Andreas Bolz Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I get that HeSPU facing the wall have a better carry over to freestanding HeSPU, but is it just that or are they safer/healthier than HeSPU with your back facing the wall. That asked, are HeSPU with your back facing the wall dangerous in any way because of the bending of the body? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Douglas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I think its less dangerous and more simply unproductive, assuming you don't have anything pathological going on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Bolz Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Unproductive in what sense? I mean they still build strength in shoulders, triceps and upper traps!? Why are they less dangerous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Douglas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Unproductive in what sense? I mean they still build strength in shoulders, triceps and upper traps!? Why are they less dangerous?Unproductive in the sense that they tend to encourage an arch in the back. Strength gains are less if you allow yourself to sag. Go ahead and compare what happens if you try full HSPU with a tight hollow vs allowing an arch. I bet there's one of them you find signficantly easier. They'll build some strength, but what's the point if those gains plateau quickly, look terrible and set you back in other more productive progressions by reinforcing bad form and encouraging cheating to complete a rep? If you're very strict on your handstand line, then go nuts, but I mean very strict in the sense of you barely need the wall and you're practically doing them freestanding. That's my view. Plus if you let yourself sag it does tend to give an ache in the back; never caused me a problem that couldn't be fixed with some stretching, but they didn't make me strong either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Bolz Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Yea, but not everyone has those strength potentials. I mean for example my girlfriend or my 67 yo dad. For those the easy and "ugly" progression with feet on the wall would be fine as an ultimate shoulder exercise, right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Douglas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 What's ultimate?Seems like I've misunderstood your question. You want to know how to program for a population that's limited in their str potential, or you want to know about back to wall hespu?If you only want ugly hespu, go ahead and do em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Douglas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Btw-- imo being female or 67 are not excuses enough to set such low limits on other people's potential either. Its not like i know their situation though, so take that as ymmv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Bolz Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 No I just wondered how just the shoulder/triceps/upper traps strength gained in this exercise could be compared to another strength-only exercise in this region as say the vertical barbell press (exercises with not much skill) and if the arching has any negative effects on the shoulder and its stabilizers. As for myself, I train the wall facing HSPU for my freestanding HSPU quest . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Douglas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Someone with more physiology knowledge might stop by and give you a complete answer... Till then, I don't think it's a case of having negative effect (although it's really not comfortable to let that arch continue for long/multiple sets and could be a problem if people have back issues), it's more a case of not getting the stabilising/active flexibility benefits of having to keep your shoulders more open, as you need to do to maintain a hollow body. So not negatives as such, just no positives.This is why I could get away with high rep back-to-wall hespu sets with tight shoulders too.Do keep in mind this is all just coming from my own experience, so it's entirely possible I'm just wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Svensson Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Unproductive in what sense? I mean they still build strength in shoulders, triceps and upper traps!? Why are they less dangerous?Because there's less chance that you land on your head and break something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karri Kytömaa Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 There really is no need to go doing bad form HeSPUs because of lack of strength. There are pike pushups and elevated pike pushups that you can scale all the way until HeSPUs become a possibility. Sure you don't get to feel great about yourself doing HeSPUs, but it just means you should swallow your pride and do your workout. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Slocum Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Back-to-wall headstand pushups encourage bad form and poor habits. There is literally zero reason to do them. If you need an easier variant, do headstand pushups with your feet on a block. As a side note, women are fully capable of doing not just headstand pushups, but even handstand pushups, too. I know at least two who can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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