This video was sent to me from Ben and displays an amazing acrobat by the name of Edward Upcott.
This video starts off with a number of simple exercises a lot of people can do, but after the minute mark there’s a lot of one arm balancing and some amazing moves on the trampoline.
Amazing video worth watching.
If you want to see more from Edward Upcott check out his website here.
We continue the stories from Jonathan today. This story is about a true one arm handstand pushup!
The other story is from an other friend of mine, who’s Chinese and who’s dream is to be a performer, either an acrobat, or a singer. Today, she was back from China, where she spent 10 months training in one of their national circus schools. She was showing me various photos and videos from the circus school and the place she was living in, and we were talking about acrobatics. I mentioned my intention to one day go to Kiev and train with Yvan Zubkevych and to China to train with their acrobats, specifying that one of my main goals was to one day be able to do a full range one arm handstand push-up (on a pole, so I can go down to touch my chest or my shoulder), as I’ve never seen anyone doing it, and there’s no videos of any of the people who claims to have been able to do something like that.
She said: “Oh, but the kids there, they do that like it’s nothing!” Shocked, I was like: “Uh, are you sure you’re not mistaking? Like, they actually hold a one arm handstand, keep their body straight, bend their arm and shoulder, and they press up again, while staying in a vertical position?” And she said: “Yeah, they were going until the top of their heads touched the ground, then they were pressing back up.” Needless to say, I was pissed that she filmed lots of cool performances, but omitted to film such an incredible strength feat. It’s not her fault, she’s not really interested in strength, and I can understand that acts are flashier than conditioning, but damn… A one arm handstand push-up? It almost made me cry like a baby!
I told her that the next time she’d go there, she’d be damn obligated to film it for me. And, actually, I might go there myself, as they are open to skills exchange and seem to need better strength training (Obviously not for those few kids doing one arm handstand push-ups, but their conditioning is strictly limited to what they’re practicing, which make them really specialized and not well groomed on an overall perspective. Plus, they got weights and the kids are using them, but nobody shows them proper form either, and most of them would simply need more strength.), but it might take a couple of years, because I’ll perform for a good two years and save my money to wander around the world and train crazy hard without having to worry about food or stuff.
But when I’ll go, I’ll see for my own eyes if they can really do it. And I think they very probably can, since my friend isn’t interested in strength she wouldn’t have made that up. Plus, I believe it is possible to achieve, and I’ll be training hard to get it.
So there you have it. There has been lots of debate on if the one arm handstand pushup could ever actually be done in strict form as outlined in Convict Conditioning. Some people say yes, others say no. Unfortunately although there are stories like this, it has never been caught on video to my knowledge. I believe some day it will be done.
I don’t agree with everything Crossfit does, but they still are doing a good amount right. One of which is that there are some handstands in Crossfit. With all their cross training they do hit a little on many different things, In this post I’ll offer a little advice on how to take it further. First, a quote from the founder:
Handstands crossfit, hand walking, and pressing to the handstand are critical exercises to developing your athletic potential and essential components to becoming “CrossFit.”
Historically, these exercises have been collectively referred to as “hand balancing” and have been an integral part of strength and health culture since antiquity, yet today hand balancing seems to have followed the passenger pigeon to extinction. From Crossfit.com
I agree with him that handstands have become a lost art, hence the name of this site. Now let’s look at how handstands are typically included in a Crossfit workout. There are two basic ways.
Of course being Crossfit they love kipping. And they even kip with handstand pushups! (It’s not just a pullup thing)
An interesting exercise but I would certainly not use it as your mainstay for training. Build strength through other progressions like in this handstand pushups book and you will building stronger arms and shoulders.
Don’t be so concerned with getting 21-15-9 reps of handstand pushups in your workout, when you can’t do one strictly, but start where you are and build from there.
Handstand holds against the wall are great. They help train your position and can build stability and endurance in the position. Great to finish off your training with that.
Unfortunately in most Crossfits this is as far as their handstand training goes. What about the balancing aspect?
First off all this should not be included in a typical Crossfit workout. When you’re gassed and fatigued is not the time to work on fine motor skills. Instead you can perform a little bit of free hand balancing practice before hand. Use it as part of your warmup.
Most people will try to jump right into the handstand but this would be the perfect time to start out with easier lead-up stunts like the frogstand and headstand as outline in the Secrets of the Handstand book.
You build better balancing skills this way and soon be outperforming all your handstand Crossfit buddies at handstands.
Stretching for acrobatics whether hand balancing or tumbling, is a must. Well, actually I should say flexibility is a must.
But the only way to get flexible is stretching, right?
In most cases yes, but not always. Stretches are just one sub-set of movement that involves getting to your end range of motion. This is then usually held although there are variations here as well.
The truth is you can build your flexibility with movements that don’t involve anything that looks like stretching in some cases. A person that can’t do a full range squat, will improve their flexibility by working on squats, with or without weights. This alone can loosen up the calves, quads, hamstrings, hips and back to where they’ll eventually be able to achieve the full range.
That is one route. Specific stretches aimed at helping this person would be another.
Let’s say you are working on the handstand. Perhaps you need more shoulder or wrist flexibility.
A great stretch for wrist flexibility
What about handsprings? Additional shoulder and back flexibility can help. So can hip flexibility.
If you’re doing bridging movements, you need all around spinal flexibility, not to mention the shoulders and wrists.
