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Moving Handstands

By admin on December 15, 2008 in Handstands

When you first get started with the handstand all you want to do is strive to hold it for a longer and longer time. In the beginning that may just be five seconds.

As you get better you’ll eventually reach half a minute, a full minute and even beyond that too.

But is that the best way to make progress in hand balancing? Probably not.

At a certain point to improve your game you should be go outside of the regular handstand. Instead of holding the regular position without moving, purposefully move your legs around. Arch your back more or straighten it out. Break that shoulder angle.

You see its one thing to balance standing still but another thing to keep that balance as you change your position.

So focus on not moving when you’re starting out, but after you’ve hit 30 seconds or so start moving with purpose.

When you can balance from any position you are well on your way.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If you want tons of positions for you to practice be sure to check out Hand Balancing Made Easy by Prof. Orlick.

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Mako Sakamoto's Handstand Pushup Record

By admin on December 11, 2008 in Uncategorized

Mako Sakamoto is not likely a name you have heard. He was a US National Champ in the 1960’s and has coached many successful gymnasts, including Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Vidmar.

One day during the athletes training they decided to find out how many freestanding handstand pushups they could do on the parallel bars. Mind you that these were full range, dropping down to the shoulders, not the head, and pressing back up. Coach Sakamoto got 19 on that day.

But he continued to train for many years. Twelve more to be exact, when he was 50 years old he set a new record. 163 consecutive full range freestanding handstand pushups.

One Hundred Sixty-Three!

He is over 60 years old now and still trains every morning. Though he won’t be breaking that record he can easily do 75 handstand pushups in the same manner which is far and beyond what most people would dream of doing.

To most people who can’t do a single rep or hold a handstand, that number seems unfathomable. But with the right training and true dedication it can be done.

I learned of this amazing feat from Coach Sommers over at www.GymnasticBodies.com. Check out his site and especially the new book Building the Gymnastic Body for great gymnastic training information.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If you want to get started on your first freestanding handstand pushups you can get it in this month’s Acrobat Accelerator.

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Freestanding Handstand Pushups

By admin on December 9, 2008 in Presses & Pushup

One of the moves that got me into hand balancing in the first place was the freestanding handstand pushup. I had built up to doing handstand pushups against the wall and I always wanted to do them balancing on my own.

Well, having the strength to press yourself up and the balance to maintain the handstand are two completely different things. And to do the free handstand pushup you need both.

I hadn’t practiced this move much, at least not in recent times. But, just over a month ago I decided to really go after it. In my training I used three different methods to work on the move. Below you can watch one of those three.

Freestanding Handstand Pushups

This clip is from the December issue of Acrobat Accelerator. On top of the three primary methods of training you’ll learn about little shifts you can do in your position to make this move much easier or harder to suit your level.

I wouldn’t say I completely mastered the move yet, but that’s just a matter of more work. Stay tuned for next time when I’ll be sharing a story of someone who has.

Plus in this month’s Acrobat Accelerator, I share a warm-up routine I’ve been using everyday before hand balancing. Plus some startling studies on stretching that may have you re-thinking what you’ve been doing.

If you’re not already a member you can get this month’s issue for free with any of the following products:

Hand Balancing Mastery Course
Secrets of the Handstand Quickstart Guide
Tumbling Course

Or just by itself here – Acrobat Accelerator

But there’s only a few copies left and when its gone its gone. If you want to master the freestanding handstand this is the one to get.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Focusing on One Skill

By admin on December 6, 2008 in Uncategorized

Recently, I haven’t had a lot of time to devote to hand balancing. What with family visiting, traveling around and all that entails.

So I had to cut down on the time I practiced hand balancing. Especially when you factor in that hand balancing is just one aspect of training I’m going after.

I know there are some that want to become world class and are willing to train hours each day. They are the ones that will get to the top. All the more power to you, if that what you’re going after.

Then there are those who just think hand balancing is fun and a challenge. Something they’d like to get better at, but its not a major thing they do.

Even in this second category, over time you can reach skills that most people would never think of doing.

The point of all this is that even with limited time and practice you can still progress.

I’ve come to the conclusion that when you do, you’re better off focusing on one or at most two different skills.

