The GymnasticBodies blog
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Handstand Progressions—Train at Your Pace
![Handstand Progressions—Train at Your Pace 1 handstand progressions](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/L-GymnasticBodies-Freestanding-Handstand-150x150.jpg)
Use handstand progressions to train your handstands successfully. In today’s high-speed world, popular fitness trends are constantly changing and evolving in search for the ultimate test of strength, coordination, and endurance. Keeping up with the latest trends can seem overwhelming, but we’re here to tell you that tackling fun new skills is easier than you think.
Continue ReadingThe Better Handstand Checklist
![The Better Handstand Checklist 3 handstand checklist](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/L-GymnasticBodies-Spotted-Handstand-150x150.jpg)
There's a lot to think about when you are learning to handstand, so having a handstand checklist will help. Nailing your first handstand provides a rush like no other – and rightfully so! Balancing successfully on your hands is the culmination of tons of hard work and practice, so congratulations on starting the journey! Even
Continue ReadingUnlock Your Athletic Potential with This One Perfect Exercise
![Unlock Your Athletic Potential with This One Perfect Exercise 6 GymnasticBodies female athletes demonstrate handstand strength and control with handstand press.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L-GymnasticBodies-handstand-press_preview-150x150.jpeg)
No other exercise will improve your mobility, strength, balance, and agility like this one. You’ll gain a killer body and unreal athletic performance. This one groundbreaking exercise is... the MIGHTY press handstand! Not only are press handstands an incredible skill to obtain, they are fun to train every step of the way. By beginning your
Continue ReadingWhen Running Gets Old, Try it on Your Hands! (Here's How)
![When Running Gets Old, Try it on Your Hands! (Here's How) 9 GymnasticBodies female athletes demonstrate handstand strength and control with handstand runs.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/gymnasticbodies-handstand-runs-150x150.jpg)
It’s time to give your feet a rest and let your upper body do the work! Handstands are by far, one of the coolest gymnastic exercises on the planet and they will be absolutely essential for your future GSTTM progress. On the road to improving your handstand proficiency, you will inevitably run into roadblocks; some
Continue ReadingTurn Your World Upside Down to Build Tremendous Strength
![Turn Your World Upside Down to Build Tremendous Strength 12 GymnasticBodies female athletes demonstrate various handstand hold exercises for form and strength.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/L-gymnasticbodies-handstand-variations_preview-150x150.jpeg)
Handstands done correctly are an example of the physical preparation that an athlete has or does not have. Surely anyone can get strong while standing on their own two feet, but at GymnasticBodies we prefer to gain our staggering upper body strength while standing on our hands. The cool thing is, that no matter where
Continue ReadingSculpt a Solid Upper Back Using Handstand Training
![Sculpt a Solid Upper Back Using Handstand Training 15 GymnasticBodies athletes demonstrate trap strength in handstands.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/L-GymnasticBodies-Handstand-150x150.jpg)
Coach Christopher Sommer often tells stories about his athletes’ upper backs or “traps” being so developed they look like another set of lats dropped into the middle of their back. Many of these athletes do little to no formal weight training, but rather they achieved their physique through Gymnastic Strength Training and exercises such as
Continue ReadingOvercoming Fear of Handstands
![Overcoming Fear of Handstands 18 GymnasticBodies athlete shows confidence in his handstand.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/L-GymnasticBodies-Handstand-Parallel-bars-150x150.jpg)
If you've had any experience with handstand practice or play, you have likely experienced the following: you are holding a handstand facing the wall, and your arms start to shake towards the end of your set. Determined, you tell yourself to hold it just a little bit longer. Finally, the timer goes off and it
Continue ReadingStrong Joints for Balance
![Strong Joints for Balance 20 A great Handstand is by GymnasticBodies, not by accident.](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GymansticBodies-Straddle-handstand-150x150.jpg)
"A great handstand is not by accident" - Coach Christopher Sommer Today we will be discussing the Gymnastics Handstand. Specifically, we will detail how the wrists, elbows, and shoulders work together to keep your body aligned and balanced while you are upside-down in a handstand. Here at GymnasticBodies we teach and train handstands in true gymnastics fashion, achieving
Continue ReadingGetting Comfortable Going Upside-Down
![Getting Comfortable Going Upside-Down 23 Athlete learning hollow hold on wall](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/L-christopher-sommer-leaning-hollow-150x150.jpg)
If you are like many adults who are new to Gymnastic Strength Training, then there is a high likelihood that you have not been upside-down (either hanging or in a handstand) for quite some time, possibly verging on decades. If this is the case, then you need to pay extra special attention to getting comfortable
Continue ReadingHandstands for Beginners - 3 Cues for Success
![Handstands for Beginners - 3 Cues for Success 26 Partner GymnasticBodies handstand training](https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gymfit/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/L-GymnasticBodies-partner-hollow-handstand-150x150.jpg)
Balancing on your hands in a handstand is tough and often feels very peculiar, especially in the beginning of your handstand journey. But to put all the hard work of handstand training into perspective think about how long it took you to learn to walk! It is a very similar process to do the same on your
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