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Fellow Hand Balancers

I spent this past weekend as an Assistant Instructor at the Russian Kettlebell Certification.

Kettlebells are a great tool and they could help your hand balancing, as described in part by Rif in the interview found in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course, but that is not the main point of this message.It just that at the event I was practicing a little bit of my hand balancing during some of the off time. Lo and behold some of the people in my group happened to be fellow hand balancers. And not just novices either.

One of them is actually working on a partner hand balancing act. She showed me a video of her and her partner’s hand-on-hand balancing.

How about holding a pretty decent straddle planche? Definitely past the beginner stage.

I also picked up an interesting variation of the forearm stand from yoga that I’ll share with you next time.

When they found out about my site they went ahead a purchased The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing on the spot.My point is that when you get around like minded people you are likely to learn some new things. I encourage you to get out and find other hand balancers to help you on your path. Its not always an easy thing to do but worth the effort.

If you can join a gymnastics class.

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick
ow to do the One Hand Handstand on Amazon

Just practice outside and you might get lucky and stumble upon someone. Who knows?

When you get together you can help one another out. You learn best by teaching after all. You may pick up a crucial tip that benefits you. Plus there is the challenge to out do each other.

If you are fortunate enough to have a like-minded friend then you know what I’m talking about. (On a side note you should tell them about my site so you can talk about and practice many of the tips together.)

If you don’t you gotta find one.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. You can find out much more about kettlebells and many other great training resources right here.

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Chinese Acrobats do Handstands on Chairs

Chinese Acrobats Handstand on Chairs

Whoa!

This is just a sneak peak of what they best acrobats from China can do and one of many hand balancing tricks involving chairs shown in The Art of Chinese Acrobatics.

That’s 16 people doing handstands on top of more than a dozen chairs and some other apparatus.

Walking and Jumping On Your HandsWalking and Jumping On Your Hands on Amazon

My biggest question is how do you get into that? I’ve seen some crazy pyramid formations but this takes the cake. In this case it might actually be harder to get into position than hold it!

Now you may not be able to pull of this stunt, but there’s no reason you can’t use a chair to increase your handstand skills.

Try to press up into a handstand from a normal sitting position. Not a novice move but by no means a very difficult one either. It’s sure to amaze any onlookers though.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. You can see a picture of Bob Jones doing a hand balance on a chair on page 121 of The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing. Except in this case it’s a rocking chair adding even more difficulty to the balancing. As you can see the sky is the limit in what you can accomplish.

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Guide to Holding a Handstand Feedback

“After successfully utilizing the free ‘Beginners Guide to Holding a Handstand.’ I have decided to take it to the next level.”

This comes from Richard in Virginia, as he bought the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

Smart move.

I made the Guide to get you started in hand balancing because of the lack of information on doing handstands on the internet. I think it does just that, get you started.

But where you go from there is up to you. It is also your choice whether you want to pave your own path or learn from the masters. I suggest the latter.

Which bring me the the main point. This is something I should have done a while ago but haven’t for some reason.

I need your feedback on The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Doing a Handstand.

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

What did you think about it? Did it help? What were the most helpful tips? Did you follow the system? What were your results?

And most importantly – What do you think could be improved or added?

Justsend an email to [email protected] and give me your thoughts.

My aim with the guide was to give you a complete method of achieving the handstand. But you may have found something I missed.

There’s a video project in the works thats gonna delve into more depth, more tricks and tips to get you started.

Now’s your chance to help me make it even better.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Just send an email to [email protected] and let me know what you think. And I thank you ahead of time for taking the time to do this.

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Hand Sensitivity for Handstands

Was reading this book on hand dynamics just last night. It talks about some crazy stuff such as a third of our motor brain controlling just the hands. And by the fact that we have hands we are able to manipulate tools and thus build an advanced civilization unlike any other animal.

When you think about it the hands are very amazing instruments. There are so many different ways you can move them around that its mind boggling. They can create art, play musical instruments, hold large weights, massage another person, and much more.

Hand balancing doesn’t just take strength. That’s an obvious thing to anyone who has ever tried a handstand. Though strength is necessary which is why Professor Orlick outlines more than a dozen exercises in his work for this purpose.