When you got plenty of time you can work on everything. But when you only spend 10 minutes a day you need to go after one thing and go after it hard.

Make it your goal and you’ll get there quickly without being distracted by all the other things you could be doing.

This same idea works behind everything, not just hand balancing. The more you focus the better results you’ll get as your energies won’t be spread too thin.

So if you’ve been working on every different possible skill, now may be the time to pick one and really go after it. What can you accomplish before the year is over?

After all, you can always change your goal later on after you‘ve hit it. And since all the skills require balancing they will carry over to the other exercises.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Even if you focus on one skill there are multiple ways to work towards it. This Quickstart Guide will give you all the tools you need to reach the basic handstand quickly.

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Walking on Your Hands Down Stairs

By admin on November 25, 2008 in Walking & Jumping

Some years ago when I was teaching Physical Education at the Western University Medical School I decided to see just how many steps I could conquer with practice. Therefore, twice every week after I had finished all of my classes, I took a crack at the main stairs.

For a couple of weeks I stuck to one flight of stairs as a sort of warm up. Then I added a few more steps with each try, until I was doing two flights with no difficulty. Gradually I added more steps, without really pushing myself to the limit and within a month was doing three flights regularly. The fourth flight gave me a bit of trouble, but once I got beyond this I landed two more to make it six flights in two months. At the end of three months I could start at the top of the building and make it “non-stop” all the way to the bottom…eight flights in all, and began looking for bigger buildings to conquer.

***

This story comes from Professor Orlick. I don’t know about you but I think walking down six flights of stairs is quite impressive.

Walking down stairs in certainly not a stunt beginners should go after but it serves as a great challenge to work up to. Even so, just about anyone can get started walking on their hands.

In Walking and Jumping on Your Hands, Prof. Orlick goes in depth on just about every possibility there is when it comes to walking on your hands. From starting with baby steps to running, dancing, jumping and more.

And if you think going down stairs is hard, just try going up. But this is broken down to a brain-dead simple process anyone can follow.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

Of all of Orlick’s books I think this one is my favorite.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Making Handstand Presses Easier

By admin on November 19, 2008 in Presses & Pushup

Here’s a short clip from November’s Acrobat Accelerator. In the full issue I cover much on bent arm presses like the straddle press and frogstand press.

Making Handstand Presses Easier

This clip shows you how you can make the straddle press easier by adding momentum with a little hop. This same concept can be used in other moves too. Because of the momentum the press will not take as much strength.

There’s still a few issues left. If you want to grab this issue to learn more about these presses, plus hanging leg raises and nip-ups, you can get it free along with the Secrets of the Handstand Quickstart Guide.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Acrobatics outside Gymnastics

By admin on November 6, 2008 in Tumbling

I received an interesting comment from Jonathan when he order a copy of The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing and Tumbling Illustrated.

“Thanks a lot! I’m an ex high-level gymnast, I just stopped competing, but I’m still training really hard, just for myself, just for fun, and now, I can finally train any kind of skills I want, I’m not anymore obligate to train only for winning competitions. It’s nice to find products about acrobatic training!”

First off, I think that’s awesome. While I’m a fan of gymnastics, it is in a sense a very narrow path, meaning that there is so much more right outside the boundaries.

In the world of acrobatics there are many moves you’d never see when watching a gymnastics competition.

And I have to agree with the statement ‘I’m training really hard, just for myself, just for fun.”

Not to say you can’t focus on any competition. If you are more power to you, but there is freedom when you can do what YOU want.

Just cracking open a copy of Tumbling Illustrated I found a variety of moves, that you sure won’t see in gymnastics. See if you can do some of these moves:

Backwards roll into a forearm stand

Headspring…without the hands (be very careful with this one)

One hand back handspring

From a hand balance, lowering down to the shoulders and kipping up to the feet.

Just a few examples from the 248 moves you’ll find in the book. I know you’ll find plenty to work on when the book arrives Jonathan, and I look forward to hearing how it goes.

No matter your level of ability you too can find many moves in Tumbling Illustrated to work on. Grab your copy now.

Good Luck and Good Tumbling,
Logan Christopher

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Get Free Bridging Info

By admin on November 3, 2008 in Bridging

If you celebrated Halloween this past Friday, I hope you had a good one. Mine was certainly an interesting night.

