Shoulder Angle and Press Handstands

[Guest mpetnuch]

Basically what are some good exercises to help the shoulder muscles in creating a better press. I have a fairly decent press but it does not look the way I want it to, you know the way you see the little pixie girls on beam do it with what seems like no effort and zero shoulder angle.

Here is a video of my presses and a handstand as well to show that I can hold the position, just not press with it :-p

[Coach Sommer]

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of your straddle press handstand work. Good job.

Yours is not actually an issue of shoulder angle, but a failure to keep the lower back curled during the last 25% of the press handstand. Notice that initially your back is strongly rounded and then gradually during the course of the press opens past straight to an arch in the lower back. To avoid this occurrence, keep the back strongly curled at all times (think pulling the belly button to the spine) and of pulling the shoulders "under" the glutes during the course of the press.

Near the top of the press, pulling the legs out strongly to the sides and then up, rather than slightly back, will also help in eliminating this slight arch in the lower back.

Once again, nice work.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Derek Simonds]

I thought they looked great. Coach thanks for posting your thoughts.

I will definitely use the technique of pulling the belly button to the spine.

The last part with pulling the legs up to the side and not back and up is the part I am having a hard time with. My son and I have been working on this and he is struggling with that concept. Hopefully with this video and a little more coaching we can eliminate it.

Any other thoughts on how to coach that movement of the legs.

[jparkdzg]

The press looks great.

As far as your efforts to straighten out the angle in your shoulders, I think that is a flexibility issue in your lower body. If you struggle with flexibility in your legs, then as you press, you cannot bring them in close to your body. When your legs are farther out, your center of balance in farther out also, therefore requiring your shoulders to be angled so your hands are directly under the balance point.

My leg flexibility was always so bad in high school, I was never able to do a straight arm press. My body and my legs would always form a 90 degree angle and it would be so hard. I'm certain that I would have been able to do it if I was more flexible, seeing as how hollowback presses were a walk in the park for me.

[Coach Sommer]

Hamstring, lower back and shoulder girdle flexibility are all key ingredients for a good press handstand.

To learn to move the legs through the correct arc of movement, it can be quite helpful to perform your press handstands standing in a straddle by a wall, but facing away. Place your hands on the floor and press to handstand. The closer you are to the wall, the more further your legs will need to pull to the side in order to avoid contact with the wall during the press.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer