Start with your head just off the floor and your hands underneath your forehead.Rotate your hands for the thumbs to point towards the ceiling as your bring your arms to the W. Make sure you have a 90 degrees angle in your shoulders and that your elbows are in line with the shoulders. Pull your hands and elbows up towards the ceiling and not back.Keep your chest on the floor the entire time and rotate your hands for the thumbs to point towards the ceiling.Keep your legs engaged but on the floor. Point your feet and make your ankles touch.
Reach your hands out towards the front to elevate your scapula, then lift the hands up towards the ceiling keeping your chest on the floor.On the way back stop with your elbows in line with your shoulders and a 90 degree angle in your elbows. Lift your forearms towards the ceiling and squeeze on top for a moment.Keep your chest on the floor the entire time and rotate your hands for the thumbs to point towards the ceiling.Keep your legs engaged but on the floor. Point your feet and make your ankles touch.
Engage your core and create 1 straight line from your feet all the way through your neck.Engage your shoulders and protract them slightly. Your shoulder blades should not stick out from your back.Flex your feet on the floor and keep them next to each other.Place your elbows right underneath your shoulders.
Keep your wrists connected with the floor at all times.Reach as tall as you can and cover your ears with your shoulders.Lock your elbows and look at your hands.Do not lift your chest off the floor. Isolate the movement into your shoulders.
Start with the palm of your hand facing upwards in front of you.Using your internal muscles stretch your hands open. Bring your wrist into full extension and spread your fingers wide.Engage your forearm and hand muscles to make the tips of your fingers touch and curl your wrist into flexion.Keep your forearm around horizontal.
Gently stretch your wrists on the floor.Rotate, twist and move them to stretch them in each direction.Spend more time in positions where you feel less mobile or even stiff.Keep your elbows locked and hands shoulder wide apart.
Engage your whole body! Do not allow your back to arch or your shoulder blades to stick out behind your back.Take small and controlled steps with your hands facing towards the front.Only your feet should touch the wall. Do not place your knees, hips or chest on the wall.Look at the spot in between your hands. Do not look at the wall placing your chin on your chest.
Bring the leg on up slowly to align it with your hips and shoulders on top of the center of your hands.With the leg on top pressure on your shoulders is less horizontal and more vertical. Use this to push out extra tall. Work on holding this newly gained height on the way back down to the starting position.Engage your back and pull your hips into a slight anterior pelvic tilt when you are brining the leg back to the wall to keep your weight in the fingertips. Do not allow your lower back to round when returning to the L.In case of a temporary lack of hamstring flexibility bend your knee slightly to ease the tension.
Align the foot on top of your hips, shoulders and center of the hands. Before you take the second foot of you should already be in full control of your handstand.If you feel like you have to arch your back to use the top leg as counter weight your alignment is off. Push out tall from your shoulders and move them on top of the center of your hands instead of trying to force this to work by opening into a banana position.Focus on the way back and isolate the movement in 1 leg at the time. Do not use your top leg as a counter weight.In case of a temporary lack of hamstring flexibility bend your knee slightly to ease the tension.
Start with your body in a perfectly straight line. Your feet should be the only thing touching the wall. Lean your shoulders towards the front and slide your feet down the wall until your feet naturally lift off the wall. In this moment travel the feet away from the wall and the shoulders back to align everything on top of the center of your hands.Do not pull your hips or arch your back. Stay in a perfectly straight line from shoulders to toes. The only position change should be in the shoulders and wrists.Move slow and stay in control at all times. Do not use momentum to get off the wall. Do not jump off the wall and do not take 1 foot at the time off the wall.Come back to the wall with your entire body from wrists to toes in 1 straight line.
This is one of my favorite exercises for building extreme control and coordination. During the Slide Away the movement has to happen in your shoulders. During the Taps the movement needs to isolate in your hips.You can not see the wall coming and don't want to place any weight on the wall. You therefore have to move very slowly.Keep your immobile leg perfectly on top of the hands, shoulders & hips. Do not arch it towards the back as a counterweight.Remind yourself how to do a Slide Away. Lean your shoulders towards the front the get the feet off the wall.
Start with your body in a perfectly straight line. Your feet should be the only thing touching the wall. Lean your shoulders towards the front and slide your feet down the wall until your feet naturally lift off the wall. In this moment travel the feet away from the wall and the shoulders back to align everything on top of the center of your hands.Don't just lock your legs inside of your hips but actively push them open. Do not accidentally close your legs whilst leaning towards the front., Lock your legs inside of your hips. Do not accidentally close your legs whilst leaning towards the front.Do not pull your hips or arch your back. Stay in a perfectly straight line from shoulders to toes. The only position change should be in the shoulders and wrists.Keep your elbows locked and elevate your scapula fully at all times.
Remind yourself how to do a Slide Away first. Lean your shoulders towards the front the get the feet off the wall and stabilize your handstand.When your legs are together your feet should be in a parallel position. As soon as your legs open they have to rotate externally.Move slow and work on staying in control at all times. The goal is not just to jump from one position to the next but even to control the journey between the positions.Keep your scapula elevated, elbows locked and and the weight in the fingertips at all times. Look at the space in between your hands and engage your legs!
