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Advanced Progression

By admin on November 7, 2009 in One Hand, Planche

A One Hand Balance in the Old Style

Here’s a question from Matthew on the difficulties and progression of advanced hand balancing skills.

“What would say is the difficulty of a planche vs a handstand, one handed handstand, 2 man planche, how should I be progressing if I am fairly competent in all of these skills?”

Each skill is very different from the next. The skill and strength it takes to do a planche is very different from that it takes to do a one handed handstand. Some people will find certain skills harder then others and to give them arbitrary difficulties wouldn’t really help.

But as a basic idea so you can know what you’re getting yourself into I would say the one hand handstand (and the planche too) are about 100 times as difficult as the two hand handstand.

How should you be progressing? The same as everyone else. Whether you are working on a basic handstand or and advanced skill like the one arm handstand you can progress by adding a second at a time.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

If you are competent at the skills you listed, first off, congratulations. You are doing great. If you want to know where to go from that point there is a wide variety of options.

You can work on a one handed planche. You can learn to hop on one hand. How about a tiger bend? And if that’s easy try it on one arm!

(By the way, all these skills are found in The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing.)

The sky is the limit. Just keep progressing. It’s the name of the game.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher.

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Planche Pushups Training

By admin on November 7, 2009 in Planche

This question from Paul concerns planche pushups training.

“From a beginners perspective, what exercises would you recommend to working into a full planche pushup?”

That depends entirely on how much of a beginner you are. If you are really just starting out there is going to be a ton of work before you get to the planche and finally a planche pushup.

Suffice to say, you’ll need a strong planche before you can approach doing planche pushups.

There are two drills that come to mind to help on the pushup portion. Even if you can’t do the planche yet you will be able to do this planche pushup training and get started.

One involves having a friend hold onto your feet. Now, you don’t merely want to do pushups in this position. That would make this nothing more then an elevated pushup. Instead, lean far forward in advanced of your hands, that is to assume a planche position.

With your partner holding your feet you won’t have to support all your weight, but the goal is to do as much as you can on your own.

From this position you do your assisted planche pushups. The key is to do low reps and really maximize the effort that goes into each one.

The second drill is similar though it doesn’t require a partner. This is to do what are known as pseudo-planche pushups. You get on the ground and get into a normal pushup position.

Like before, you will lean forward so your shoulders are forward of your hands. Your feet are on the ground but you will be working in a similar planche position.

There are other methods but these will help you out big time. Along with them you’ll really need to be training your planche and making it strong.

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

Much more on the planche can be found in The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Block Building Handstand

By admin on October 30, 2009 in Handstands, One Hand

Rafael Guerrero's Block Building Handstand

One very impressive handstand stunt is to raise yourself off the ground by block building.

Start in a handstand with a stack of bricks or similar objects nearby. Shift over to one hand and grab a block with the other. Set that block down, shift your weight onto that arm then repeat on the other side. You build yourself up one block at a time.

This is an advanced skill as you’ll have to be in a one arm handstand much of the time even in just momentarily.

But its sure to impress anyone watching. And once you reach the top you can go down the same way or maybe jump off your blocks.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. The Halloween Sale is going strong. Check out how you can save on all hand balancing and acrobatic programs here.

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How to Handstand Longer

By admin on August 26, 2009 in Handstands

Today’s question addresses how to build a longer handstand.

“Is it possible to add 2 seconds to my hand balancing every week? If it is how long would I have to practise for weekly?”
Lucy

I think this is a great way to approach holding a handstand longer. Set a goal to add two seconds each week. It is certainly a reasonable goal and should easily be accomplished.

If you practiced each day you could start off just working on the handstand. When you did reach your goal for the remaining days in the week you could work on other skills. Once the new week comes you again try to add two seconds.

Overall, I don’t think it would require much time but this does depend on where you are at. If you are stuck at six seconds that is different then being stuck at two minutes.

This same approach would work well for any timed hold you are seeking to increase.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Don’t forget The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups has just been released and is selling strong. Get your copy and be on the way to much more strength.

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Walking on Hands

By admin on August 26, 2009 in Handstands, Walking & Jumping

Here is a great question on the value of walking on hands versus standing on them.

