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How to Perform a Wall Spin

The wall spin is a great flip to start with if you are just getting into parkour and tumbling. Even though it is a basic parkour movement, most people can’t figure out how to perform it on their own.

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Here’s a great tutorial by Ryan Ford on how to do it. After you’ve found an appropriate wall with something soft beneath it (like grass, a mat, etc. ), you’ll want to hit it at the right angle – 45 degrees works the best. As you’re running towards the wall, you need to jump off with both feet about 4 ft (or arms length) away from the wall. Make sure to keep your top hand pointing towards the movement, while keeping your other hand pointing towards the ground.

At this point you’ll want to lean forward and once you’re in that upside down position, move your top hand out of the way to avoid falling down. At the same time, keep your bottom hand on the wall and basically use it as a pivot point. The momentum will take care of the rest if you applied enough force in your jump and you should be landing safely on your feet.

At some point all of us wanted to learn how to do backflips, handsprings, aerials, somersaults and other tumbling movements. Why not learn all these awesome movements now? Check out Tumbling and Acrobatics Starter Package and start moving your body in amazing ways.

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Advanced Frogstand for Planche Progression

Learning how to do a frogstand is a must for anyone who wants to master the handstand. If you can’t hold a basic frogstand for at least a minute or so, you have no business trying to perform a free standing handstand.

Mike Fitch from Global Bodyweight Training shows a couple of great frogstand variations for building your way up to the planche.

In advanced frogstand, you’re putting the knees on the inside of your fully extended elbows, whereas in the regular frogstand the knees are resting on the outside of bent elbows – making the exercise much easier. This frogstand variation will help you strengthen the entire body, but it’s particularly good for improving wrist flexibility and balance.

After you get in a starting advanced frogstand position, flex your elbows slowly and lean forward to lock yourself in a more stable position. From there you’ll begin with alternating hip extensions while shifting the weight from one leg to another to stay in balance. Keep your abs tight at all times. Make sure to watch the entire video for detailed explanation of this advanced frogstand variation.

If you want more detailed instructions from Mike Fitch, check out his Hand Balancing for the Bodyweight Athlete DVD here.

 

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Elbow Extension in Relation to Handstands

Here is a great video on elbow extension in relation to hand balancing by Yuri Marmerstein. If you can’t lock out your elbow while in a handstand, this video will give you everything you need to fix this somewhat rare issue. This may not be a big problem in the beginning of your hand balancing training, but once you progress and try to achieve something like the one hand handstand, it might prove to be a bigger issue than you thought initially.

Some people simply have a psychological barrier which prevents them from fully extending their elbows in a handstand. On the other hand, some literally cannot straighten their arms fully, whether due to tension in biceps or some other physical factor. Yuri Marmerstein shows two different workouts you can do at your home to work on this issue gradually in order to fix it permanently.

Also make sure to check out The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing by Professor Paulinetti and Robert Jones, which is a great resource for anyone who’s into hand balancing.

 

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Impressive Hand Walking

Walking on hands is a fairly tough exercises which requires tons of balance and core strength to perform as shown in the video below.

Before you try to walk on your hands I highly recommend you to learn how to do a handstand first. Once you are able to stand on your hands for at least ten seconds, you can safely proceed to learning how to walk on your hands. Prof. Orlick’s Walking and Jumping on the Hands is one of the best resources available on that subject, so make sure to check it out.

Walking and Jumping On Your HandsWalking and Jumping On Your Hands on Amazon
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Unbelievable Strength Workout by Simon Ata

Simon “Simonster” Ata is a professional break-dancer from Melbourne, Australia. In this video he performs an insane bodyweight workout which he uses to stay incredibly strong and maintain ripped physique. Here are just some of the moves performed by Simonster in a single workout:

Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days
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  • Various presses
  • One leg backflips
  • Clapping Planche pushups
  • Handstand to planche pushup
  • Kip ups
  • Jumping on one hand
  • One hand press
  • Windmills

In addition to Simon’s extraordinary skills, this video shot at the Hanger 4 Mixed Martial Arts Studio in Melbourne was professionally edited, so it’s not surprising it went viral so quickly. Definitely a must watch!

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How to Become a Performer in Cirque Du Soleil

What does it take to become a performer in Cirque Du Soleil?

16×9 crew followed Cirque Du Soleil members for four months in order to show you just how tough their training is and how good you need to be in order to become a part of the most popular theatrical production company in the world.

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Even though this video is not entirely focused on subjects relevant to this website, like hand balancing and gymnastics, it’s well worth watching the entire episode. Enjoy!

P.S. If you’re not quite ready to become a part of Cirque Du Soleil, check out these resources and take that first step in the right direction.

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Hand Balancing Training Variations

When it comes to handstands and hand balancing in general, there are many ways to train and progress. In this video we have a chance to see quite difficult hand balancing moves by Pablo Molina.

Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups
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Starting with a straight handstand, Pablo goes on to walk on hands and perform various hand balancing moves, including press handstand and even unsupported headstand; but he also shows some amazing one arm handstand variations and handstand pushups on hand balancing stands, which make balancing easier and increase the number of stunts you can perform. Check them out here.

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Quick Press to Handstand Tutorial

Here’s a really short but effective tutorial on how to perform a press handstand.

Firstly, you’ll want to get in a plank position and pull your butt all the way up in to the air while keeping your hands in one place. To do this, you’ll have to lean forward , use your shoulders and suck your abs in. After you master this move, put a raised surface (mats work the best) behind you and press your feet onto the raised surface. Repeat the process to get off the mats, back to the floor.

Now you’re ready to press from a raised surface to a handstand against the wall and essentially end up in a supported handstand before coming back into the raised surface. After you feel confident enough, add more mats to raise the surface behind you. If you can make it at least 6 inches high, you’ll be very close to performing a press. Try to come down as slow as possible to build strength and improve balance. Also don’t forget to use your finger tips to keep in balance!

Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days
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How great would it be to impress your friends with gravity defying hand balancing skills? Check it out here.

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Johnny Sapinoso Got Some Moves

In this video from Johnny Sapinoso we can see a number of very demanding workouts and feats, like:

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick
ow to do the One Hand Handstand on Amazon
  • Front and back flips
  • Cool moves on a bent bar
  • One arm pullups on gymnastic rings
  • Planche on rings and bars
  • Planche pushups
  • Amazing partner acrobatics (including a handstand)
  • One arm handstand at the end of the video

Johnny Sapinoso  has been training since the age of 5. But you certainly can achieve some of the feats listed above much quicker.  If you are interested in learning how to do a one hand handstand, a back flip or just want to get started with lever training, then make sure to check out this page.

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Yoga Scorpion Handstand Tutorial

The Scorpion handstand is a quite difficult move, where you bend your back and knees while in a handstand and touch the head with your feet or toes. Check out this video from Kino to see how it’s performed and what you can do to achieve it.

According to Kino, there are three main things to watch for before trying out the Scorpion handstand, also known as vrischikasana.

First of all, you need to be able to to confidently hold a straight handstand for a reasonable amount of time, like ten seconds.

Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups
Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups on Amazon

Secondly, back bend or your spine flexibility needs to be fairly developed to be able to perform the Scorpion handstand. If not, you’ll need to work on improving that flexibility before trying out vrischikasana.

Finally, you need to be relaxed and calm in order to let your body open and avoid tipping forward.

Most people looking to achieve this move do not have much problems with holding a handstand or being in a calm state of mind, but they do suffer from lack of flexibility. Check out this resource to improve flexibility and increase your range of motion. 

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