Remind yourself how to do a Slide Away first. Lean your shoulders towards the front the get the feet off the wall and stabilize your handstand.When your legs are together your feet should be in a parallel position. As soon as your legs open they have to rotate externally.Move slow and work on staying in control at all times. The goal is not just to jump from one position to the next but even to control the journey between the positions.Keep your scapula elevated, elbows locked and and the weight in the fingertips at all times. Look at the space in between your hands and engage your legs!
Remind yourself how to do a Slide Away first. Lean your shoulders towards the front the get the feet off the wall and stabilize your handstand.Imagine you are in a toaster. You do no want to burn your glutes, knees or toes! Only pull your feet as close as your flexibility allows it.Externally rotate your legs in the straddle and diamond. Bring them to parallel as your legs are together.Keep your scapula elevated, elbows locked and and the weight in the fingertips at all times. Look at the space in between your hands and engage your legs!
Keep your hips and shoulders perfectly squared and parallel to the floor.Focus on the rotation of your leg inside of your hip. In the straddle position the leg needs to be externally rotated. When the leg is on top it needs to be in parallel.Keep both elbows locked and shoulders elevated. Due to the nature of the movement you will have more weight on one side of your body. It is up to you to create the visual illusion of the weight staying perfectly even between your hands.You are very close to the wall which forces you to engage properly and follow correct form. If not your foot will touch the wall!
Keep your hips and shoulders perfectly squared and parallel to the floor.Focus on the rotation of your leg inside of your hip. In the straddle position the leg needs to be externally rotated. When the leg is on top it needs to be in parallel.Keep both elbows locked and shoulders elevated. Due to the nature of the movement you will have more weight on one side of your body. It is up to you to create the visual illusion of the weight staying perfectly even between your hands.You are very close to the wall which forces you to engage properly and follow correct form. If not your foot will touch the wall!
Move slow and work on staying in control at all times. The goal is not just to jump from one position to the next but even to control the journey between the positions.Time your hips and knees. If you were watching this drill from the side the feet should travel down and back up on 1 vertical line.Pull your knees as low as possible in the tuck but stop before your lower back rounds, shoulders close or elbows bend.
Carry your legs into the straddle from the straight. The downward movement of the legs in combination with gravity will create momentum. The faster you go the harder it will be for your shoulders to stay elevated and your elbows to remain locked.When your legs are together your feet should be in a parallel position. As soon as your legs open they have to rotate externally.Move slow and work on staying in control at all times. The goal is not just to jump from one position to the next but even to control the journey between the positions.Keep your scapula elevated, elbows locked and and the weight in the fingertips at all times. Look at the space in between your hands and engage your legs!
Pull your knees as low as possible without allowing your lower back to round or the hips to un-square from the shoulders.Keep your immobile leg perfectly on top of the hands, shoulders & hips. Do not arch it towards the back as a counterweight.Do not slide the moving foot along the immobile leg. instead create a small gap and keep your shin in a right angle to the floor.Keep your scapula elevated, elbows locked and and the weight in the fingertips at all times. Look at the space in between your hands and engage your legs!
Place a yoga block, high pillow, books or really anything else between your hands to decrease the range of motion your head travels.Bend one of your knees and place the foot against the wall. Use this for stability and to create distance between you and the wall. Alternate the wall leg either between reps or sets.Keep a straight line between your head and the foot that is not touching the wall but allow this foot to move away form the wall to bring the body into an angle. Move pressure from your shoulders into your upper chest.Your upper body should travel down and back up on the same line. Keep your back straight. Make sure not to look at your hands and not to push your shoulders towards your armpits on top.
The goal is to go extra deep here. Keep your back straight and lower until your head is lower than your hands. Do not relax at the bottom of this position. Stay active and support yourself through your arms and shoulders.From your starting position draw an imaginary line starting at your hips through your shoulders and head. Extend this line until it hits the floor. Use this spot as a target for your head when lowering.Allow your elbows to flare out naturally but aim to keep them approximately at a 45 degree angle. Keep your forearms vertical at all times and do not allow your elbows to point towards the back.Your upper body should travel down and back up on 1 diagonal line. Do not arch your back and do not push your shoulders towards your feet on top. Do not aim your nose towards the floor but your forehead.
Start with your shoulders depressed, elbows locked and body in a straight position. Look towards the front!Bent your elbows until they are at least 90 degrees bent and prevent them from flaring out. If your shoulder mobility allows it go even lower.Use strength! Do not kip or swing to create momentum!Exhale every time you extend your arms.
Place your legs perfectly vertically above your hips and keep them there at all times.Engage your lower abs only to push your heels upwards. Imagine you had a ring of fire around your ankles and you do not want to burn.Stay slow and controlled on the way back down.Interlock your hands behind your head and keep your shoulders depressed.
Crunch up with your hands behind your head and your shoulders depressed. Do not allow your feel or shoulder blades to touch the floor for the entire duration of the set.With quick, dynamic and precise movements cross your legs.Fully lock out your knees and keep your legs parallel. Do not allow your legs to externally rotate.
Lift both your arms and legs equally and as high as possible. Open your legs into a straddle in each lift.Squeeze for a moment on top of the lift.Lock your knees and elbows fully.Lift your head with your upper body and gaze at your hands.