4.Learn how to master your kick up to handstand with my 4 stage entry technique

 

Entering your handstand - Kick up 30-50 reps in a session broken up into many sets (for example 10 x 4)

Here is a step by step approach I have used to help many nail their entry to handstand. The devils in the details.

Read, digest then practice, practice, PRACTICE!


The 4 stage entry. In order of what action needs to occur before the next :

1. Stack the shoulders over the hands and “Pre-push” the floor away. Bring the bent leg directly underneath your hips for better leverage. We want to push up to handstand with the bent leg. Not Whip or Flick the straight leg.

2. Time for lift off! Stack the hips over the shoulders by pushing from the bent leg whilst extending or "opening" the straight leg. Keep the arms strong!

3. Just as the hips come over your shoulders and hands (And whilst there is still momentum) open the shoulder angle, (this is the same as pushing your shoulders in the direction of the heel of the hand). If you keep falling to your feet when you do this try doing a little less of this part. You can also join the legs at this stage. Or stay in a split and join them after you have established balance in the next phase.

4. Put the breaks on with the hands (just like a big wrist drive from lesson 2). Note the last kick up in the video where I slow everything down to make each stage more obvious. After you catch, you fight to hold. Using the techniques from lesson 2.

TOP TIPS :

-Make sure you are not pressing your hand and fingers into the floor before stage 4. Otherwise you will have no breaks when you need them.

-Go as slow as you can during the entry whilst still getting up. This will give you more time to react and “catch'“ your handstand.

-Be patient. The Kick up entry requires many reps of failure to achieve consistency. Embrace it, and look for progress over weeks and months, not days.

-You can do this with your back facing the wall if you are scared or unable to fall over safely yet. Give yourself about 1.5 hands distance of room away from it.

GOAL 1. To begin with just getting up to the wall is an achievement. ( building up to a 45-60s handstand 1-2 hands distance from the wall in your chest to wall holds makes this much more likely to happen)

GOAL 2. Kick up to handstand in the middle of the room (once able to fall safely)

GOAL 3. Kick up and hold your handstand. ( Where we put the balance drills you have been practicing from our second lesson to good use!) A great way to program this is to pick a total amount of time. For example 2 minutes. Over time try to reduce the amount of sets it takes to accumulate this. Examples : 12 x 10s, 6 x 20s, 4 x 30s, 2 x 60s etc.

Well done if you got this far and have been practicing consistently! I congratulate you =)

If you want to have my 1 : 1 guidance, support and trained eye to guide your journey through these topics and so much more. You can reach me with the form below.

Or click the button below to learn more about my online handstand coaching.

The 3 key benefits are :

  1. Technical correction by yours truly. To make sure you are “doing it right”.

  2. Individual program design and progression. So you know “how much and when”.

  3. Visual learning material. Video’s for everything you practice. With detailed written descriptions. So you don’t forget a thing.

Handstand Classes, Workshops and Short Courses Melbourne

For all things related to the wonderful world of hand balancing and handstands, handstand classes, handstand workshops and handstand short courses Suby Handstands has got you covered in Melbourne.

Whether you want to work in a group setting with Melbourne based handstand classes or Melbourne based handstand short courses or on a one to one basis with private handstand lessons you are going to experience growth in your practice.

Many people believe that the best way to progress their handstand is to repeat the same thing over and over again thinking that one day it will lead to some sort of miracle and finally click. I can tell you best way to progress is in fact to practice, but to practice the RIGHT things for your specific level, awareness and body. This is the way forward in your handstand training.

Participating in handstand classes or private handstand lessons is the best way to find the keys to unlock the gates to progress and stop experiencing frustration and fear in your handstand practice.

So you’ve mastered handstand at the wall and are ready to take it to the middle of the room? But every time you hop up, it feels like you can only hold the pose for a nanosecond. What gives? How can you learn to stick your balance in the center of the room?

If you’re looking to move your handstand away from the wall, odds are you’re already familiar with kicking up into the pose. Even so, starting with a solid, well-aligned foundation and kicking up with confidence can strongly increase your chances of balancing in handstand.

Press handstands are one of the coolest gymnastics/acrobatic skills out there

They are a demonstration of control, power and body awareness that can be done virtually anywhere.

Press handstand is a beautiful skill but one that is made up of many physical attributes. Flexibility, core strength, shoulder strength, skill and technique all equally play an important role. Having coaching to assess which area's you individually need to develop is vital to learn press to handstand safely and efficiently. I can help you put together a training plan to achieve your inversion, arm balance and hand balancing goals.

Tuck handstand is another awesome skill to work on.

As the name implies, a Tuck handstand is a bent leg position where the knees are pulling towards the chest, versus a handstand where the legs are fully extended with toes pointing directly towards the sky.

It helps to develop correct should alignment, shoulder strength, shoulder flexibility and is the gateway to many other cool handstand shapes. There is 2-3 amazing handstand drills that drastically help develop tuck handstand.

What about handstand pushups? A brilliant display of body control and raw power.

Just like you wouldn’t want someone performing a ton of kipping pull-ups when they don’t have the strength to do one strict pull-up, we don’t want someone doing a ton of kipping handstand push-ups if they don’t have the strength to do a strict handstand push-up. The shoulder strength required to complete a handstand push-up is great, and some may not have that strength just yet. Have no fear, I have created a simple training program to help you build your upper body strength to reach the goal of obtaining a strict handstand push-up. With dedication, patience and hard work, you too can successfully attain the handstand pushup.

As soon as you’re able to balance a handstand by the wall for just a few seconds without using the wall for support, it’s time to start adding some freestanding handstand exercises to your practice. BUT don’t leave the wall behind entirely just yet, it will still be one of the most useful tools for awhile to help maintain your conditioning and continue developing sound balance mechanics.

It can seem both terrifying and impossible to move your handstand practice away from the wall. Because what’s gonna happen if you fall? Some parts of the fear of falling out of a handstand are rational, others are entirely irrational.

let me help you address and overcome the rational fear of falling when you practice the freestanding handstand.

Learn how to handstand by learning :

How to fall

The benefits of going upside down

The muscles worked in a handstand

How to warm up before doing a handstand

Step-by-step directions for doing a handstand

Common handstand mistakes to avoid

As for how long it'll take you to master a handstand? It's pretty individual. Some will get it right away, while it takes a lot longer for others. Remember that it’s as much a mental discipline as a physical one and keep trying, knowing that you will get there.

So let get started. Click on the Handstand classes Melbourne page and take your practice to the next level whilst cultivating discipline and self understanding.