Lost Art of Hand Balancing - Page 26 of 65 - Hand Balancing and Acrobatics Training for the Everyday Man and Woman

How to do a Headstand Yoga

By Sharon on September 4, 2012 in Head Balancing, Yoga

Sirsasana is another name for the Yoga Headstand, which is a challenging posture within the inversion category. Other inversions include postures such as the handstand, the forearm balance and the shoulder stand. There’s a wide array of benefits to be had from learning how to do a headstand in yoga, but one should never attempt a headstand without taking the time to properly learn the correct alignment and setup for this particular yoga pose.

Preparation and Alignment

To get prepped and aligned for the headstand, get into your hands and knees.

Lower onto your elbows, making sure your elbows are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. Bring your hands together, and interlace your fingers, making sure to tuck under your outer most pinky.
Lower the crown of your head down and place it on the floor, cup your head with your interlaced fingers.
As if you were coming into the downward facing dog position, bring your hips up over your shoulders by walking up towards your head.

The Full Headstand

Now that you’re prepped and aligned, you are most on your way to learning how to do a headstand yoga. All that is left is to go into the full headstand.

Bring your knees and bring them in towards your chest while lifting both of your feet into the air.
Allow yourself to stabilize, and then straighten your legs. Do your best to bring both of your legs up at the same time.
Push up into the balls of your feet and turn your thighs inwards just slightly.
Push down deep into your forearms.

You should try to hold the pose for at least 10 breaths count. Congratulations, you just learned how to do a headstand yoga! To get yourself out of this pose safely, just slowly lower each leg one at a time on to the floor.

Benefits and Risks

There are both physical and mental rewards to the yoga headstand. You’ll find that this pose will increase strength in your arms and legs, as well as positive effects on your pituitary glands and lungs. Some claims state that the headstand pose can alleviate stress and depression, by changing your outward perspective of things. It is a fact that the act of acting against the gravity helps with the cleansing of our intestines. However, if you should suffer from high or low blood pressure, a heart condition, or back/neck injuries, you should not attempt this pose. People without sufficient upper body strength can also compress their spine and damage their body in doing this pose. Make sure that you are totally prepared and capable before attempting the yoga headstand.

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Swiss Ball Acrobatics

By admin on September 3, 2012 in Tumbling

There’s a series featuring two of the best athletes in the world, Damien Walters and Tim Shieff, who I’ve featured a whole bunch on this site. In this series they do a bunch of random acrobatic things together, along with some of their other friends.

To start with they work on a slack line, and they aren’t very good. This goes to show that just because you’re excellent at one thing it doesn’t mean you’ll be good at everything. Still the manage a couple near handstand that are probably beyond the ability of many slackliners. And if they stuck with it I’m sure they’d pick up skills very fast with their acrobatic base.

Then they move onto using a physio ball, also known as a swiss ball to try out new acrobatic moves. Some are awesome, but they also miss a whole bunch.

It’s great to watch a video like this where you see people just playing around with their skills, and how often they miss and make them. While your skills may not be at this level, the training could look much the same. Of course, it goes without saying that it’s not recommended to try any of these moves without a proper facility to train in, coaching, and making sure you only work at things within your skill range.

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Straight Arm Strength

By admin on August 30, 2012 in Presses & Pushup

If you’re into hand balancing you MUST build strength in a way that is not done with weight lifting, or almost any other form of exercise.

That is Straight Arm Strength.

I’ve been working a lot on this exact thing lately.

My friends at Gold Medal Bodies just put up a great video I think you should see.

Go here to watch it.

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Handstand Drills

By admin on August 22, 2012 in Handstands

There are a whole lot of different handstand drills you’ll need to do depending on what you’re working on. In this article we’ll focus on specific drills that will help you to hold a better and more stable handstand position.

If you’re looking for different handstand drills just look around on the site. Check out the articles section or look at the specific categories you’re interested in in the sidebar.

Wall Handstand

Kick-up or pressup against a wall and hold the position. Keep on working to increase your time

Reverse Wall Handstand

In the reverse handstand your chest will be facing the wall, instead of your back. Most people will find this position works the straight body handstand much better.

Headstand

The headstand can be used to train the body position and balancing, while giving the hands, arms and shoulders a rest.

Handstand Position Lying on the Floor

Simply lying on the floor and getting into a hollow position like you would for the handstand will get you use to getting into this position. Try it both on the stomach and on your back.

Kickup

This is not commonly practiced yet is a crucial part of the handstand. How you get into the handstand is almost as important as being able to hold it. This is because if you can’t kick up with the same amount of force each time, you won’t get into that sweet spot where you can even begin to balance with the hands.

Walking Across the Wall

Get into a handstand against the wall. This can be in the normal or reverse handstand position. Then walk from left to right and right to left while maintaining a strong handstand position.

