Shoulder Prehab
Rest between sets: As Needed
Intensity: Light
Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
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Forehead to W 1x8 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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! | ||
Shoulder Shrug on Stomach against Elastic 1x8 | 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. | ||
Shoulder Lift on Floor 2x4 | Hover your chin close to the floor.Lock your elbows and look at your hands.Do not lift your chest off the floor. Isolate the movement into your shoulders. | ||
Straight to Tuck on Back 2x4 | The distance between your feet and the floor should stay the same the entire time.Lift your hands off the floor and push them into the wall hard by elevating your scapula. Try to cover your ears with your shoulders!Tilt your head back slightly and try to look at your hands to mimic the position you would be in when performing a handstand. | ||
Half Superman Plank Push Up 2x4 | Look at your hands and keep them around shoulder width apart.Push your lower back up and engage your core to create an even and slightly rounded line.Flex your feet on the floor and keep them next to each other. | ||
Prayer Pose Stretch 8x | Keeping your hands in a vertical position push them down in front of your body towards your belly button.Apply pressure on your wrists by pushing your hands together and move sligthly deeper in each repetition.Keep your shoulders depressed and squared with your hips. | ||
Overhead Wrist Curl 10x each side | Place your hand overhead, lock your elbow and elevate your scapula. Look towards the front.Open your hand every time your wrist moves into extension and fully close as you move into flexion.Train your forearm muscles and fingers in exactly the way that you need the when fighting for balance in handstand or when gripping a bar or rings. |
Handstand Training
Rest between sets: Long enough to recover | Short enough to stay warm
Intensity: Moderate | Focus on form
Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
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Wall Walk 2x2 | 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. | ||
Single Leg Tuck Slide 1x2 each side alternating | Pull 1 knee down to the tuck at the time whilst keeping your shoulders and hips perfectly squared. Pull the knee down in a vertical line and avoid it sticking out to the side.Do not push your feet up the wall too far between reps. Your hand-shoulder-hips line needs to stay intact at all times.Touch the wall with your feet and the working knee and shin only. | ||
Tuck Slide 2x3 | 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. | ||
L Handstand Single Leg Isolation 2x1 each side | 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. | ||
Half Slide Away 2x2 | 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.Do not place your hands too far away from the wall. The main focus of this drill is not conditioning but technical refinement.Keep your elbows locked and elevate your scapula fully at all times. | ||
Slide Away 2x2 | 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. | ||
Single Leg Tuck Take Off 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.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. | ||
Single Leg Tuck Take Off to Straight 2x1 each side | 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 knee. If you were watching this drill from the side the foot should travel up and back down on one vertical line.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. |
Conditioning
Rest between exercises: 30-90 sec between sets
Intensity: Elevated
Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
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L Handstand Pull 2x2 | Start with your body in a perfectly straight line from hands to toes.Flip your hips into an anterior pelvic tilt and make them guide the movement. Align your shoulders and hips on top of your hands as your feet slide down the wall. Walk your feet back up the wall between reps.Keep your elbows locked and scapula elevated at all times. | ||
Bench Zombie to Slow Lower 5x total | As you take your feet off first try to keep your hands, shoulders and hip line active. Use your hip flexors only to pull the feet in. When you can not go any further allow your shoulders to move towards the front and for your hips to dip down.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!Go as slow as possible and try to stay in control the entire time! If you feel like you are going to low and you are about to lose control: Stop and simply try to freeze in place! | ||
Pike Push Up 8x total | 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.Look at your hands and elevate your scapula in the starting position. Allow your scapula to depress naturally as you bend your arms.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. | ||
Back to Wall Press - Negative 4x total | |||
Slow Lower Through Tuck Planche - Back to Wall 3x | Pull your knees into your chest rounding your back. Work on taking 1 vertebrae off the wall at the time. Focus on isolation and go as slow as possible.Externally rotate your hands to ease the pressure on the wrists.Lock your elbows! This is a straight arm drill. If you are not training on parallettes consider externally rotating your hands to ease pressure on your wrists. |
Core Finisher – 2 rounds
Rest between exercises: as little as possible
Intensity: Elevated
Demo | Exercise | Reps/Sets | How to/Cues |
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Single Leg V-Up 6x each side alternating | Engage your legs! Lock your knees, point your feet and squeeze the water out of them.Keep the opposite foot on the floor for balance and stability. Keep your legs parallel to each other and your shoulders and hips squared.Engage your arms to be able to swing them dynamically. | ||
Plank Superman Combi 8x | Do not use momentum during the superman lift and squeeze on top for a moment. Keep your head in a neutral position.Engage your shoulders and protract them slightly. Your shoulder blades should not stick out from your back. | ||
Constant Pressure Chair on Back 4x each side alternating | Extend the same side arm and leg simultaneously whilst keeping pressure between the opposite limbs.Keep your shoulders depressed and squared with your hips at all times.Suck your belly button in to collect your lower back with the floor. | ||
Single Leg Foam Roller Forearm Plank Roll Out 12x each side none alternating | Engage your core and create 1 straight line from your feet all the way through your neck.Using your forearms on the floor push your body back so the foam roller moves up your leg towards your knees.Keep your core engaged to prevent your back from arching whilst opening your shoulders fully. |