Tag Archives | Mailbag

You've got Questions, I've got Answers

Been working on a new project. Hours of filming straight at a time. It’s rough work doing that much volume but the payoff should be great.

More on that later on, plus a few sneak peak video clips.

Right now, gonna dive into the mailbag to answer a few more of your questions. We got some good ones today.

“Quick question. I’m having trouble going past 30 seconds holding a handstand. My balance is constantly improving, so is strength (i can rattle off 12-15 pressups at a time – sometimes I’ll do 3 sets of 11). Just not getting why I hit a wall around 30 or so seconds in a free handstand. gotta run, Thanks for the great info”
Andy Moose

My first impression is that your hitting a wall because you think you’re hitting a wall.

There is nothing physiologically that changes after the half minute mark. If you can’t break it you just need a few options to work through it.

Set a goal to make 40 seconds. Maybe even visualize yourself doing it. But most importantly believe in your ability to do it. Do not think you’ll fail at 30 but that you can go on to 60 and eventually you will.

“how do you go back into a crab and flip over sucessfuly”
Gabrielle

I put out a video a while back showing how to do a similar move from the bridge position. If you haven’t seen it you can check it out here – Gymnastic Bridge Turn-Over.

The short answer is that it requires strength and flexibility in the shoulders to do this move. You have to be able to post your weight on the one arm while you rotate your body around.

“HI Logan,
A skill that I’m working to regain is the backward rolling summersault. I  think I did it as a kid, but it is escaping me now. Any suggestions to implement the back roll without risking neck strain?”
thanks
Jeff

Many people can’t do a backwards roll because it hurts their neck. The problem lies not in the move itself but in weakness.

If you build up your strength this move will not be a problem. In Tumbling Illustrated there’s even a back extension roll up into the headstand without the use of the arms. How’s that for neck strain?

In my opinion the best exercise to strengthen the neck is the wrestler’s bridge. Tried and true. And if you move from a laying down position to the top of the bridge you cover the same angles of pressure you need for the backwards roll.

You can avoid the problem by doing backwards rolls over the shoulder or you can address it and make you neck strong. Your choice.

And if you want to have a really strong neck (when most people don’t even train theirs) stay tuned to what’s coming soon.

Trampoline Handbook
Trampoline Handbook on Amazon

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Handstand Questions Answered

Gonna drop into the mailbag and answer a few questions today.

“Is it possible for a weak old man to develop the strength necessary to do a handstand? (presently outa condition and overweight). when will the dvd be available again?” -Dennis

The Secrets of the Handstand Quickstart Guide has been sold out for a couple weeks. But it will be coming back, better than ever, and soon. Stay tuned for that.

Trampoline Handbook
Trampoline Handbook on Amazon

Anyone, no matter their age can get started hand balancing. To be truthful, the normal handstand doesn’t require a whole lot of strength. It’s a matter of using the body in the correct way to support itself.

That being said, if you are really out of shape, handstands may not be the best starting point. Use other easier exercises like regular pushups to build up your strength levels before you begin.

“Heyy! I can do a hand stand but my only problem is I can only stay balanced for a few seconds maybe about five. How could I improve that??” -Shae

Well, Shae just keep practicing. While there are helpful tips to keep you up in the air, nothing takes the place of practice. Get into a good position and work the balance.

“Hello. I’d like to know how the arms move when doing HSPU’s. I mean do the shoulders stick out to the sides, or do the shoulders stick out in front of the person? Thanks” -Daniel

Where your shoulders and arms point can make a big difference in doing handstand pushups. You can do it either way but one will be harder than the other. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which one is what.

As far as freestanding handstand pushups you’re going to have to take the elbows in position unless you do a handstand with a large base, that is the arms spread out wide.

That’s it for today.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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