Handstand Pushups

If you want to build strength, handstand pushups will do it. In the handstand bend your arms to lower down, then press back up. This can be made progressive for any strength level.

Handstand Shrugs

Once you’re in a handstand position you’ll want to shrug your shoulders up towards the ears. This is the normal position but in this exercise you unshrug and shrug again for reps. this helps to develop and build shoulder and scapula strength and control.

Flexibility Drills

The handstand takes a good amount of flexibility. Some particular areas you’ll want to focus on are the shoulders and elbows. In addition for other skills you’ll need hamstring and hip flexibility too.

If you’re looking to improve you handstand then doing a circuit of these, and other drills, will get you better.

For more ideas this video shows a number of gymnastic handstand drills done with small kids.

As you can see some, of these drills require another person, but many can be done yourself. The key point, when working on this straight body position is to make sure you’re there. This is done with a coach, or else at least setup a camera so you can check your position. Often times you’ll find you think you’re in the right position, but find that you’re not.

Too many people move onto more advanced skills without spending enough time on these basic handstand drills that form the foundation you must have if you want to go onto harder skills. (And yes I’ve made this mistake in the past as well.)

If you’re looking for a specific step-by-step system to achieve a freestanding handstand (and not necessarily in gymnastic style) check out the Secrets of the Handstand System.

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Handstand Benefits

By admin on August 21, 2012 in Handstands

There are many handstand benefits. For this article we’ll be splitting it up into doing the handstand against the wall and doing the handstand freestanding. I make no claims that this is an exhaustive list.

The reverse handstand, one version of the wall handstand.

Wall Handstand Benefits

Builds a beginner level coordination and balance – When you’re starting out a handstand can be tricky even though the wall is supporting you. When you get use to the position it will be easy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t give you coordination and balance that other people don’t have.
Great as a lead-up stunt to handstand pushups or freestanding handstands – Want to work up to harder stunts? You have to start here, and if you move past it too fast you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Teaches you proper body positioning for the handstand – No better way to work on that position you need then against the wall.
Shows you how to support your bodyweight on your hands – The handstand itself doesn’t take a whole lot of muscular strength. That’s because you rely more on your bone structure, but you have to learn how to use it properly.
Can be used to build shoulder flexibility – Especially if you’re going after a straight handstand you’re going to have to open up those shoulders. That can be done in the handstand itself.
Get the benefits of inversion – Inversion comes with a number of benefits according to the yogic tradition. Not only is it fun to spend time on your hands but its good for your health too.

Sig Klein doing a Freestand Handstand

Benefits of Freestanding Handstands

All of the above plus…
Builds a more advanced level coordination and balance – Unless you start as a child you’ll find that learning to stand on your hands is quite difficult. The balance required is big, compared to against a wall, not compared to a one hand handstand. For a lot more details on how to make it progressive check out my Secrets of the Handstand System.
The foundation needed for all other hand balancing movements – Don’t try to move onto handstand presses or walking on your hands without first building a good base. I recommend at least a 30 second hold in one stationary spot.
An impressive skill few people can do – To me the handstand is nothing, but when I’m out practicing people are always wowed by it. It’s served as a great conversation started in many cases, and you’re sure to get lots of friendly comments like “That’s awesome!” from being capable of doing this skill.
Strengthens the wrists and fingers – You need to learn how to balance with your hands and fingers. Those are the prime movers in keeping you in balance and they’ll become stronger (and more flexible) because of it.

So there we have it. At least ten different handstand benefits you can easily gain from practicing these skills. Want even more? Here are more benefits from hand balancing in general.

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Handstand Pushup Benefits

By admin on August 20, 2012 in Presses & Pushup

Handstand pushup benefits are many. Some might even call it one of the greatest exercises ever invented.

Strengthens the triceps, shoulders and chest
Strengthens many stabilizer muscles
Requires coordination and balance
Can be an effective muscle builder
Provides the benefits of inversion
Its an impressive skill few people can do
Can be handled very progressively

HSPU Benefits

Handstand pushups strengthens the triceps, shoulders and chest

The triceps are the muscles on the backs of the upper arms. They are used in extending the arm at the elbow. The shoulders or deltoid muscles are used in raising the arm overhead. The chest or pectoral muscles primarily bring the arms forward. Depending on how much arch is used in your handstand pushups, you can use these muscles more or less.

With different variations of these exercises you’ll emphasize or downplay these muscles to different degrees. But these aren’t the only muscles in use…

Strengthens many stabilizer muscles

In order to keep your body overhead you need more then just the prime movers to be firing. For example, the lats, the big muscles on the back, will be used to stabilize your body in air. In fact, a number of people have reported their pullup numbers going up just from doing handstand pushups.