“Hey Logan I just now started to do the frogstand and I can do it for a long time. I’ve been learning the handstand and couldn’t find my balance and I can walk all the way down my hall on my hands but I cant hold a handstand and Its frustrating so I stuck to walking on my hands. I’m gonna start practicing my frogstands right now. Is there any other things I could do to work on my balance for a handstand?”
Marcus

I recommend that anyone getting started with the handstand attempts to not walk around but instead finds the balance and holds the position on the hands.

You see, how you balance while walking on your hands can be entirely different then how you balance while standing on your hands. The first when you come out of balance you step to get back in balance. So your balance is maintained by moving around your body.

When standing on your hands you maintain your balance by keeping the body in a certain range that can be balanced by the hands and arms. If you start to fall out of balance you shift the pressure to keep your body up.

Doing this is tough. That’s why I recommend using lead-up stunts to teach you how to balance. The frogstand is great for teaching you hand balancing while in an easier position with your body low to the ground.

Other moves that help you build balance, different from the frog stand, include the headstand and forearm stand. If you can’t do these easier stunts well then you definitely should not be attempting the handstand yet.

Full details on these and other helpful stunts can be found in the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

Learning how to balance your body will in the end make walking around that much easier.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Handstand Tutorial

By admin on August 22, 2009 in Handstands

Here is a basic handstand tutorial. This will cover first practicing against a wall. If you are trying to go out into the open check out this article on how to do a hand stand.

Holding a handstand is not an easy skill. It requires much practice especially if you want to do it out in the open. The tips in the article will help you get started. Before we begin just know that practice is the biggest determinant of whether you’ll be successful or not with the handstand. The more you can practice the faster you’ll get results.

What you learn here will go a long way to helping you out. Also, these tips will ensure you get started with good habits which will set you up to learn even more advanced stunts later on. If you attempt the handstand without any instruction you may setup yourself for failure. Sure, you may figure out how to do the handstand but you may build bad habits which will make other hand balancing skills harder to do in the future.

The easiest way to learn the handstand is to first practice it against a wall. You’ll be able to learn proper body position first.

The first step is to kick-up into the handstand. In order to become successful you’ll need to build a good kick-up. So practice this skill by itself as much a you need to.

Kick-up to Handstand

Get in a sprinter’s stance. Place both hands on the floor about shoulder width apart approximately 6-10 inches from the wall. One foot should be close to your body while the other is farther back. With the back leg you kick up and then bring the other leg to meet up with it against the wall. Kick enough to get yourself up into the handstand but not too much so that you slam into the wall.

Now lets focus on your form in the handstand. Spread the fingers wide apart and grip the ground. This will help especially with balancing later on.

Make sure your elbow are locked. If you bend your arms you’ll have to rely on your strength versus your body’s structure to hold you up. Also push your arms into the ground from the shoulder girdle. Think of trying to reach your shoulders to your ears. This will give you a better locked out position.

The rest of your body should remain tight as well from your back to the legs all the way to your toes. Point the toes and keep the legs together to help with this. By keeping tight you make holding the position, and balancing later on, much easier.

For most people some arch in the back is normal. There are different ways to go about it depending on the style of handstand you are going after. Just do whatever is comfortable for you as long as its not an excessive arch. But if you try to stretch your body upwards you’ll straighten a bit and get tighter.

You can keep your head neutral or tilt it back to look at the ground.

Handstand against Wall

All the points for a good and stable handstand position are here. The goal is to create this same position every time you do a handstand whether against the wall or freestanding. Practice these steps enough until they are a habit every time you go into the handstand.

After you can hold this handstand for about a minute you can get started with a freestanding handstand, although there are a few other important lead-up stunts, like the headstand and frogstand, to work on to build up your abilities.

Remember to keep practicing and you will succeed.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. For more on how to do the handstand check out the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

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One Finger Handstand

By admin on August 17, 2009 in One Hand

Is a one finger handstand even possible?

Most would say that no human could possibly do this feat. But then most would agree Shaolin monks are anything but normal people!

This video shows a 91 year old monk Hal-tank from the Sil Lum Temple in China perform that feat.

As I’m sure you’ll agree this move goes beyond just finger strength, requiring intense focus of chi.