I don’t like to “stretch” for stretching’s sake. If you do, that’s fine with me. Some people like it just because they feel good afterwards. But if I’m going to do it, I always have a specific purpose behind it.
My average training, and all the moves I do, give me more then enough flexibility to get through my everyday life, and to keep me generally flexible.
However, if I want to achieve a specific move, sometimes the best, or only route to achieving it is by increasing flexibility. Once again this can take the “movement” route or the “stretching” route. What I do really depends on the move, and in some cases is a combination of the two.
Now when we talk about stretching, there are several kinds. You have static stretching. You have various forms of isometrics or PNF stretching. Then you have dynamic stretching.
My personal favorite is dynamic. After all, dynamic movement is usually where you want to apply your new found flexibility. Still the others, especially the isometrics version, done right, can be a big help.
In any case, this is the framework of what I do. Pick a goal. Identify the different ways you can get there. Start with what looks like the best route, or often a combination of things. Put this into action. Adapt and continue to experiment from there. This applies to more then acrobatics stretching.
Here’s an example. In my progress towards a straight arm press handstand, I’ve realized one thing. If I had the right flexibility I could do the movement without problem. It’s really not a strength issue!
And the specific drill I’ve been working towards is what’s known as the Pancake. I would wager that most people that could lay their torso flat on the ground, could do a press handstand, if not right away, then with a little more work.
The Pancake Drill (from DrillsAndSkills.com)
Yet having all the strength in the world for bent arm press handstands, is just not enough. I still work on other progressions towards the movement and am making progress. But I realize the biggest thing I can do for this exercise is too improve my hip flexibility. This just illustrates one specific case.
I recently came across a new resource on the topic of flexibility that I’ll be sharing with you later this week.
Watch this awesome video of a kip up to handstand.
I came across this video when looking for one showing the jump back to a kip up.
The video starts off with a kip up into a double forward flip done into a foam pit. (This was likely good training for leading up to the following move, as you need to learn to rotate fast out of the kip.)
The kip up is then done into something of an elbow lever, or the bottom of a press, with the legs bent. Of course, from here, it’s relatively simple to press up into the handstand.
This is an awesome move, that I don’t think I’ve seen before. Can anyone else do the kip up to a handstand? Post a link to other videos below.
Here is a new handstand exercise that I’ve been playing with lately – the tuck handstand.
What is this move? First you get up into a handstand then you get into a tuck position while keeping the arms straight.
This can be done from a curved handstand or a flat one. You’ll notice there’s quite a bit of arch in the lower back as I do it in the video here. An even more advanced version would be to round the back and hold the position. By keeping your body more vertical then horizontal it is quite a different position then the tuck planche.
What this move requires is the shift your weight forward, planching the shoulders slightly. I found that by bending the legs at the knees first and then bending at the hips it was easier to get into this movement.
Here is a picture of the tuck handstand. If your thighs only go to parallel with the floor as they are here its pretty easy to hold. Lowering them even more makes it tougher. And going into the round back position is the hardest.
Photo by Natalie Anfield - Kamloops Photography
My thoughts are that this move would help with straight arm pressing movements.
Have you done the tuck handstand before? Any other similar handstand exercises you like to do?
Here’s another video of an amazing hand balancer.
Hand balancing is not a lost art to this individual. Thanks to Mark for sending me this video.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
Here’s a new video that gives you another tip on training the bent arm pressing, specifically the frogstand press, though this applies to them all.
This involves using static holds to build strength and control your press. You must have the strength to hold each portion of the handstand press to really control the movement. This will aid in your ability to smoothly get up to the handstand.
You can find out much more about bent arm pressing in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
Here’s a new video that gives you a tip on training the bent arm pressing, specifically the bent arm straddle press is shown. Of course this would work equally well with any other press.
You can find out much more about bent arm pressing in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
The more strength and skill you have the better you’ll be in hand balancing and acrobatics.
You may be saying ‘DUH’ but this works on multiple levels.
Obviously you’ll require more strength in order to do high strength movements like the planche, iron cross and more.
Among various moves some are more strength oriented like those above and others are more skill oriented like the handstand and more so the one arm handstand.
Still all require some degree of both strength and skill.
Yes you need strength in order to do a handstand. Its not much if you get into a proper body position but it is still present. And if you hold a handstand for a minute or two you’ll start to feel those muscles burning.
Even though it doesn’t require much strength, practicing the skills can take strength and endurance.
Lets say you’re working on the one arm handstand. Maybe you get ten minutes of practice in before your shoulders are fatigued and you can’t get any more quality work in.
Let’s say you’re trying to do a bent arm press. It takes strength plus skill. If your strength is lacking how good are you going to get at the skill of that movement?
Freestanding handstand pushups? Going to be very hard to work the balance of the movement if two handstand pushups against the wall is all you can manage.
So more strength makes doing the moves easier but also allows you to get more quality practice in. If you’re fatigued then its hard to do fine motor movements.
That’s why building a foundation of strength is important. And when you’re just focusing on this foundational strength you want to minimize the skill necessary.
I have a video that talks more about this and the four bodyweight exercises that work best for the whole body.
All you have to do is go here and signup to watch it immediately.
And soon I’ll have even more to help you get stronger and thus more skilled.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you’ve already signed up the next video on the Do’s and Don’ts of Technique is set to come out tomorrow. But if you haven’t go here now.
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