Now that its over we’re into the home stretch of 2008. Just two months left in the year. Now you can relax in all your efforts as the holidays come upon us…

Or you can use that same time to move forward, while still enjoying the holidays.

I choose the later and I hope you do too. Instead of slacking off, you can double your efforts and set the pace for 2009.

And here’s something that may help you to do just that.

A few weeks back I held a limited time offer to get on the pre-production offer of the brand new Advanced Bridging Course. If you took me up on the offer great, your course will be out in the mail by tomorrow.

And if you didn’t you have a second chance. But not quite yet.

Before I make the course available again, I want to share with you some fr.ee information on why adding bridging in its different forms to your training is a good idea.

I’ll be releasing a special report near the end of this week, giving some of the details on how I came to this point. In addition to that, I’ll be sharing select video clips from the course.

All you have to do is raise your hand and say I’m interested. Just go to the following page and enter your name and email. In a few days you’ll get the fr.ee info.

https://legendarystrength.com/advanced-bridging-exercises/

Like I said I will be selling the full course next week. If its something you’re interested in after I’ve shown you a small piece of what’s inside then you’ll be able to get it.

But if you only want to take a look at the fr.ee stuff to see if it’s a fit for you, that’s fine too.

Head on over to the site, to enter you name and email. That’s all you gotta do.

Advanced Bridging Exercises

Good Luck and Good Bridging,
Logan Christopher

P.S. I know its called advanced bridging, but really this is for all levels. If its something you want to learn more about it sign-up now.

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Yoga Arm Balances

By admin on October 30, 2008 in Handstands, Presses & Pushup

Yesterday morning, I decided to do something a little different from my normal morning routine, which involves spending some time upside down.

I had come across this yoga video of some fairly advanced stuff including a few yoga arm balances. So I popped it in the player and did my best to follow along.

I’d like to think I did fairly well considering I don’t actually do yoga and this was an advanced program. But there was a number of skills I could not do, mostly involving flexibility.

The lotus position, forget it. And doing it in a handstand was way beyond my level.

But I picked up some interesting moves I hadn’t done before. Not to mention the video helped me to identify a few weak points.

Try this one out. Its similar to a frogstand except both your legs are going to be to one side. So bend your elbows, put both legs to the outside of one knee and lift up onto your hands with the legs stacked on top of each other resting on the knee.

From here, drop your head to the ground and press from this side position up into a headstand.

Its just one move that stood out to me. Give it a try and see if you can do it.

The point is that you should look outside your discipline at many things similar but also far different. For hand balancing you’ve got gymnastics, capoeira, yoga, break dancing, parkour and more.

It can help you change it up and look your practice through some different eyes.

Anyone coming from a gymnastics background can learn a lot from the origins of hand balancing. That’s why getting The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing can show you tons of moves you‘ve never even thought of doing.

And maybe in the future I’ll find some more resources to further help you branch out.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Do you have your costume ready for Halloween? Just finished mine and I’m pleased with the results. I’ll try to snap a few pictures tomorrow and post them on the blog. Whether I can manage a handstand in it or not, is debatable

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Where to Setup the Elite Rings?

By admin on October 27, 2008 in Rings

Got a question today. And if one person is asking it, many more are probably thinking it.

“Hi, I am seriously considering buying a set of the gymnastic rings, the question is where can one use them?, it is nice that they are portable, but where would one hang them if one lived in the city or even in the park? Maybe from the crossbar of a soccer goal? any more suggestions.”

Thanks for the question Trevor. You are correct that the rings are portable. And they can be hung from most things.

The first thing to make sure is that whatever you are hanging them from will support your weight.

You can run the straps over any beam, bar or tree limb. Once you have the strap in place, you simply run the strap through the buckle and you are ready to go.

Thick tree branches would be my first pick. A soccer goal could work, assuming its stable and strong. There would also be many areas over play structures that could be used like swing sets or monkey bars.

Just make sure the area is free should you be trying some of the more dynamic exercises on the rings.

If you want to get yourself a pair of the Elite Rings click here.

Good Luck and Good Ring Training,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Maybe I’ll go shoot a video of the setup and use in the park one of these days…

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