I found this on a link on one of yoda's recent posts, and I've been finding it useful- I'm learning handstands as part of crossfit's gymnastics programme... Learning a Proper Handstand Learning how to do a handstand is a surprisingly difficult and rewarding venture. Not only will you build strength in your shoulders and balance, but you will also improve your postural awareness. Standing on your feet is easy, regardless of your posture. However, you will never succeed in standing on your hands if you do not have a straight body. Most people have a tendency to arch and even bend their knees, bringing their feet towards their butt. This is bad form and it will only hurt you in the end. To perform a handstand, you need to have a straight body. The best way to do this is to lie on the floor. While lying down, press your lower lumbar into the ground by tightening your abs. At the same time, keep your chest slightly out and your head between your shoulders. You should be looking straight ahead. Now, stretch out your body by pushing your palms straight back and pointing your toes forward. Keep your legs tight and squeeze your butt. This is the proper position for a handstand. My approach for learning the handstand is a two-pronged approach. Most people recommend that you should kick into a wall and keep using it till you no longer need it. This is a great first step, because it reinforces proper form in a relatively easy way. However, as Mel Siff always pointed out, when learning a new skill, you progress from mobility to stability. For this reason, I think it is important to learn to walk on your hands as well. Try to maintain your best form and as you get better, try to control the direction and pace of your walking. Over time, you should be able to stop and hold a good handstand for a few seconds before having to start moving again to regain your balance. If you start getting sloppy, go back to the wall and focus on your form. When kicking up into the wall, try to touch down as lightly as possible and try not to apply any pressure to the wall. The less you are pushing against the wall, the closer you are to a handstand. You will find some more insights on handstand technique in the following articles: Still Rings Handstand Development from USA Gymnastics Online The Handstand from Tulsa World of Gymnastics I also reproduce one of the linked articles: The Handstand The handstand is one of the basic fundamental skills from which many other skills stem. The mastering of this skill will lead to development of other skills and reinforce them along the way. However, as easy as it can look, many gymnasts find it a puzzling skill to get right. The first and foremost problem is insufficient strength. Muscles in the legs are needed to kick the body up to the handstand. Arm muscles are needed to hold the handstand. Stomach and back muscles are needed to keep the body straight. Secondly, gymnasts learning handstands may have a fear of kicking over too hard. While the prospect of falling over the other way is a scary thought, it is necessary to kick up hard enough to get to vertical. And to learn exactly how hard you need to kick, you need to go over, and from there work by trial and error to see how much force you need to apply. You can overcome this fear by learning how to safely "bail" out. One way is to do a forward roll out of the handstand. Another is to do a quarter twist and step down. Either of these can be applied when you feel that you are going to fall over backwards. Once you get a better idea of how much you need to kick, try doing some handstands against the wall. While standing facing a wall, kick up to handstand so that your back and feet are touching the wall. As you become more experienced with this exercise, move your hands closer to the wall so that you become less dependent on the wall and more dependent on the strength of your arms. Holding handstands for a while at a time will also develop the muscles you need. Begin by holding handstands against the wall for 15 seconds at a time. Every several days add on another chunk of time (i.e. another 5 seconds). Then, with a spotter, do some handstands on the floor. The spotter should hold your legs only tight enough to make corrections if you begin to fall. Also try doing handstands so that your are in a handstand with your stomach against the wall. Move your hands closer to the wall and hold the handstand there. Push your shoulders out so that they are almost touching your ears, and keep your whole body tight. This will work the muscles in your shoulders and upper back responsible for balancing. Some common mistakes while learning handstands can become bad habits and make handstands harder to maintain. The hands should not be wider or narrower than the width of your shoulders. This is the optimal base distance for a handstand. Keep your head neutral. If your head is arched back, it will cause your back to arch. If your head is tucked forward, it will cause your back to round. Your torso (midsection of the body) should be straight as a board. Have someone observe your handstand from the side and see if your body is straight. Your legs should be tight, straight and together. In fact, your entire body should be straight and tight. To test to see if you are strong enough to hold your body straight, lie on the floor on your back, with your arms down by your side. Tighten your body, keeping it straight along the floor. Then, have someone lift only your feet about 3 feet into the air. If you are still tight, your legs, hips, and torso all should still be as straight as they were when you were still flat on the ground. Finally, once all these drills have been mastered, practice. Know how your body responds to certain changes, and see what works best for you. Over time, you will learn what a good handstand feels like, and can then try to make it consistent. Good luck!
I read that one. Seems like you're quite interested in all this gymnastics business. Understandable really because many of the skills cross-over and it develops great strength.
I've been practicing handstands lately. I'm really not interested in gymnastics, I just like the workout it gives my shoulders.
I recently got back into handstand push-up training, after a bit of a break. I used to do them propped against a wall, for balance. But this time, I did them free in the air, with a partner giving me the occasional nudge in the right direction. After trying both methods, I definitely felt more comfortable without the wall actually. With the wall, I suppose I was a bit more inclined, and it always felt awkward. Free-standing, it was: do one push-up, take 2 steps to maintain balance, do another rep, another few steps for balance, do another rep. It was more challenging, but it was a much more natural feel. As they say, it's "mobility to stability" (although, I thought that line came from Paul Chek not Mel Siff, no big deal).
GREAT ARTICLE KE!! ive been intrested in Gymnastics also but i had to give up... its too hard to find info and you cant learn alot online, and if you can i cant find a good source and schools are scarce but you renewed my hope
