Tag Archives | Handstands

Handstand Drills for Beginners

By Sharon on August 9, 2012 in Handstands

Skipping the basics is one of the biggest and most fundamental flaws when training to do a handstand, whether it is solo or with a trainer. Handstand drills for beginners are a very necessary part of training to be able to do a perfect handstand. Many gymnastic coaches seem to skip the fundamental basics of training drills. They seem to invoke the theory that, in order for their gymnast to be able to do a full handstand, they have to make them try out right for one, over and over until it’s right. Sadly, these coaches are doing their pupils a great disservice. The value of learning the basics, step by step, is something that is far too often underestimated.

Handstand drills for beginners help break down the handstand into the basic steps involved, making it easier to get the whole thing executed in full later. This is starting from the lunge into the handstand, building up into posture and muscle tension during the handstand and ending out with a flawless return to standing upright with triumph. By practicing each step individually using drills that break down the different parts of a handstand into simpler movements, you help strengthen the muscles a gymnast needs in fully accomplishing a handstand.

With the right practice and patience, you can go from basic lunge drills into a full and glorious handstand, with your arms fully extended, straight strong shoulders, a solid core, and extended legs with proper body and muscle tension throughout. Trying for the full handstand right off the bat can not only be more difficult, but it can lead to frustration or even injury without ever properly achieving a full handstand. Before you jump right into it, get yourself warmed up with some basic handstand drills for beginners. It’s smarter, safer and leads to more flawless handstands.

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Hand Walking

By admin on September 16, 2010 in Handstands, Walking & Jumping

I’m often asked about handwalking in the many questions that come in. Usually it comes in two types; how do you hand walk, and what to do next?

Let’s talk about the first part.

hand walking First a warning. I’ve said this many times before and will continue to say it. You must learn to stand on your hands first, before you start walking around. The reason for this is that if you learn to walk and never to stand, you will only be able to balance by walking around and never learn the necessary wrist and shoulder balance necessary for all other hand balancing.

Assuming you can stand, walking should pose no problem. Simply lift one arm up slightly, place in a little in front of where it was, repeat with the other arm, and continue on.

In the beginning, strive to make small steps to stay in control. As you improve you can lengthen your stride. With this you’ll be spending more and more time on a single arm, thus making hand walking harder to do.

The thing you want to strive for at all times is to stay in control. Just about anyone can stumble around on their hands for a few seconds. Even someone proficient in doing handstands may be able to walk on their hands but lose control the last few steps as they over balance beyond their ability.

Now let’s tackle the second part. After you’ve done some handwalking what do you do next. Here is a list of different things you can do.

As was already mentioned work on lengthening your stride.
Work on going for distance. This is especially fun to challenge someone else in.
Walk and stop. This method really increases your control and is further detailed in this Handstand Walking article.
Vary the speed of your steps. Try hand walking faster and slower then normal.
Walking forward is easy. Try handwalking to the sides and to the rear. And of course make turns, doing pirouettes on your hands.
Try slapping while walking on your hands. Take the free hand and touch it to your head, shoulder, or hip with each step. (Each one of these is more difficult then the last).
Can you dance on your hands? Sure, if you’ve got the skill and the rhythm.
Handwalking is normally done with a regular position of the body. But there is no reason you can shift that around to add to the fun.
And of course you can combine many of these. Try going for distance, quickly, while slapping your hip with each step.

For tons more details on all these and more, including stair walking and jumping, be sure to check out Walking and Jumping on Your Hands, one of the books only available in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

This should give you tons of ideas on where you can take your hand walking skills.

In fact, I’m going to be working on some of these tonight at my gymnastics class.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Making Progress and Questions

By admin on July 26, 2010 in Handstands

This one came in today.

Hey Logan, I’ve only been trying to do a handstand for just under a week and with your website i am already able to hold a handstand for more than 10 seconds! (seems like forever to me) I’m going to keep on trying and maybe ill be able to do more advanced moves soon. thanks a bunch -Ryan

Excellent progress Ryan. Keep going and keep me updated on your progress.

And from a couple days ago from Samuel…

hello logan:

i have very good news!. i am practicing but is just that i’m kind of lazy for returning e-mails and leave comments on your web.. but i am getting better… i saw the video that you sent me the ”quick-start” it was GREAT!!.. i loved the video.. and i practice with the first four skills that you mentioned

1.wall handstand: this one i can do it perfectly and even more than a minute
2. frogstand: i can do it.. but is difficult to hold the position for a minute.. i wish you could give me some help with this
3.headstand: is difficult even doing it on the wall.. the head hurts me a lot every time i do this one.. i can’t even last 10 seconds
4. forearmstand: this one i’m doing it well.. on the wall.. but when i try to do it off the wall.. it results to be very difficult.. i can’t hold it even for 5 seconds

wish you could help me with these problems … and is very good to know that you care

I’ll start off by saying it’s hard for me to comment without more details but I’ll give it a go.

1. Great job on the handstand.

2. How far along you coming? If you’re hitting a time you can’t get past after you get there go to your feet for a second or two then get right back in the frogstand. Do this a couple times and it’ll build you endurance.

