Handstand Training

• becoming more confident in your ability to perform a handstand as your arms can support your bodyweight better;
• having a safer practice by avoiding injuries, for example. landing on your head;
• being able to do different entries, such as presses or handstands on canes.

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Here are the categories of strength that will help you achieve a better handstand (from the ground up):

• Finger and wrist strength;
• Pushing strength (vertical and horizontal);
• Shoulder strength (the deltoid muscle);
• Scapular strength (shoulder blade area);
• Core strength (abdominal area and more);
• Hip and leg strength.

We can do many exercises just on the floor but we can also use the wall, chairs, yoga blocks, resistance bands, parallettes, dumbbells, barbells etc. to train all those strength exercises from above.I would recommend prioritising the Pushing Strength first as this contributes the most to actual handstand hold.

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Here is a list of exercises that will help develop strength in both vertical and horizontal planes:

• Press up (on the knees, with feet on the floor, Downward Dog variation, with one hand, with clap or in a handstand etc.);
• Triceps dips (on someones’ knees, on two chairs, on the bench on bars, on the rings etc.);
• Shoulder (or military) press (using the pike position, inverted, using external weights, with the resistance bands etc.);
• Shoulder flies (using bands, external weights, cable machine etc.)
• Handstand holds (against the wall, using a spotter, free-standing).

You can find out more about these exercises in the bonus lessons available on the Client membership subscription.
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1. Get up into a handstand (with any leg variation, supported or not) and shift your weight towards one side (let’s say right side);
2. Lift the other hand (left) off the floor, touch your opposite hand and go back to the initial position. Repeat on the other side too;
3. If that was easy, continue to lift your hand and touch your opposite elbow. Place your hand down and do the same on the other side;
4. Continue to do the same and touch your opposite shoulder then hip, one at a time.

Important key points while doing this exercise:

• Having your knees bent (Tuck HS) or feet wide (Straddle HS) will make shifting  your weight side to side easier;
• Don’t rush to take the hand off the floor but instead, lift it slowly while you keep your balance;

In case you can’t lift the hand off the floor and reach your opposite your body, developing more arm and shoulder strength is essential.

If you have no problems taking your hand off the floor and doing all the levels of this drill, your arm and shoulder strength for handstand is good.

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Apart from pushing strength, having a good level of core strength can make a huge difference during handstands.

Next, I will talk about the categories of core exercises and I will be covering each one of them in a series of bonus lessons (accessible only with a Client membership).

Categories of core exercises:

• Facing down (support on palms and toes – plank);
• Facing up (support on the back – hollow body hold);
• Facing sideways (support on upper and lower limbs – side plank);
• Hanging upright/inverted (when crunching to reach the bar with the knees, toes or hands);
• Hand support (leg raise, L sit, V sit and I sit);
• Inversions (press to head/handstand).

Access all these exercises with step by step instructions with a Client membership or using the “Training for Acro” app.  

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Leg strength exercises will improve your ability to jump into a handstand when performed on the floor, on parallettes, handstand Canes or someone’s hands (hand to hand):

Next, I will talk about the categories of leg exercises and I will be covering them in a series of bonus lessons as well.

Categories of leg exercises:

• Glute bridge (lying flat on the back, knees bent);
• Hip raise (lying with the back supported knees bent);
• Squat (one of the most used movements self-explanatory);
• Deadlift (holding the weight and lifting it using the squat movement);
• Lunge (same as walking but with a bigger range of motion).

Each one of these exercises can be performed using body weight or external weights and has numerous variations you can find in the “Training for Acro” app.

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