Handstand endurance

Hi there. So basically I need some expert advice on my handstand endurance. This is a freestanding handstand. My form is on point, and to me it doesn't count if I wobble or move my legs in different positions. Basically my handstand endurance is "good" but not for being a professional hand balancer. I average 3 minutes on blocks and 2:30 on the floor. I have a lot of strength with everything else; I can hold 30sec one hands, one hand transitions, one hand presses (from floor lol), sitting presses, etc etc. With all these skills I find I progress so fast, but my handstand endurance maybe improves 15 sec every two months. It's RIDICULOUS. I find it's always my forearms to fail me first. I try to conserve my energy by creating a suction cup on the floor with the palm of my hand and use minimal finger balancing. After a while I get tired and start to use my fingers more to stop me from swaying.

This is urgent to me because I got accepted into l'ecole nationale de cirque or the national circus school in montreal, college program. I just want to improve as much as I can before I leave in August. My current endurance schedule is:

1) 3:30 HS hold belly against wall, one min off and 1:45 belly against wall again.

-2:30 handstand hold on floor

-1:30 handstand hold on floor

-1 minute intervals, with 40 sec rest (I've been doing this interval thing where I start off 1 min on and 1 min rest, and every 2 weeks I take 10 sec off the rest time)

2) 3:30 hold belly against wall

-3 min hold on blocks

Sun: 1

Mon: 2

Tues: 1

Wed: 2

Thurs: 1

Fri: 1

Sat: 2

Yes I train every day, and I have a routine that I add to the endurance, so it's not like I don't work my handstand more. I pretty much work on my handstand for 2 hours every day. I don't want to hear "I need to rest" because I have been doing this every day for 3 years and I've progressed insanely quick with little to no issues. The only 'issue' is endurance. I also ice my wrists every time I finish training so that I can stop any inflammation that may form(which has been none for over a year now). Going to ENC, I will be continuing to train like this, if not more. I have been very in tune with my hand balancing and make up my own training routines. It's just that this endurance routine I've set up just isn't cutting it! Or unless that's how fast everyone progresses and I'm just crazy?

Any tips of good drills to add? Or critique on my current endurance schedule?

you are far more advanced than me, so if you find my advice useless, then just discard it.

i seem to remember you making a similar post a long time ago about wrist issues (i could be wrong.  it was a long time ago).  the forearm powers the wrist, so imo you could do more wrist exercises.  

Ya! I do so many wrist/forearm exercises already! It's crazy to think my forearms are still weak because everything I do requires my wrist (handstands, straps, hand to hand stuff, weight training and a lot of body weight training)

This is just stumping me lol

For me when I focused on building up endurance for HS a few years back:

1 set almost everyday (5 - 7 days a week) 10 minutes back against the wall for approximately 4 mths

then build towards 20 minutes / 3 times a week (back against the wall) for 2 months (rest in between days).

After those 6 months I've stopped doing it (it was sufficient then) and now switched to doing HS wall runs (5 - 10 minutes) once a week and one day free HS endurance hold (2 sets of 1 min 45s).

I'm not as good technically as you are, however using the above stuff I managed to build up to a 5 min+ 2 hand freestanding handstand on floor. Hope it helps

Search the forum for posts made by Handbalancer. He has talked about balancing with the hips. If you balance with the hips your wrist will have to work less.

BMJD said:

For me when I focused on building up endurance for HS a few years back:

1 set almost everyday (5 - 7 days a week) 10 minutes back against the wall for approximately 4 mths

then build towards 20 minutes / 3 times a week (back against the wall) for 2 months (rest in between days).

After those 6 months I've stopped doing it (it was sufficient then) and now switched to doing HS wall runs (5 - 10 minutes) once a week and one day free HS endurance hold (2 sets of 1 min 45s).

I'm not as good technically as you are, however using the above stuff I managed to build up to a 5 min+ 2 hand freestanding handstand on floor. Hope it helps

Thank you.

Do you have any experience with handstand wall walks?

Bipocni said:

Do you have any experience with handstand wall walks?

Yeah used to do them all the time, but I found they really weren't much help. I've kind of cut them out now, and made room for newer drills.

this is coming from someone who doesn't do much handbalancing but has had issues with his wrists/right elbow for around a yr during F1/H1 and has recently been getting much better. 

something that bears enough interest to check is your forearm flexibility, in passive... when I would stretch my wrists before H1, putting my wrist into flexion(palms upwards) would cause me some grief. it wasn't until I used my fingers to break apart the beef jerky quality tissues in my forearms and that allowed me to move my wrist more freely without that wierd "pinching" sensation in my wrist before any stretch was on the length of my arm(which when i felt for the first time, was super cool! i had -never- felt that sensation of stretch before without the mixed in signals of pain.) 

so basically, I isolate where i want to work(predominately I insert my thumb into brachoradialis or extensor carpi radialis longus, as an example) and i'll dig my thumbs in, look for sore spots, find it, grab on and whilst my hands are locked on my forearm, i'll flex and extend my elbow. 

maybe you already do your mobility work and maybe you just have some funkyness going on that you haven't quite zero'ed in on. I spun my wheels on this wierd shoulder impingement i had by not knowing how to roll my shoulders during dislocates correctly. which stemmed from poor mobility in my pec minor. 

what do you think?

edit: meant to say extend the wrist, not flex though when i do grip onto my forearm, i'll begin the grip when it's in flexion and not let go until it's about as far into extension as i can manage)

Keilani Gutierrez said:

this is coming from someone who doesn't do much handbalancing but has had issues with his wrists/right elbow for around a yr during F1/H1 and has recently been getting much better. 

