In my last post on juggling I talked about the differences between learning most skills and that of hand balancing. The biggest difference being that hand balancing takes a lot of strength and endurance.
People talk about having the proper position which places the stress along the structure of the body versus using your strength to hold yourself up. This is true.
Building endurance holding this position against the wall allows you to train more when trying to learn the balance.
While holding a handstand out in the open is largely a matter of balance, you know once you get past a certain point fatigue starts to set in.
By working to increase the time you can hold a handstand against the wall you can increase your endurance overall. You should be able to balance and hold a freestanding handstand longer with more endurance.
But the main benefit is you’ll also have the endurance to train longer with greater effectiveness.
So even if you are working on balancing, still spending some time against the wall to improve your endurance will benefit you.
This applies to more than just the basic handstand. Why not try the same thing with the one hand handstand?
Of course, as going for long timed holds against the wall is fatiguing you’ll want to do these at the end of your practice, not at the start.
The same can be said of handstand pushups. Are you working on presses and freestanding handstand pushups? Make sure you have adequate strength to work on the skills of the movements. And to do that increase your reps and follow the progressions laid out in The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups.
Work to increase your skills. Work to increase your endurance. Both lead towards the same goal.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
While I agree to some point in what you are saying, I would suggest that flexibility is more important than strength in developing a handstand.
At the dutch acrobatics festival a few years back they had a handstand competition, and while the acrobats with strong long handstands began to fall one by one, it was the contortionist with a broken leg than sat with her bum on her head looking around until everyone had fallen before she decided, ok well thats long enough and came down!
Also with my own practice, I have found that being able to align my body well makes a huge difference, and flexibility takes longer to biuld than strength. Therefore IMO this should be given as much if not more focus than strength.
regards
Jesse
I’ve heard before how contortionists can hold the longest handstand. Even in The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing Bob Jones talks about having the most back bend will help your handstand. Takes less balance and its those adjustments that eat up strength assuming you have a great position.
I agree with you Jesse. Flexibility is important in several regards to handstands.
hey logan i have a question. i am really good at hand stands and stuff but i still have a problem. when i am up in the hand stand position my lower part of my abdominal area sticks out instead of being completely straight with my body. i have read that this is a big problem and that it is a very bad habit. well it is already a habit of mine and so i am trying to break myself of it . what can i do to straighten up?
@Nathan: It’s not a big problem unless you’re specifically trying to do the straight handstand or are a gymnast where its required. If you want to straighten out go back to the wall. This article has more details: https://lostartofhandbalancing.com/articles/how-to-do-a-straight-handstand/