Handstand Pushup progressions

I can't do Handstand Pushup progressions, as I don't have anything to elevate my feet with.

So If I wanted to do a Handstand Pushup on the rings, what exercises should I be practicing? Pseudo Planche? Pushups and all of its variations?

Thank you,

James

are you sure you don't have anything to use for elevating your feet, what about the wall, have your stomach facing it and walk your feet up the wall to where is comfortable for you, then as progress move your feet higher and higher until you get close to vertical then kick up into a a handstand against the wall (your back should be facing the wall now when your in the handstand) with this you'll probably need to be a little further away from the wall to start off with. also if you can hold a handstand against the wall for at least ten seconds (i'd suggest working that hold to 30 seconds) you could do slow negatives holds at different points in the handstand.

once you've completed those progressions or are able to do handstand push ups on ground then try these with rings. with the HSPU on rings I'd say definitely have a solid handstand on them (handstand on rings is something you could use while practicing the other things on floor, but probably only when you can hold handstand for at least thirty seconds and you can do a couple of HSPU head to floor on ground). also remember doing HSPU on them will be a lot harder so you probably won't even e able to get were you could on ground. but with drills, exercises and tips to help just make sure your feet are resting on the straps at all times, don't go down any further than you can handle, make sure your handstand push ups on floor are solid (personally i would say 10 or so without pushing yourself to the extreme) and maybe even try freestanding ones my last exercise is bottom up HSPU, these you go into a headstand and press up (these help with tension and producing power from nothing).

just remember handstands can be deadly, but seriously just be safe with them dont go further than your abilities allow, like coach says make haste slowly and when trying them on rings put the rings very low and put a mattress or crash mat underneath you.

Well I'm not sure by you don't have anything to elevate your feet with, a chair, a table, or you could work the negatives and static handstand holds. Start off with 3 sets each set has 1 repetition of 1 minute held in the handstand position, people who just started off in gymnastics gain a lot from doing these. Simple just find a wall and toss yourself up there, and as for negatives this means hold yourself at the lowest position(head 1inch off the floor) and then maybe move 5 inches off the floor and hold it from there you will see gains in strength fast.

As you start off your back will most likely become sore, try some v-sits or superman raises to strengthen your back.

I have a question about handstand pushups on the wall. I find that I go down in a straight line but whenever I press up I arch my back. Is this a result of having a weak core or am I doing something wrong in the movement?

Arching your core make the pushing easier, for two different reasons. The very movement of arching while you press make in sort that you have to lift less weight with your arms, because you kinda lift yourself in two motions rather than one. With your arms, you lift your shoulders and upper back. Then with your shoulders and core, you lift the rest. Plus, when you arch your back, you close your shoulders. Having more of an angle in your shoulders makes the pushing easier, because you can use more muscles (triceps, deltoids and pectoralis minor vs. tricpeps, deltoids, pectoralis minor and major).

My conclusion: your core is strong enough. Here's the proof. If you do a squat, are you able to keep your core straight and lift it in one block? If yes, then your core is strong enough (and I'm 99.99999999% sure it's the case). The cause is simply that your arms, shoulders and upper chest aren't strong enough to do it properly. If you keep practicing while trying to get a better form, you'll end up getting it. You can also go one step down, and drill it with a better form, or do more reps, or add some weight if your form was already good enough. That would give you the necessary strength to do it properly.

And for the original poster's question, there's always alternative: do pike presses with your feet on the ground. Lots of them. Use a wall, like said earlier. Or a table, or a chair, or a tree, or a bench in a park, or whatever steady enough. If you really, really can't find anything (like, you're in a prison cell where the walls aren't solid, like they're lasers)... Practice your push-ups until you get a good one arm push-up for many reps, and practice your presses to handstand (if you can do freestanding handstands without touching the lasers). The combination of both should give you the strength necessary to do good HeSPU.

I don't subscribe to arching your back during HSPUS.

I'd first master basic handstand, HeSPUs, full ROM HSPUS ring HS then work on HSPUs on rings.