Handstand Workout
Here is your full workout for today. This overview includes name, reps, and most important cues. IMPORTANT!! To see the video click the (“+”) symbol next to the exercise name, and it will expand.
Look after yourself and only do what feels safe enough.
Make sure to warm up well.Â
Dashboard | Â Workout
Specific Warm Up
Demo Exercise Reps/Sets How to/Cues
Forehead to W 1x8 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.
Straight to W 1x8 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.
Back Extension 1x8 Lock your elbows and place your hands next to your hips. Start by internally rotating your arms so the back rounds and the pinky fingers touch the floor.Then externally rotate your arms, squeeze your shoulder blades together in the back, look up towards the ceiling and engage the whole back lifting the upper body of the floor.Keep your feet about shoulder width apart on the floor the entire time.Move slowly! The longer this takes the more control and strength you will develop!
Elbow Lift 1x8 Interlock your hands behind your head and keep your forehead on the floor.Lift your elbows up as you were trying to make them touch behind your head. Bring them back down slowly. Do not slam them into the floor.Keep your legs engaged but on the floor. Point your feet and make your ankles touch.Move slowly! The longer this takes the more control and strength you will develop!
Arm Circle 1x12 each direction With your arms locked and out by the side like an airplane perform small and dynamic circles.Keep your chest on the floor and lift your head sligthly.Keep your legs engaged but on the floor. Point your feet and make your ankles touch.
Salt Bae Wrist Curl 1x8 Start with the palm of your hand facing downwards 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 hips and shoulders perfectly squared and parallel to the floor.
Wrist Warm Up 1x20sec 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.
Wall Walk 1x2 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.Do not look at the wall. Instead look at the spot in between your hands.
Wall Training
| Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuck Slide | 2x3 | Make sure your shoulders stay right on top of the center of your hands. Do not push them open in the direction of your armpits or allow them to close and slide in the direction of your back.Keep your knees together and make them touch the wall as you pull them down.Pull your knees as low as possible whilst engaging your lower back. In the tuck position your hips need to be in a slight anterior pelvic tilt. As soon as your lower back rounds and your hips flip into a posterior pelvic tilt your knees are too low.Lock your elbows, elevate your scapula and look at the spot in between your hands. | |
| 45 Handstand Single Leg Tuck Slide | 2x2 each side none alterntating | Align your hips, shoulders and top foot on top of the center of your hands. Create a 45 degree angle at the hips for the other foot to touch the wall.Isolate the movement into the working leg only. Place the knee on the wall and pull it as low as possible without un-squaring the hips or flipping them into a posterior pelvic tilt.Focus on the immobile leg. Keeping it perfectly stable is much harder than moving the other knee down to the tuck and back up.Make sure your shoulders stay right on top of the center of your hands. Do not push them open in the direction of your armpits or allow them to close and slide in the direction of your back. | |
| 45 Handstand Lateral Leg Isolation | 2x2 each side none alterntating | Align your hips, shoulders and top foot on top of the center of your hands. Create a 45 degree angle at the hips for the other foot to touch the wall.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.Focus on the immobile leg. Keeping it perfectly still is much harder than moving the other one to straddle and back.Due to the nature of this exercise you will be slightly piked in your single leg straddle position. This is ok as you gain lots of shoulder strength and coordination but moving the wall leg not just against gravity but also against the friction of the wall. Find a flat and even wall and wear slippery socks! | |
| Single Leg Tuck Take Off | 2x1 each side | Engage your lower back and pull your hips into an anterior pelvic tilt so that your knee doesn't touch the wall during your tuck slide.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.Bend your tuck knee fully as you take it off the wall and bring your heel close to your glutes. This will help bring the weight on top of the center of your hands. | |
| L Handstand Single Leg Isolation | 1x2 each side alternating | 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. | |
| 45 Handstand Leg Isolation | 2x1 each side | 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.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.Keep your hips immobile. Do not let your hips slide back towards the wall between reps.Keep your elbows locked and elevate your scapula fully at all times. | |
