'T get in the habit of walking on your hands to rebalance
Instead, try to fight the loss of balance with your muscles
This way you will learn how to engage the right muscles to correct when off balance
If you can hold a handstand in the same place comfortably, you will have no problems walking on your hands if you so desire
The reverse however, does NOT apply
To master the handstand, you can take it to the parallettes
These actually make the handstand easier as they reduce the load on the wrist due to the more natural positioning
and also increase the amount of control you have since you can use your wrists to push and pull to a greater degree than on the floor
Extensions upon the handstand are only really limited by your imagination
Some examples are:
The pirouette
The handstand pushup
and the 90 degree pushup
Please check out the rings handstand tutorial for a more in-depth description of how to take your handstand to the rings
It's another progression upon the floor and the parallettes handstand, so make sure you're comfortable with these first
Hey guys, thanks for watching! If you have any questions, comments, or if there are other tutorials you would like to see, please list them in the comments section below
and also be sure to keep an eye on the Ring Fraternity for more tutorials coming soon