Part of the reason for this is covered in the next point…

Requires coordination and balance

The handstand pushup requires more coordination and balance then handling a similar weight in the military press for instance. While this isn’t to say that a barbell doesn’t take any coordination or balance, any handstand position simply takes more. Just remember the first time you kicked up into a handstand against a wall. Chances are you weren’t quite sure where your body was in space. And this is doing a handstand against the wall, not even in the open.

So while the balance isn’t a huge part of this move, it is in there. There are many people that can push a barbell equal to their weight overhead but don’t have the coordination necessary to do handstand pushups.

Can be an effective muscle builder

Handstand pushups are a good exercise to build muscle. When done for higher reps, you can certainly add size to your shoulders and arms especially. They may not equal a barbell in gaining mass for one simple reason. As you’re adding muscle you’re gaining weight, and that is going to make this exercise harder, as opposed to any weight lifting exercise.

Full Range Handstand Pushup

Handstands provides the benefits of inversion

Inversions are known to provide a number of benefits by themselves. This can be something simple like a headstand but handstand pushups certainly count. These benefits include reversing the flow of gravity, which can relax the muscles (not likely in this exercise) but also to add in circulation.

Its an impressive skill few people can do

This may be the most important benefit of handstand pushups. When you can do these effortlessly you are in a class above most people. This skill can be made much harder in a number of ways too, which will make it even more impressive, like doing full range handstand pushups, one arm handstand pushups, or doing them freestanding.

If you’re looking to impress your friends, family or a member of the opposite sex 🙂 it’s worth a shot to improve your handstand pushups.

Can be handled very progressively

Unfortunately many people believe that the handstand pushup is just one exercise with not much variation in it. This is far from the truth. Did you know that just changing the position of your arms can dramatically change the difficulty of this exercise? The same is true with your head position too.

There are also other methods like doing partials that can make this exercise suitable for just about every level. For a whole lot more on progressing with handstand pushups click here.

We’ve covered seven different handstand pushup benefits here and there are even more. But you won’t get any of them if you don’t DO the exercise. If you’re not doing handstand pushups already start adding them to your routine. If you are, I’d love to get your comments about them below.

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Hand Balancing for Muscular Development

By admin on August 18, 2012 in Handstands

Hand Balancing for Muscular Development is a book written by Bill Hinbern on learning to do hand balancing.

This book was actually for first introduction to hand balancing and got me started a long time ago.

The book is dedicated to three people. Robert L. Jones. Professor Paulinetti. And Professor E.M. Orlick. No big surprise there. These men are three of the masters and teachers of many people through their books, all of which are available here at this website.

In many ways this book is similar to Hand Balancing Made Easy by Prof. Orlick. Even the drawings are quite close, and a lot of the base building weighted and bodyweight exercises are the same.

In my opinion there is more information in any of the books available here over this one by Hinbern. There is more information on each exercise and a lot more discussion of how to build up to the exercises, rather then just this is how you do them.

What I do like about this book is it’s easy to use and broken up into beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises. It’s short, simple and sweet, clocking in at roughly 63 pages. And although the title speaks of muscular development, it’s not really the focus of the book.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

If you’re looking for a complete library of hand balancing, which I think is a great idea, then I would certainly pick it up and add it to your collection.

This book is available here.

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Yoga Handstands

By admin on August 16, 2012 in Handstands, Yoga

In Yoga handstands make up one area that a lot of people avoid, because they can be much more difficult then any number of the other poses. But they should not be avoided. While it may take lots of practice you can learn how to do the handstand and other inverted poses.

It’s important to note that the handstand has been called the king of poses because of the benefits it brings. It strengthens the whole body, requires tremendous coordination, and it is an inversion which brings plenty of its own benefits.

Yoga Handstands

While not the best demonstation in the world, this video shows you what practicing handstands in yoga may look like (if you happen to be a very attractive female).

The handstand is not the first inversion or handbalancing pose you should work on. Far from it. There are a number of other poses that will build up your ability.

Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock Pose or commonly called the Forearm Stand)

Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand)

Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)

Bakasana (Crane Pose)

Parsva Bakasana (Side Crane Pose)

Mayurasana (Peacock Pose)

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

Tolasana (Scale Pose)

And of course the handstand itself which is called Adho Mukha Vrksasana.

This is just like I teach in the Secrets of the Handstand System, and in fact some of the poses or drills are the same. If you want a step-by-step system to achieving the handstand check it out. Although its not geared toward yoga it will work just the same.

There are a number of variations of the handstand that can be done like the scorpion pose below, which adds extreme back flexibility into the mix. (Also note that the balance will actually be easier here then a straight bodied handstand as the center of gravity is lower.)

Scorpion Pose

So by working with the easier poses you’ll build up your balancing ability and control you need to hold the handstand. Once you’re there you can begin to go even further with your yoga handstands.

