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Handstand Kickover

By Sharon on August 7, 2012 in Bridging, Handstands

Doing a handstand kickover is fun and at the same time a smart choice of exercise. However, it is not that easy to do as it may cause injuries especially if you do not know the basic steps. In this sense, it is necessary to know how to obtain a graceful and steady handstand.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

Basic Steps of Handstand Kickover:

Find a wide and soft area. If you want to practice the move, the first thing to consider is finding a wide and safe area that ensures softer landing. This activity will make you fall most of the time so it is necessary to protect yourself from injury.
Stretch. Before starting, it is necessary to do some stretching such as rolling your neck, ankles and wrists. This will reduce the risk of getting injured and at the same time, these stretching exercises will make you more flexible.
Stand straight up lifting your hands over your head. Keeping your arms straight is crucial, then step forward, throw hands down and do the kick.
Kick one leg and take a forward step. When doing it, you should ensure that the skeletal system can handle or endure the load of your body. Thus, you should keep your fingertips align with your back foot.

Aside from the basic steps mentioned, you should also ensure proper balance of the body. Otherwise, it may lead to injury once you make a mistake in throwing your hands and kicking your legs. Likewise, while approaching the ground, always keep your arms straight. Keeping your arms and elbows bended can injure you.

Performing this handstand is not a piece of cake so you need someone to assist you if it’s your first time. If you are a beginner on doing handstands, this is not recommended for you. You should be able to do a handstand for two seconds, and a standing back bend before you can practice doing handstand kickover moves.

If you want to learn a lot more on bridging movements like this be sure to check out the Advanced Bridging Course.

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Rock Climbing and Handstands Combined

By Bac on July 24, 2012 in Rock Climbing, Walking & Jumping

Yesterday you got to watch Tim “Livewire” Shieff live life in a handstand. Here’s another great video of the same man. Thanks to Dave Gillett for sharing this one with me.

I think rock climbing and handstands go very well together. In one you work the pushing muscles of the upper body. In the other you work the pulling muscles.

But this isn’t what I mean when I say to combine the two…

This is truly rock climbing and handstands combined. A simple bouldering stunt turned upside down. This makes going down a flight of stairs on your hands look like child’s play.

How many other rock climbers/hand balancers are out there?

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How to Make a Gymnastic Rings Dream Machine

By Bac on July 13, 2012 in Rings

The other week I posted a video on my first ever attempt in a gymnastic rings dream machine. It was fun then and I’ve used it a few more times since then. If you’re interested in building your own dream machine, it’s not too difficult. This video series will give you everything you need to know to do it yourself.

How to Make a Gymnastic Rings Dream Machine Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Review

If you build one yourself be sure to come back and here and say if it all worked for you like the videos said or if you made any changes at all be sure to comment below.

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5 Ring Handstand Push-ups

By Bac on July 12, 2012 in Rings

This video shows a man doing 5 ring handstand push-ups. Can you do this too? I could probably do one or two reps right now if I tried.

The ring handstand pushup takes much more strength then even full range handstand pushups against a wall. Although the straps can be used so you don’t have to balance, the strength it takes to stabilize your body dramatically increases.

Don’t even try this without a solid base of full range handstand pushups, and being use to the rings.

It would also be smart to work the shoulder stand position on the rings at the bottom.

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Handstand Shrugs

By Bac on July 9, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Handstands

Handstand shrugs are a seldom used exercise yet they can be quite important.

Ask any professional hand balancer, or just watch them at work, and you’ll see how much their shoulders are shrugged up towards their ears. (Here is an example of Cai Yong.) This is necessary to get the locked out position that makes balancing much better.

But this isn’t necessary to do just a regular handstand. Handstands can be done even with the shoulders packed in, but this is not optimal.

Shrugged vs. Not Shrugged

Kick up into a handstand against the wall. Keep your arms locked at the elbows the entire time. Just using the muscles of your shoulder girdle and traps, shrug up, trying to make yourself taller. Stretch as far as you can go. Then lower using the same muscles and repeat.