In order to balance you need sensitivity. Being able to detect minor movements in your body and weight distribution and correct them by manipulating your fingers and wrists.

There are many exercises in this book for flexibility, coordination and more which I may cover at a different time. But now I wanted to leave you with a final thought.

Tumbling Illustrated
Tumbling Illustrated on Amazon

Sometimes you need to concentrate on the big picture. Other times you need to look at the very small details.

The next time you are inverted give some added thought to the slightest movements in your hands. It might help you out.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Changing up your Handstand Pushups

In sticking with the pressing theme started earlier this week I want to cover a little bit more in this tip.

Many people get into hand balancing as a result of doing handstand pushups against a wall. This was the case for me and I know its the same for many others.

I learned that holding a handstand then doing pushups is one of the ultimate bodyweight exercises for your upper body. But when I started I couldn’t do a single rep.

Still the idea of one day being able to rep out handstand pushups AWAY from a wall always inspired me and I have made my way toward that goal.

Being able to do freestanding handstand pushups is a feat very few can replicate. Many people do not have the strength. Even fewer have the balance.

Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days
Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days on Amazon

One thing I noticed that tends to throw people off is their hand and arm position.

If you were to kick up against a wall to do pushups what position would you take? Is this the same position you’d take away from the wall?

Play around with the width and angle of you hands and arms and you will find you can change the difficulty of handstand pushups considerably.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. There is no way I would have made this much progress without the help of these two men – Professor Paulinetti and Bob Jones.

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The Show Must Go On

There I was busily typing away, working on a future project, when my laptop started to make a clicking noise. I sat there mesmerized as it froze up and then died.

Tumbling Illustrated
Tumbling Illustrated on Amazon

Son of a…

I tired several times to restart the computer but to no avail. A visit to a repair place and a call to tech support later and I am stuck in the same boat.

Unfortunately, this means no computer for some time. Maybe weeks while I send it in to the repair place and wait for it to come back.

Now I expect computers to do this sort of thing when they are old but I bought this laptop just 6 months ago.

Thankfully I can get to the public library and use the internet. Still a hassle but I’m glad its there when you need it.

Having no computer sure makes running and online business a bit of a challenge. But I’ll manage.

These emails will go out on a semi-regular basis. Anything you buy – https://lostartofhandbalancing.com/products.html – will still be processed and shipped in a timely manner.

Other things like adding articles, pictures, or new web pages will have to wait for now. There is lots in the works as far as video lessons are concerned but that too will go on hold.

In the mean time I’ll be searching for a work-around for this little problem. If this sounded like a sob story I didn’t intend it to be. Just letting you know whats going on.

Which brings me to hand balancing.

Its nice when you think about it. It requires zero equipment. Nothing to crash and burn leaving you helpless.

Just you and the ground (the last time I checked thats in plentiful supply and if it goes away you got bigger problems to worry about then hand balancing).

The only thing that can stop you from becoming an accomplished hand balancer is you. There are no excuses.

In the words of Nike, “Just Do It.”

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Of course its wise to learn from those that have come before you. And that’s how you put yourself on the fast-track to hand balancing success.

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The Hand Balancing Bible!?!

“When I received The Hand Balancing Mastery Course a wave of excitement passed over me. One of those feelings when I just knew ‘this was gonna be great’. And besides, it was said to be ‘the most complete course on the art of hand balancing ever written’. And I was about to discover the truth of that statement for myself…

I didn’t make this up. You really gotta see this review of the course in its entirety.

Jump on over to the Hand Balancing Mastery Course to read the rest of it. Its at the very bottom so scroll all the way down.

Trampoline Handbook
Trampoline Handbook on Amazon

I think you just might get something out of it.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Warning: After reading the review you may be tempted to order yourself a copy. If that’s the case I want you to know that its in stock and ready to ship tomorrow. https://lostartofhandbalancing.com/hbmastery.html

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Routine for Abs

Here is a routine for abs especially for people who want to be strong for acrobatics and hand balancing.

A couple of you went ahead and purchased Gymnastic Abs and that may be one of your smartest moves. But I figured you might be one of those people sitting on the fence about it. Let me tell you about my current routine I have put together using this course. Some of these moves you have undoubtedly heard of, but others may be new to you.