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Press to Handstand

By admin on August 15, 2012 in Presses & Pushup

The press to handstand is a fairly general name, that commonly refers to any straight arm press. This is different from the many bent arm presses, which are still presses up to a handstand, but are usually called something different.

Among the straight arm variations, the most common and easiest to begin with is the straddle press, where the legs are spread wide.

There is also the pike press, which is harder to do, because having the legs together increases the leverage.

Here is a good video tutorial on the subject

All the drills in this video will help you to learn this skills. To recap:

1) Straddle Lift off the Floor Holds
2) Straddle Lift Pressup
3) Straddle and Pike Stretch
4) Trying the Press to Handstand and Lifting Toes
5) Straddle Press Against the Wall
6) Straddle Press with Feet Raised to Start

I would partially disagree with her statement to never jump. While that doesn’t qualify for the full skill, you can use a little hop in training for this exercise.

Also the floor press handstand (where the legs start on the floor) is a harder skill then just pressing with your feet starting on the ground.

Be forewarned this exercise can be very difficult to do, especially for men. The biggest thing likely to hold you back is flexibility, more so then strength. Much work needs to be done on these drills and others to attain this skill. In addition to the hamstring and hip flexibility you need lots of compression ability, that is compacting your upper and lower body together.

I’m personally still working on this skill as it’s long eluded me, but I am getting ever closer.

There are many more advanced variations of pressing to handstand, like from an Lsit or even on one arm as is seen in the video below.

For lots of tips and training ideas on many variations of the press to handstand I highly suggest you check out Professor Orlick’s Hand Balancing Made Easy.

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York Hand Balancing Course

By admin on August 14, 2012 in Handstands, Presses & Pushup

The York Hand Balancing Course was published by the York Barbell Company. There is no specific author, and I have found no information that states who actually wrote it. It starts off with the following:

DID YOU EVER NOTICE when you see a group of strong men together that, sooner or later, they take time out for some handbalancing? Handbalancing to a bodybuilder, a weightlifter or any barbell man, is as natural as a duck taking to water. I think one reason for this is the fact that barbell trained men are so much stronger than others that the difficult balancing stunts are to them very easy. Furthermore, lifting barbells has given them unusual co-ordination which is very necessary to the would-be balancer.

While this may have been true in the 40’s when this book was originally written, it is not anymore. Most weightlifters and bodybuilders couldn’t hold a handstand, even against the wall, if they tried. But with more realistic and functional training this is swinging back the other way.

And if you’re a weightlifter, bodybuilder, or train in any other manner there’s no reason you can’t also do the handstand, and much more advanced hand balancing tricks.

There is actually two York Hand Balancing Courses, number 1 and 2. If you want you can get both in one volume over at Amazon.

The first book covers beginner to intermediate hand balancing stunts and the second even more advanced material.

While it’s a great introduction to the material, it doesn’t go into the same depth as you’ll find in other places like The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing and Hand Balancing Made Easy.

Here’s a couple examples of what you’ll find inside the York course:

York Handstand Positions

I HAVE OFTEN BEEN ASKED ; “just what does the perfect handstand look like?” There are many expert handbalancers and it seems that each one has a different idea on this. Some insist that it is only perfect when the normal back arch (the amount the same person would have if standing erect on his feet) is shown in the handstand position (see Fig. 9A). There are others who prefer a very deep arch claiming it is more graceful and requires less effort once mastered (see Fig. 9B). A third prevalent group insist that only the ‘Continental’ type of handstand is correct (see Fig. 9C). The ‘Continental’ allows practically no arch – the legs and lower part of the body in line with the arms.

Of course as this was written in the 40’s the handstands taught are the antique or classic style, and not the straight handstands that are common today in the circus or gymnastics. Even it’s continental handstand is not what is commonly taught these days. Nothing is wrong with these positions at all, but its not the place to go for a modern straight handstand.

York Handstand Lever Up

YOU WON’T FIND MANY chaps who can do this lever-up. It takes plenty of strength and flexibility. The starting position for the stiff-arm-stiff-legged is shown on Page 4, Fig. 4A. Lean well forward, keep the elbows straight at all times and bring the feet as close to the hands as possible without bending the knees. The closer you can get your feet to your hands the easier the stunt . Keep leaning forward until the feet leave the floor (as indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 4B, Page 4) and continue to raise the legs (Fig. 4B, dotted lines) from the hips only. As your feet come into the vertical position (Fig. 4C) you will have to draw your shoulders and head back (that is; come back from the extreme forward position) until the complete handstand has been secured. You must have perfect control through-out the entire movement.

So the York Handbalancing book is a great place to get some ideas for hand balancing exercises, but is not the most in-depth or complete manual available today.

If you’re like me you’ll want every book on hand balancing in your library so it’s certainly worth picking up.

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