The most important thing is that this exercise can help build the shoulder flexibility you need to get into the best handstand position possible.

Handstand shrugs are also a great way to build up to handstand pushups as I cover in my book.

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Handstand Yoga Sanskrit

By Bac on July 7, 2012 in Yoga

Some people are interested in the Sanskrit term for the handstand in yoga. If that’s you then here is the answer.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Like its inverted cousins such as Forearm Balance and Headstand, a major obstacle to Handstand is a natural fear of falling. So the basic pose will be described with the heels supported against a wall. Make sure that there are no hanging pictures or other decorations on the wall directly above you.

(ah-doh moo-kah vriks-SHAHS-anna) adho mukha = face
downward (adho = downward; mukha = face)
vrksa = tree

From Yoga Journal

Personally I find the word handstand much easier to remember and pronounce then Adho Mukha Vrksasana so I’ll be sticking to that.

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Handstand on Forearms

By Bac on July 5, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Handstands, Yoga

The handstand on forearms is commonly called the forearm stand.

There are also a number of other names like the lion or tiger stand. In yoga it has been called Pincha Mayurasana or the Feathered Peacock pose.

It is a great exercise for opening up the upper back and shoulders. It can also be used for lower back flexibility. In the following video you’ll see a woman doing just that. Pay attention to the different positions she takes with her legs, and also how she starts off with support in this position. If you’ve never done the forearm stand before I would highly recommend doing it against a wall the first time.

I typically teach the handstand on forearms as one of the lead-up stunts towards the true handstand, as once you’re use to it, it’s quite easy to balance in. For more details check out the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start.

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Handstand to Crow

By Bac on July 4, 2012 in Handstands, Presses & Pushup, Yoga

This post is about moving from a handstand to crow position. The crow is the common name used in yoga, for what I generally refer to as the frogstand. It is also called a bakasana.

You’ll notice here the strap around her arms. This is a prop used to help keep the arms in the proper alignment. I’ve never tried it out myself, but it looks like it could be helpful in preventing the arms from flaring out.

Moving from the handstand to crow is easier then going the opposite way, the crow to handstand as is shown in the following video. Of course this can then be done with lowering back down in the same manner.

The handstand to crow and vice versa can be done with straighter arms or arms with more bend.

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Gymnastic Rings Dream Machine

By Bac on July 2, 2012 in Rings

The other day my friend was telling me about this device called a gymnastic rings dream machine. Surprisingly I had never heard of it. Well, he built one in his gym, and just yesterday I got to try it out for the first time ever.

Sorry the video isn’t great, but it was shot with an iphone on a whim.

The gymnastic rings dream machine allows you unload a significant portion of your bodyweight and thus you can work on harder skills. You see me here doing an iron cross and front lever, two moves that are currently outside of my ability (but not for too much longer).

Does anyone else have experience with the dream machine?

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Handstand From Sitting

By Bac on June 29, 2012 in Flexibility & Contortion, Presses & Pushup

The following, going to a handstand from sitting position, is an intermediate skill though it can be made easier or harder.

This video shows you a good example of how you can do this move.

Handstand From Sitting

This is probably the easiest form to do this skill in.

1 – Start in an L-sit position
2 – Tuck your legs
3 – Come to a tuck planche or bent arm tucked position.
4 – Press up to a handstand

You can reverse the positions and come back down from a handstand to sitting position as well. This skill is just slightly harder then the frogstand press.

To make this more advanced keep your arms straight then entire time. This may take a little less strength but more flexibility.

To make it much more advanced keep the legs straight the entire time. This requires much more flexibility to bring them through your arms, plus compressive ability.

To make this skill easier try it from parallel bars.

The handstand from sitting is a great hand balancing press skill no matter how you do it so start working on it.

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