Tag Archives | Orlick

Which Course To Get?

By admin on January 14, 2010 in Uncategorized

Regular Handstand

All I can say is WOW!

The demand for the Hand Balancing Mastery Course is overwhelming.

That’s entirely understandable when you see the systematic approach Prof. Orlick takes in his books and all the added bonuses you can get like the interviews and DVD’s.

For all of you who ordered your courses will be shipping out very soon. In fact some of the first orders have already gone out. For those that haven’t ordered yours yet, what are you waiting for?

I’ve received a few questions asking about the new course in relation to the others I have available. How does the Hand Balancing Mastery Course compare to The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing?

First off, what’s the same? They both talk about hand balancing from beginning skills up to very advanced. But that’s about it!

The Hand Balancing Mastery Course is much more systematic in its approach. In most cases you’ll work on one move right before the next and you can honestly come close to following the book in order as its laid out.

While there is some crossover in skills there’s also a lot of difference. The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing is almost devoid of walking on the hands. The Mastery Course has a whole book on it. The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing covers the planche in some depth which the Mastery Course doesn‘t have in the books, but its covered in both the CD’s and DVD’s.

I will give The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing extra points for having real photographs to display the skills. The Mastery Course has drawings for most of the skills which do the job well, especially since I had every single one re-drawn. And yes the drawings you see here and on that page is what you’ll find in the books.

The biggest difference is the amount of content. The Hand Balancing Mastery Course has so much more. In the books alone you’ll find at least twice as much. And that doesn’t even include the several hours of audio and video.

There’s even less crossover between other products.

The Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD was born out of the ideas I learned from the Hand Balancing Mastery Course in using the lead-up stunts as Professor Orlick describes. That DVD covers just working up to the handstand and nothing beyond it. If you were just starting out I would recommend starting there and once you have some proficiency then getting the Mastery Course.

The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups is more about building strength then balancing. Sure it has a chapter on doing freestanding handstand pushups (which is covered in one of the DVD’s in the Mastery Course) but that’s the only real similarity.

That should give you an idea of the differences. To get more details take the time to read the product pages. Sure, they might be a little salesy but I do my best to actually show you what’s inside each book, DVD or course.

If you have any other specific questions let me know.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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More Handstand Q&A

By admin on February 9, 2009 in Bridging, Handstands, Planche

Gonna dip into the mailbag today and answer a couple questions.

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I had a question that relate to both my bridging, and hand balancing. When I do either, the blood rushes to my head very soon, not letting me hold either very long. Is this normal? Will it go away after more time? Are there any special ways to get around this? I would like to be able to work on both more than I am able to now because of that. Thank you for you great websites and emails!
Thank you,
Justin

That’s just a sign of gravity doing its job. The human body is not normally use to being upside down so when you start out it can cause you to feel like your head is about to explode.

I would guess that this happens to most people in one degree or another. And it will get better with time just as you become accustom to the position.

In addition, here’s two things to try out. Holding your breath compounds this problem. Make sure you are breathing easily while you bridge or do handstands. It can be tough in the beginning but you need to breathe for best results.

Second you can do an exercise specifically to get yourself familiar with being upside down. Just go up into a headstand (against a wall or not) and hold for a long time. With practice you’ll be able to do this for minutes at a time. And then you’ll be able to deal with blood rushing to your head.

—–

Handstands are really frustrating to me. For a while now I’ve been having consistent 3 sec handstands and it hasn’t been improving. I’m also a bboy and my planches are better than my handstands, I can hold a planche-ish thing with my body horizontal and my back bent with my legs slightly at an angle. Kinda like this \_. Any tips?
Nate

I think the fact that you are strong from break dancing may actually be holding you back on the handstand. The handstand is really a balanced position. You don’t want to have to rely on your strength to hold you there, unlike the planche.