| Wall Take Off to Tuck | 1x each side | First focus on getting to the straight handstand. This is the main priority.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.Pull your knees as low as possible in the tuck but stop before your lower back rounds, shoulders close or elbows bend.Focus on your shoulders. Keeping them elevate is key here. Do not allow them to close or to slide towards the front. | |
| Slide Away | 1x3 | 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. , 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. | |
| Straddle Slide Away | 1x3 | 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. , 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. | |
| Slide Away to Straddle | 2x2 | Focus on the Slide Away first. It is the main priority. Hold your freestanding handstand before moving on.Open your legs into the straddle slowly. Not only will you have to catch your legs against gravity and momentum but also will your body become shorter. If your are not perfectly align this angle change will be surprising for your balance.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 elbows locked and elevate your scapula fully at all times. | |
| Straddle Slide Away to Legs Together | 2x2 | Focus on the Slide Away first. It is the main priority. Hold your freestanding handstand before moving on.Engage your glutes whilst closing your legs to avoid piking at the hips.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 elbows locked and elevate your scapula fully at all times. | |
| Box Tuck Single Leg Isolation | 1x2 each side alternating | Bring your foot on top to align it with your hips, shoulders and center of your hands.Time your hips and knee. If you were watching this drill from the side the foot should travel up and back down on one vertical line.Keep your immobile leg fully bent and the heel close to your glutes. Place your shoulders on top of the center of your hands and push out tall.Make sure the box for your tuck is high enough. Your hips have to be in a slight anterior pelvic tilt and never in a posterior one. Only place the knees on the box. | |
| Box Tuck Hover | 2x1 each side | Align the foot on top of your hips, shoulders and center of the hands. Before you attempt to hover the second knee 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.Make sure the box for your tuck is high enough. Your hips have to be in a slight anterior pelvic tilt and never in a posterior one. Only place the knees on the box.Keep your hover knee fully bent and keep the foot close to your glutes. This will help bring the weight on top of the center of your hands. |
Freestanding Handstands
| Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight to Straddle to Straight | 2x2 | 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! | |
| Straight to Tuck to Straight | 2x2 | 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. | |
| Vertical Leg Isolation From Straight | 2x2 each side alternating | 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! |
Conditioning
| Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Lower to Headstand - Chest to Wall 6x total | Place the center of your head on the floor and not your forehead! Consider placing a pillow under your head or training on a mat for comfort and security.Your body should travel in a diagonal line. Do not allow your back to arch. Instead protract your shoulders slightly and even round your chest a tiny bit.Go as slow as possible and try to stay in control the entire time! If you feel like you are about to lose control: Stop and simply try to freeze in place! | |
 | HSPU - Back to Wall 2x2-4 | 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.Place your hands shoulder width apart on the floor with your fingers facing towards the front! Lock your elbows and rotate their pits towards the front. Elevate your scapula! | |
 | Walking Lean Push Up on Knees 2x3 | Protract your shoulders and focus on keeping protraction the entire time. To do so you must combine strength and coordination.When extending your arms your head and shoulders should travel in a vertical line. This is not easy. Overcompensate! It should feel as if you were pushing forward and up in a slightly diagonal line.Externally rotate your hands to ease the pressure on the wrists. | |
 | Tuck Planche Pull 2x4 | Protract and depress your scapula. Do not allow your shoulder blades to stick out behind. Round your back as you pull into the tuck.Keep leaning towards the front as you push your feet back towards their starting position. It should feel as if you were leaning more as you push your feet back. Train with your head close to the wall and stick to a consistent distance to assure constant pressure on your shoulders.Lock your elbows fully. This is a straight arm drill! Rotate the pits of your elbows about 45 degrees towards the front. Externally rotate your hands to ease the pressure on your wrists. |