There are many other monks who have mastered a two finger handstand like this picture shows. Thanks to Gay Ng for sending it to me.

Two Finger Handstand by Shaolin Monk

(You can also witness this feat from another Shaolin monk in the awesome DVD Shaolin: Wheel of Life available for cheap on Amazon.)

But getting down to a single finger handstand takes many more years of dedicated practice.

Its sure to be an entirely different approach but there’s a full chapter by Bob Jones, famous for his thumbstand, on doing fingertip pushups and handstands in The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing.

You can get started with the basics. Whether you’ll work up to two or one finger handstand like the monks do is up to you.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Scissors Handstand

By admin on August 12, 2009 in Handstands, Walking & Jumping

After most people, myself included, have some success with the handstand they want to move on to a variety of stunts, most of which are much harder.

My advice, nowadays, is to stick with the handstand itself for a bit longer.

Yes, you can always just work on adding more time in a hold while improving your balance. But to spice it up a little bit try changing up your position.

There are a huge amount of different ways you can do this with different areas of your body. For today let’s focus on the legs.

Again, any possible way you can move your legs can be done in the handstand but let’s narrow it down to just one. The Scissors Handstand.

Scissors Handstand by Bob Jones
From The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing:

“Do a hand stand in nice form, then separate the legs, one backward and the other forward. Start the legs backward and forward in scissor fashion. Go slowly at first, and increase the speed, and come to a sudden stop with the feet and legs in nice form. While in the motion, the legs should be kept straight, with the toes pointed. This trick is very effective and is not hard to learn. Variations of the above are, scissors while walking on the hands, also scissors with the head forward through the arms.”

Check out the hand balancing book for many other moves just like this one.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Building Handstand Strength

By admin on August 7, 2009 in Handstands

A great way to end any training is to work on your strength and endurance a bit. And in this instance I’m talking specifically about in the handstand.

Just kick-up against the wall and see how long you can hold it.

Not only does this help you train the position it will build strength for holding the handstand with or without the wall.

If you can do one minute you are getting somewhere.

If you can do two minutes you are doing awesome.

Anything beyond that and you may want to switch to one arm handstand holds. This will increase the resistance to build even more strength and endurance.

Wherever you’re at, every time you do this exercise again just try to add one second of time. If you fight for it, it won’t be difficult to do at all.

Whether you are doing a conventional type of workout or are just practicing your hand balancing this can be a great way to finish it off.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Holding a handstand against the wall and balancing in the open are tow very different things. If you need help on the second check out the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

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Over and Underbalancing in a Handstand

By admin on August 4, 2009 in Handstands

“Hey Logan, just a short question on the handstand, how do you get control when you go towards under balancing ( I think…I’m new to all this, hehe)? Because when I over balance I just push the floor with my fingers, but when I under balance I just have no idea what to do.”

Thanks,
Sebastien V-G

“Hey Logan, I felt like trying a handstand today, and I tried it. I think I did pretty good, but before I can even hold it for more than a few seconds, I lose my balance and fall forwards. I have read most of the articles on this website, and I have tried the handstand again, but I still keep falling forward. Any Help?”
-Andrew

Thanks for the questions Sebastien and Andrew. They are common ones and are really all about what it takes to stay in the handstand.

To begin with if you are overbalancing you will press your fingertips into the floor. If you are underbalancing you can’t really press your palm into the floor, but you’ll want to raise your fingers up.

This old article has more details on the science of balancing.

There are also other methods of saving your balance whether its over or under. Read this article on shoulder weaving. As Bob Jones recommends this is not for beginners.

Learning this control whether by action of the hands or shoulders takes lots of practice. It’s a fine skill and will take time to develop or else everyone would be able to hold a handstand with ease.

That’s why I developed my Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD. Using lead-up stunts will better help you to develop that balancing skill. And this review from Julia shows you why.

“Hi Logan, I appreciate your interest and support. You probably have the best support system I’ve seen for people using your products.

“The DVD is great, and I think it’s a valuable tool for anybody who wants to have a strong and stable handstand. I can really see the value of the lead-up stunts, and why a freestanding handstand is a bad idea until I get my frogstand under control.”

Thanks a lot!
-Julia

If you can’t control you handstand for more than a few seconds check out the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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