Professor Orlick use to say that it was easier to teach a little kid the handstand than a strong weightlifter because the kid would have to find the balance, while the weightlifter would try to use his strength. If you want to hear more from Prof. Orlick check out the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

Its hard to say without some more details but give either of these techniques a try. If you are underbalancing, going toward that planche, push back upwards into the handstand. If you find yourself overbalancing correct yourself and get back to neutral.

But the main thing is to just keep working on it. Set a goal to hit 5 seconds and work on that. Really get a feel for the position. In time it will come.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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How to Walk on Your Hands and How Not to

By admin on December 20, 2008 in Walking & Jumping

In a previous blog post I wrote about changing positions in the handstand and how you can do that to increase your balancing skill.

Similar in many regards is walking on your hands.

Let me preface this by saying, that walking on your hands can be easier then standing still or harder and that depends entirely on how you go about it.

Stumbling around, that is catching yourself from falling by stepping with your hands, is easy to do. But it does not exhibit the control you want and it doesn’t really help you get better.

Most any fit person can manage at least a few steps in this manner. But as I’ve said before, I think its important to learn how to stand still before you begin walking.

The other side, the harder way, is through walking and staying in control the entire time.

If you think about it, all you’re doing is shifting your weight to a single hand for a moment as you take a step with the hand. And then you repeat the process.

That bit makes the move harder than just standing still. You have to constantly correct your balance with every little movement.

At the same time it should serve to work your body better at maintaining its normal position in the handstand. If you allow yourself to get into a place where you can’t balance from you haven’t kept control.

Walking on the hands in the many ways you can do it will make you a better balancer.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. In Professor Orlick’s Walking and Jumping on Your Hands you’ll find all you need to know on taking your first steps, running, dancing, leaping and much more. By far the best guide to this grouping of hand balancing skills.

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Moving Handstands

By admin on December 15, 2008 in Handstands

When you first get started with the handstand all you want to do is strive to hold it for a longer and longer time. In the beginning that may just be five seconds.

As you get better you’ll eventually reach half a minute, a full minute and even beyond that too.

But is that the best way to make progress in hand balancing? Probably not.

At a certain point to improve your game you should be go outside of the regular handstand. Instead of holding the regular position without moving, purposefully move your legs around. Arch your back more or straighten it out. Break that shoulder angle.

You see its one thing to balance standing still but another thing to keep that balance as you change your position.

So focus on not moving when you’re starting out, but after you’ve hit 30 seconds or so start moving with purpose.

When you can balance from any position you are well on your way.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If you want tons of positions for you to practice be sure to check out Hand Balancing Made Easy by Prof. Orlick.

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Walking on Your Hands Down Stairs

By admin on November 25, 2008 in Walking & Jumping

Some years ago when I was teaching Physical Education at the Western University Medical School I decided to see just how many steps I could conquer with practice. Therefore, twice every week after I had finished all of my classes, I took a crack at the main stairs.

For a couple of weeks I stuck to one flight of stairs as a sort of warm up. Then I added a few more steps with each try, until I was doing two flights with no difficulty. Gradually I added more steps, without really pushing myself to the limit and within a month was doing three flights regularly. The fourth flight gave me a bit of trouble, but once I got beyond this I landed two more to make it six flights in two months. At the end of three months I could start at the top of the building and make it “non-stop” all the way to the bottom…eight flights in all, and began looking for bigger buildings to conquer.

***

This story comes from Professor Orlick. I don’t know about you but I think walking down six flights of stairs is quite impressive.

Walking down stairs in certainly not a stunt beginners should go after but it serves as a great challenge to work up to. Even so, just about anyone can get started walking on their hands.

In Walking and Jumping on Your Hands, Prof. Orlick goes in depth on just about every possibility there is when it comes to walking on your hands. From starting with baby steps to running, dancing, jumping and more.

And if you think going down stairs is hard, just try going up. But this is broken down to a brain-dead simple process anyone can follow.

Of all of Orlick’s books I think this one is my favorite.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Walking on Your Hands

By admin on June 14, 2008 in Handstands, Walking & Jumping

Here’s a good question from Tony.