Leg Raises. Usually 3 or 4 sets of these either hanging or on the parallel bars. It’s a matter of increasing reps and then increasing height until you get your legs all the way up.

Walking and Jumping On Your HandsWalking and Jumping On Your Hands on Amazon

The other exercises are done in a circuit fashion. V-Ups, Russian Ballet Thrusts, Side Plank Raises, and Compressions.

One of the biggest things I picked up from Ed’s course is these compressions. Of course there are different ways to do it but it’s an isometric contraction that will work everything. Not only does it strengthen your abs but it builds your ability to compress them, hence the name. This one alone is worth the price because it will make straight arm handstand presses easier. Unfortunately this move has alluded me for a long time, but not too much longer. I then finish of with hollow body rocks and arch rocks. These act as great finishers especially done ‘til you can’t do anymore.

Whether you get the Gymnastic Abs program or not just make sure you train those abs hard and with your whole body.

Good Luck and Good Ab Training,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If you’ve got any questions about the course I’d be happy to answer them for you. Shoot your question to me here.

Leg Raises

Leg Raises

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You Need Strong Abs for Hand Balancing

Let’s face it, you will NEVER become an excellent hand balancer or acrobat without having incredibly strong abs. Powerful statement but true.

Have you neglected training this area with the same kind of force you train the rest of your body? I know I did for a long time but that has changed.

One of the presenters at a seminar I attended last year led us through a long series of abdominal exercises. Many of which I had never done or heard of before.

These exercises were for the abs but they used the whole body. And after doing a few of them I could feel it everywhere.

You will be teaching your body how to act as one unit. Does this sound familiar? It should because that’s exactly what you need do pull off any hand balancing stunt.

It turns out the guy teaching us, Ed Baran, had started gymnastics at the age of 35. In order to get better at hand balancing and tumbling he was told he needed to strengthen his abs. These are the exercises he used and some he developed along the way.

And now he can do incredible things like hold an awesome v-sit. That’s a long way from not being able to hold a regular handstand against a wall.

If you want to build gymnastic abs like this then you need to check out the following – Gymnastic Abs

I only wish my gymnastics class had taught me these moves. During the conditioning I was often left wondering why are they doing crunches?

I’m sorry but no matter how many crunches you do you will not build the strength, flexibility and coordination you need for hand balancing or real gymnast strength.

What we learned at the seminar was just a sneak peak of what he was planning on releasing. He has an entire course available now. Unfortunately it took me seeing the course to remember what I had learned and put everything back into action.

No matter what your abilities are now there are progressions to take you from the beginning to advanced levels in moves like hollow position rocks, l-sits, leg raises, compressions and more.

In just a couple weeks of following these exercises the way he laid out I have seen phenomenal benefits. I highly recommend it. Go find out more details – Gymnastic Abs.

Good Luck and Good Ab Training,
Logan Christopher

P.S. That picture of Ed holding a v-sit was enough incentive for me to interview him for the Hand Balancing Mastery Course. Follow his step-by-step progressions and you too can be pulling this one off – Gymnastic Abs

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing
The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing on Amazon

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Changing up your Hand Balancing Training

Ever so often you have to switch up your training. If you come to a standstill and can’t seem to make any progress this is what you must do.

For some time I was spending 10 to 15 minutes every morning practicing my hand balancing as well as few times throughout the day.

Being that I practice inside my bedroom I only had so much space. As a result I was working on my one hand handstand. I made quick progress at first but then this came to a halt.

I could have powered through it. If you quit every time something gets difficult you won’t ever achieve anything great.

However this time I felt a change was needed. So I’ve rejoined my gymnastics class.

Now there is plenty of room to practice and plenty of time to do it although only twice a week.

Not only does this shock your body but it will refresh your mind. If you ever feel tired and stuck a small or even big change-up is what you may need.

Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days
Learn How to Back Flip in 31 Days on Amazon

As long as you keep up with your practice you will get better. But the manner in which you practice can always be altered.

There is large variety just in hand balancing itself. You need never get bored.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Another thing I added in was more ab work specific to gymnastics. I’ll tell you about it in a few days because just a few moves have made a big difference.

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