Another key point is to really work the fingertip and wrist control. Focus on that.

3. Are you doing it on a hard floor? Whatever the case, get more cushions. Put enough padding so that it doesn’t hurt. Overtime as you get use to it you’ll be able to minimize the padding you need.

4. The forearm stand can be tricky. You can try doing it with the one toe touch method I teach for the handstand except using the wall in this move. That should help.

That should help you to get started.

Alright, I’m off to practice some more myself.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Earlier today I was working with a new tool that’s fun and helpful. I’ll have more details on that in a week or two.

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30 Day Challenge – Part 2

By admin on July 24, 2010 in Uncategorized

Feeling the soreness from attending gymnastics I still had to balance, per my 30 day challenge. Even kicking up into a handstand was difficult due to my hamstrings, particularly my right one, being sore.

I kept the practice short. Even though my upper body wasn’t quite as sore it was not running at 100%. I did a few handstands including several on a paid of pushup handles.

The p-bars I use...a pair of stone locks

What I spent the most time on was a one arm half planche. This is mostly a balance skill. You need to keep your body tight and balance on the one hand. And when I practice it I do it with straddled legs as that’s easier than both legs straight and together.

This has been improving recently. I’m getting better at feeling the balance. Still all over the place, moving around to keep balance but I can stay on that one hand and nothing else for about 5 seconds somewhat consistently now.

Besides this one move I just messed around with a couple others. As it was a busy day it wasn’t a very long practice.

The next day was more of the same.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Secrets of the Handstand Review

By admin on June 7, 2010 in Handstands

Since releasing the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start video for free on the site last week there has been more traffic here, more people signing up and lots of emails of thanks. Thanks everyone for spreading it around.

Got this report from Dan who purchased the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD awhile back before I released it. He has been making progress. As it’s quite long I’ll make comments and answer questions as they come up.

The Frogstand - One of the lead-up stunts to the handstand.

hi – i have gotten to a minute or more on the lead-up stunts but have been only practicing the kick-up and toe-touch handstand for 5 minutes twice a week. i am making progress with it, but because i’m practicing so little, i have only done 5-10 seconds as my max handstand with toes off the wall and have only kicked up into handstand successfully once.

With easier moves like the lead-up stunts and handstand you can get by with a minimal amount of practice. Even five minutes twice a week and you’ll eventually get it. Of course, with more time spent practicing you’ll make progress faster. Also for the harder moves like the one handed handstand don’t think you can get by with this little practice.

i promise i will keep working on it and i am not discouraged at all, just lazy and a little busy. but i know i can do it. i also do two sets of ten handstand pushups (going half way down or so) to build up some strength. i’m definitely stronger than when i started.

Though I didn’t include handstand pushups in that DVD they’re obviously a great exercise for building strength. A great complement to the work you’re doing

sometimes i practice on a hard floor and sometimes on the carpet or grass. hard floor seems easier….do you have any comments about pros and cons of using a soft surface?

A hard surface is superior in that you can transfer the force in your wrists and hands to balance best. A soft surface has give making this harder. If you want a real challenge attempt to hand balance in the sand. On the flip side a complete newbie may want to try handstand’s in the grass first, in case they fall.

also my wrists tend to hurt after less than a minute of being in a handstand….they get better after a few minutes, but i do tend to quit because i am afraid of injuring my wrists. i do stretch them for about 10 seconds in two directions before i start practicing. do you have a suggestion of how much discomfort you should practice through and when you should quit for a while? (i’m 36 yrs old and healthy.)

There is a difference in pain of stretching and pain from an injury. Hopefully you won’t come close to the second. Stretching first is important. As you warm them up and get use to the position they should become more flexible. At this point you can keep going. If they start to feel sore, like you’ve done too much, then you should call it a day.

i like the dvd. i like the ideas of lead-ups and toe-touch and kick-up suggestions – i wouldn’t have thought to do any of those on my own, i don’t think. i don’t have any suggestions for improvement in the video other than to say something about keeping your mind quiet when you are up there. as a novice, my thoughts tend to race when i get upside down. “am i doing it right…my arms are getting tired, i’m gonna fall” etc. of course these thoughts hurt your performance. so concentrating on breathing or the body position or something is helpful to prevent your mind from working against you. thanks and hope to hear from you.

Dan

Thanks for the report Dan. I agree with you about the mind. Instead of thinking of all the component parts, which can be tough in the beginning, merely focus on what you’re trying to achieve, staying in the handstand.

Now I’d love to hear your thoughts on the video. Are you seeing success with the lead-up stunts? Hit a road block anywhere? Comment below.

And of course, if you haven’t seen this video yet all you have to do is sign up on the side.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Handstand Muscles

By admin on February 23, 2010 in Handstands

Today’s post will answer another question from the many I regularly receive.

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

“Hey I am Stefan I am now starting out with doing the handstand, but my question is what muscles are involved in doing the handstand and what exercises can I do to improve it?”

Let’s start with the first question, what muscles are involved in the handstand? And the answer is all of them.