“Dear Logan Christopher, I am a 44 year old male that just decided to do handstands since it was a great workout. I can do a handstand and pushups against the wall. I just read your 10 handstand tips and will work on these great ideas. My problem is when I try to walk on my hands my legs tend to fall toward the “wall direction” when I try to stand without the wall. I feel that it is fear of falling flat on my back. Sometimes my hand strides are a little too big as I am trying to go too fast and then my legs fall toward “the wall direction.” I can hold a handstand probably at least 30 sec. I am usually sustaining myself up after doing 13-15 handstand pushups through a short ROM. I initially thought it was my ab/core strength and I just started with Eddie Baran’s gymnastic abs dvd which is fun and challenging. I am improving but got a little concerned when you said that walking is easier than standing. Your hints have clued me into improving my body awareness with standing and increase my length of time. Any other ideas?”

I should have clarified the position on standing vs. walking. For most people the walking is going to be much easier. This is because you can shift your weight around and take a step with your hands toward any direction you are falling.

If you take the time to learn how to stand still, and remain in a good handstand position than you are much better off than someone who can merely walk on his hands.

When you are walking on your hands the legs tend to ‘fall forward’ in overbalancing. This is a good thing because that’s the forward momentum you want to walk with.

The key is to maintain control. You don’t want to be overbalancing so much that your hands can’t keep up or that you just fall out of the handstand.

To work on the control even more so, you should practice different size steps as Prof. Orlick teaches in Walking and Jumping on Your Hands. Go for small steps. Next try to clear a yard with each step.

You can also vary the speed with which you walk. Even try running on your hands!

But first and most important is to learn to stand on your hands. So that you can maintain a good handstand and not just stay on your hands by catching yourself from falling.

Just keep training and you’ll be able to walk, stand, run and hop on your hands without a problem.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Click here for more on walking, running and jumping on your hands.

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How to Hold a Handstand

By admin on June 10, 2008 in Handstands

A few things to cover today. First a questions from Brian.

“my handstand stays in air for less than 3 seconds. at times i do better and most times i do worse. i tried the wall to gain back strength but i never seem to get better. Its been 3 months that way. im not quiting so any suggestions will be appreciated.”

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

There’s a new article up on the site complete with a video that covers the most basic techniques on how to do a handstand.

Hopefully something on that page will help you. But without seeing your handstand or having a more descriptive question I can’t do much more.

If you want and have the means you can post a video on youtube or somewhere else on the internet. If you provide me a link I’ll take a look and give you feedback. Just send me a link to the video and any specific questions you have.

Lastly, you’ve got less that one day to get any of the new Prof. Orlick ebooks or the Hand Balancing Mastery Course for the current price. Tomorrow morning the price will go up. Get them now.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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New Portals to Help Navigate the Site

By admin on June 5, 2008 in Uncategorized

Here’s a few of the new pages I was talking about. These will be especially helpful for new people entering the site but if you’re looking for something in a certain category you’ll be able to find it here.

These pages act as a portal to other parts of the site that can be helpful. Right now there are three, but that’s likely to increase in the future.

The Handstand Basics page for people just starting out on the hand balancing path.

The Advanced Handbalancing page really is for anything above and beyond a handstand. All intermediate and advanced hand balancing products, articles, blog posts, etc. can be found here.

Then there’s the Acrobatics page. This covers all manner of acrobatic, tumbling and gymnastic moves outside of hand balancing itself.

The last two especially will be expanded in the coming months. More articles, video and the like. If you have suggestions for specific articles or videos you’d like to see you can use the questions form.

Right now you can find links to these portals on the bottom of every page on the first line of the footer.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Remember the Prof. Orlick books are now available in electronic form. Get them for $5 off.

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Handstand Positions, One Hand Balancing and more

By admin on April 5, 2008 in Handstands, One Hand, Planche

Dipping into the mailbag today to answer a few questions. If you’ve got something on your mind, send it my way. You can easily click here to ask away.Here’s a good one from Rose talking about the new 10 Handstand Mistakes report.

