Attempts
instead of training
Whilst this might seem like a paradox when training for the press to handstand you should not try to just somehow get your first press by building a tower and elevating your feet higher. You shouldn’t be looking for a way to make it work. Instead focus on actually improving the key principles of the press to handstand. Anyone can make it up to the handstand but if you want your press to be pretty, appear effortless and efficient you have to invest into passive flexibility, specific strength, coordination and your general handstand abilities. No more than 2 or 3 attempts are necessary during a press training session. All other time and energy should be invested into actually improving.
The real problem here is that you are lacking progressions. And to no ones surprise. You don’t know how to press so how would you know which exercises are right for you?
Lack of
structure and planning
I asked every athlete frustrated athlete that I meet how their press to handstand training split looks like. What does their current training cycle look like. What are short and longterm plans and goals? Almost everyone reports back in the same manner: I am not sure. I don’t really plan much I just train and hope to get better.
It is important just to train in order to have fun but making progress along the way is usually even more fun!
A simple approach could be to spend the first 2-8 month on building a foundation. Improve your base strength, flexibility and handstand control without spending too much focus on press specific training. Then on your second training cycle you will start to incorporate more press specific drills such as the walking dead, zombies and wall presses. Only in your last stage of training does it then make send to begin to incorporate pressing attempts and presses with elevated feet.
Besides the long term plan your workouts must be just as structured. Always stretch before your press training as warm and flexible legs will make your presses MUCH easier. Work on technique and coordination before the conditioning work and finish your workouts with “finisher” exercises and a cool down.
Bent
elbows
Many athletes who simply want to on making it up no matter how but do not want to elevate their feet will bend their elbows instead. This comes with a variety of problems. One of the main issues here is that the press is a straight arm press and it is essential that we treat it as such.
As soon as you bend your elbows your body lines and all pressing mechanics change. You will quickly find yourself doing a bent arm press instead of a straddle press to handstand. Yes, you make it up but you are not training what you are trying to train. You are not building the right strength nor improving your technique.
Straddling
too early
Yes. I know it is called a straddle press but this is a misconception that I see FAR too often. Right after taking the feet off the floor the first thing that has to happen is not straddling the legs. Instead you have to push your hips upwards whilst pulling the feet in towards your forearms and eventually elbows.
We only straddle to gain an advantage later when the legs come around so we do not have to pass through the L! If you straddle right away at take off your back will arch and you will have to planche press your way up. Not great!
If this is something you are struggling with practice take offs close to the wall. Keep your feet shoulder width apart and work on bringing your hips up and shoulders towards the wall whilst trying not to touch the wall.
Lack of
technical knowledge & mechanics
Most people do not understand how a press really works. I don’t blame no one for this. Especially if you can not press yet presses are quite weird and straight up magical.
There are a lot of little tricks, secrets and almost mysteries surrounding the straddle press to handstand.
Where, how and when to engage can only be learned through consistent practice, focus and in depth analyzation of progressions and methodic training.
Over the years I have come to understand that truly anyone can learn to press. There is no hurdle too big not to overcome. Some can learn a press whiting a week or 2. For others this journey might take years. Bottom line is that no matter how far you are feeling from the press today or how stuck you think you might be, if you continue to practice, get some expert help like you are already doing by reading this blog and simply stay hungry you will absolutely make it there!
