First Knuckle Push Ups

I can only achieve 45 degrees right now.  I am not even sure if I will ever get to 90 degrees. I am not naturally flexible and watching the athlete in the video flex his fingers like that makes me cringe.  Does one have to have a full 90 degree flexibility in order to be good at handstands?

Mike71 said:

I am not naturally flexible

 

You're not naturally strong enough to do a planche or skilled enough to hold a two minute handstand, either. That doesn't stop you from working towards those goals. Why shouldn't you also be able to achieve a moderate increase in ROM in your knucles? 

Good point.  Thanks!

My mobility in this one was even less than 45 degrees, but is improving gradually thanks to these exercises, just keep it up.

Joshua Slocum said:

You're not naturally strong enough to do a planche or skilled enough to hold a two minute handstand, either. That doesn't stop you from working towards those goals. Why shouldn't you also be able to achieve a moderate increase in ROM in your knucles? 

So would 90 degrees be considered a normal range of motion that most people should be able to reach?

I'm about 45 on the right and a little less on the left. I wasn't sure how far back my knuckles are supposed to bend.

The Hansenator said:

So would 90 degrees be considered a normal range of motion that most people should be able to reach?

 

I'm about 45 on the right and a little less on the left. I wasn't sure how far back my knuckles are supposed to bend.

yeah, just like the athletes in the video. 

give a few things a try and re-test mobility. 

try massaging your forearms, all the way upto your elbows and see if you find any tight spots, while you're at it you can poke around and see what else is there all the way upto your shoulders (for the purpose of FKP, upto forearms, but now that you're doing it, the relief you feel once those tight spots are gone, is priceless.) 

also try this

amazingly simple routine that I followed haphazardly whilst watching it and once i re-tested mobility, it had gotten better. see if these stretches and soft tissue work yield any results, i know it has for me and if you have similar tight spots, it can offer some mobility for having worked on it. 

I'll give it a try, thanks,

Hi, I'm resurrecting this topic instead of starting a new one (found it on search, seems like the closest to my question).

I too have poor hand flexibility, but find the actual pushing bit quite easy. Should I continue through the progressions whilst working on my flexibility, or pause on the progressions (I have literally started HS1 today!) until my ROM is better (say getting towards 75 degrees).

I'm confident I can increase it (didn't realise quite how bad it was!) but just not sure if I should do that first, or concurrently.

Thanks!

Hi Fiona, with good probability your PE will improve as the stretch exercises improve. you can consider to add some light stretch of the wrists daily.