“I really love the guide, but some things, to me, are a little confusing. Like where exactly should you bend your back, and what will it feel like when you hit that perfect thing? Is that just something that should be experienced simply by experience? And also, on my hands, I have a hard time really keeping the balance depending on the position of my hands…if I’m leaning forward slightly, or if my fingers are even the slightest moved…Is there anything you can write in there about your experiences with hand positions? Other than that, I can’t really think of anything. Thanks! :D”

Where you bend your back will be dependent on you. Yes you have to experience it but you can learn a lot from looking at pictures and of course watching video.

Most of the bend is in the low back, and personally I feel like I get ‘locked in’ to the right position whenever I do a handstand. Keep at it and you’ll get the feel.

As for the hands, there is much you can do with them. Honestly any position you take with your hands is doable for the handstand, whether its on the fists, hands backwards, or just the thumbs.

But the standard position is hands flat on the ground with either the middle or index fingers pointing forward. Work on this position first and foremost until you have build up your balancing ability.

Once you have a decent handstand feel free to mix up your hand positions. Professor Orlick gives you 25 different hand positions and 10 different finger positions to work on it Hand Balancing Made Easy. Many of these I had never even though about trying.And here’s one from Aldy.

“I can do straddle planche well enough, but I cant do one handstand balance. what is d secret of one hand handstand and one hand planche. for notes, I am not learning gymnastic, because in my country gymnast is not popular. Thank You!!!”

The secret? Alright you asked so I am going to give it to you. The secret is…You have to work up to it progressively.

First off, congratulations on doing the planche. That is a move few can do. But there is a big difference in the planche and the one hand handstand. One requires more strength while the other requires much more balance. And you have to be progressive in your balance training.

Jim Bathurst and I talked at length about this in the interview for the Hand Balancing Mastery Course. Basically you are going to have to train a bit differently for each. Just like you would train the free standing handstand and handstand pushups against the wall differently you should do the same here.

And like the normal handstand, the way I teach it, you have to work on a series of lead up stunts that will give you the ability to balance on one hand. There are many helpful variations that lead up to the one hand handstand. Professor Orlick lays them all out in as easy to use manner in How to do the One Hand Handstand.

I am working on my own plan, exactly what is working for me, but details on that another time.

Since this is already running long I’ll have to save more for next time.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If you want to get all of Professor Orlick’s works plus the interview with Jim and more than click here.

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Leading up to any Handstand Stunt

By admin on February 28, 2008 in One Hand

Seemed to have raised some interest with my last email. So I’ve decided to go into a little more depth on the subject.

To sum up what I said last time: The best way to learn the handstand, one hand handstand, or any stunt is not to do the move itself, in the beginning, but work on lead-up stunts.

Obviously at a certain point you will need to work on the skill itself in order to master it but you shouldn’t start there.

If you look at a weightlifting move like the deadlift, let’s say you have a goal to lift 500 lbs. You wouldn’t start out trying to lift this weight because most likely you could not even budge it. No, you start with what you can do and move up in weight from there.

If your goal is to do a move like the one hand handstand you can’t just start with a lighter weight. Most bodyweight exercises don’t work this way. Just going for the move is like trying to deadlift 500 lbs. when your max is 300. Not gonna happen.

An easier version of the move is essentially the same thing as a lighter weight. When you are good with one move you move on to a harder variation, just like adding weight.

Failing to do this is why so many people never reach their goal. They just try the move over and over seeing little or no progress.

One move for the one hand handstand is to place your other arm on a raised box or chair and use it to help balance.

For the normal handstand you have moves like the headstand and frogstand. But there are many more for these moves and others.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

That’s the genius in how Professor Orlick taught his students. Each move leads in to the next. For the best methods of mastering any hand balancing move check out the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

If you learn this lesson well, you can apply to many other forms of exercise.By training in this manner you can and will progress much faster. I guarantee it.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. Right now you can do no better than to get what has been affectionately referred to as the “Hand Balancing Bible“.

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