When you’re starting out you need to be able to keep your body tight if you want to have any chance of staying upside down. This means every muscle must be engaged from the tips of your fingertips down to your toes.

This doesn’t mean you flex everything as hard as possible but you must stay tight. As you advance you’ll learn how to use only as much tension as is needed and no more. This allows you to go for longer periods. But to start out with squeeze all those muscles, arms, back, abs, legs and even the toes.

Now onto the second question. There is a rule of thumb in training. In order to get good at something you must do that thing. So if you want to get good at handstands you must do a lot of handstands. There is no way around this.

This is true but in some cases you’re better off working on easier skills. Do skills that are easier then the handstand itself that build up the same abilities that the handstand needs. For the handstand these include a wall handstand, frogstand, forearm stand, and headstand. All the details and proper progression for this is laid out in the Secrets of the Handstand Quickstart DVD.

Work on easier skills that lead up to the harder ones. For anything else in hand balancing check out the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

As an analogy, if you wanted to learn the piano you wouldn’t start out with the Rach 3 but instead focus on scales and simple songs first. This concept holds true for all skills you desire to build.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Have you been watching the Olympics?

By admin on February 15, 2010 in Uncategorized

The Winter Olympics are here. Are you watching?

While I must say that I am a bigger fan of the Summer Olympics I very much enjoy these events as well.

There may not be many handstands but there sure are some crazy aerial acrobatics of many different kinds. Whether going of a jump on skies, snowboarding or even figure skating you have some advanced flips and spins.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

Of course all the events are great in their different ways. You can watch some of the greatest athletes from around the world compete for one of the highest awards in the world.

Even if it’s a sport you know nothing about you can easily get into it. After all it’s the Olympics.

Good Luck and Good Olympics,
Logan Christopher

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Biggest Hand Balancing Tip

By admin on January 7, 2010 in Handstands

I was hand balancing for a long time before I realized this tip. And when I did I immediately improved my abilities.

We’re talking about almost doubling the amount of time I could hold a handstand. Being able to do multiple complete pirouette turns versus falling after just turning 180 degrees.

Biggest Tip for Handstands

By paying attention to the furthest point from where you are balancing (i.e. your toes) you’ll be able to correct any shift in your balance before its too late.

To really drive this home do a little experiment with me. Go ahead and try a handstand while putting all your attention on your hands.

Now try it while paying attention to your feet.

After you’ve done that report your results by commenting below.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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A Rededication

By admin on December 10, 2009 in Uncategorized

This morning I woke up and did some Yoga. After about fifteen minutes I started my hand balancing practice as I’ve done every morning this week.

But I have to be honest with you, besides this week I haven’t done all that much hand balancing recently.

Life craziness plus an ongoing wrist injury have got in the way. This isn’t to say I’ve neglected all my training. Far from it. But hand balancing has taken a back seat.

Where I wanted to be at the end of 2009 is now actually further off then where I was at when this year just began.

However, that’s going to change. I’m now recommitted to regularly practicing hand balancing and taking my skills further.

In order to do this I have to go back. Back to the basics. In fact, at this point I’m not even working on a regular handstand. I’ve gone back to the various lead-up stunts found in the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

Right now even the frogstand is difficult. Any pressure on my right wrist is tough but its slowly getting better. Getting to that recommended minute mark is proving a trial but sometimes you have to go back in order to move forward.

But you know what, I’m excited about it. Assuming my wrist cooperates I know I’ll gain my skills back and quickly surpass them.

Have you been neglecting to practice like I was? Sometimes the fire that got us started down one road begins to flicker and die away. This can be because other more important things come around.

Or there are a wide variety of other reasons. Out of laziness you can let it go. Just drop your training like so many people do after that initial burst of practice (and this applies to so much outside of doing handstands). Years down the road you’re likely to regret that wasted time.

As the great Jim Rohn, who recently passed away, said “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

The thing is at any moment you do have the opportunity to rededicate yourself. Sometimes you just need a little outside motivation to do so. I got mine from an unlikely source. My hope is that reading this will spur you on.

In order to keep that motivation high you need to continually surround yourself with what it is you wish to accomplish. If you wish to excel at hand balancing visit this site over and over again.

Get with people who share the same passion. Read books and watch videos on the topic (and if you don’t have any what are you waiting for?)

For the reasons listed above and others I’ve haven’t added as much content to the site recently as I should have. But that’s going to change. There are some great things in store there especially when the new year rolls around.

But for now there is one thing I’d like to ask. There are a number of great hand balancers and acrobats out there reading this. If you’re one of them how would you like to share your tips, training and techniques?

If so, send in your articles and/or videos and we’ll grow the site to help more people together.

You can reply to this email or just send them to [email protected]. If you have any questions as far as what to talk about send those in too.

As always, thanks for your time.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Navigation

Tag Archives | Handstands

Handstand Drills for Beginners

Hand Walking

Making Progress and Questions

30 Day Challenge – Part 2

Secrets of the Handstand Review

Handstand Muscles

Have you been watching the Olympics?

More Questions Answered

Biggest Hand Balancing Tip

A Rededication