 

 

something that bears enough interest to check is your forearm flexibility, in passive... when I would stretch my wrists before H1, putting my wrist into flexion(palms upwards) would cause me some grief. it wasn't until I used my fingers to break apart the beef jerky quality tissues in my forearms and that allowed me to move my wrist more freely without that wierd "pinching" sensation in my wrist before any stretch was on the length of my arm(which when i felt for the first time, was super cool! i had -never- felt that sensation of stretch before without the mixed in signals of pain.) 

 

so basically, I isolate where i want to work(predominately I insert my thumb into brachoradialis or extensor carpi radialis longus, as an example) and i'll dig my thumbs in, look for sore spots, find it, grab on and whilst my hands are locked on my forearm, i'll flex and extend my elbow. 

 

maybe you already do your mobility work and maybe you just have some funkyness going on that you haven't quite zero'ed in on. I spun my wheels on this wierd shoulder impingement i had by not knowing how to roll my shoulders during dislocates correctly. which stemmed from poor mobility in my pec minor. 

 

what do you think?

definitely not a flex problem, I've never had wrist issues. except when i sprained my wrists once from never warming them up (stupid i know) because i had such a wide range of motion. and hahaha I actually do massage the small forearms muscles quite often like you mentioned! lol when i do my max handstand on the floor, afterwards my forearm is like a rock and i just go and help loosen it up quicker. and maybe so, but i don't think so. this is really the only thing i find is slow with improving.

guess we're different in this regard.

from my signature, the quickest area that has been progressing has been my Wrist/Forearm area in terms of development/endurance. everything else, not so much. I even feel it when I do toe assisted handstands in my doorway to test how my handstand line is, I always feel my shoulders then Hollow give out before my forearms/hands (because I grip the floor). 

I have heard that Yuri's forearms make him look like Popeye, so maybe there's something in your wrist conditioning that could benefit from a second look(because in the progressions/programming we can find out if you're also not eating enough to allow your connective tissues to grow but that's an area i'm not well versed in. I just haphazard through a mental "flow-chart" of things i might not be doing optimally and focus there.

also, maybe your daily training could influence it, but I'm still a noobie anything past 4 times a week in handstands for me right now results in too much shoulder fatigue and elbow overuse.  

made a typo upstairs, btw

Keilani Gutierrez said:

guess we're different in this regard.

 

from my signature, the quickest area that has been progressing has been my Wrist/Forearm area in terms of development/endurance. everything else, not so much. I even feel it when I do toe assisted handstands in my doorway to test how my handstand line is, I always feel my shoulders then Hollow give out before my forearms/hands (because I grip the floor). 

 

I have heard that Yuri's forearms make him look like Popeye, so maybe there's something in your wrist conditioning that could benefit from a second look(because in the progressions/programming we can find out if you're also not eating enough to allow your connective tissues to grow but that's an area i'm not well versed in. I just haphazard through a mental "flow-chart" of things i might not be doing optimally and focus there.

 

also, maybe your daily training could influence it, but I'm still a noobie anything past 4 times a week in handstands for me right now results in too much shoulder fatigue and elbow overuse.  

Hmm not quite sure what you mean in the first paragraph? is this a handstand hold with your stomach facing the wall?

And i am a relatively petite girl, but I've become very built. my current staple created by my friends is my tree trunk arms. basically because my wrists and forearms almost have the same width as my upper arm/bicep/triceps. but maybe my eating could be a factor? I've been thinking i have been eating pretty healthy, but maybe i need an actual nutrition coach. idk. also i addressed the training every day in my post

what i meant is stand in doorway(one that you can touch while standing in a HS line) then step back a tiny bit, so that when you do kick up to handstand your foot stops on the frame of the door. 

You don't need to worry about it too much. Endurance is important but let itself build over time and concern youraelf with working technique. At ENC Yury(i suppose it is him you will have if you are taken for balancing)will push you hard and you will develop a lot. Train until then but work more on your 1 arms since that's what yiu will be working on.

Endurance is imortant for a balancer, but you don't need insane amount, even to perform ata quite high level. Efficiency ang technique matters more. By all means work on it, but your enduranve changing 1 arms are more relevant than your regular 2 arm handstand. Building endurance past a certqin point is also quite slow if you don't set aside most ofbyour practice to it.

Would be nice to see a video of your stuff!

Handbalancer said:

You don't need to worry about it too much. Endurance is important but let itself build over time and concern youraelf with working technique. At ENC Yury(i suppose it is him you will have if you are taken for balancing)will push you hard and you will develop a lot. Train until then but work more on your 1 arms since that's what yiu will be working on.

Endurance is imortant for a balancer, but you don't need insane amount, even to perform ata quite high level. Efficiency ang technique matters more. By all means work on it, but your enduranve changing 1 arms are more relevant than your regular 2 arm handstand. Building endurance past a certqin point is also quite slow if you don't set aside most ofbyour practice to it.

Would be nice to see a video of your stuff!

Ahh thank you. This is exactly what I needed to hear and I think I'll be uploading a updated video to YouTube in the next month or so. Or I have a few insta videos on my instagram: dmaarie

Danielle said:

Hmm not quite sure what you mean in the first paragraph? is this a handstand hold with your stomach facing the wall?

 

And i am a relatively petite girl, but I've become very built. my current staple created by my friends is my tree trunk arms. basically because my wrists and forearms almost have the same width as my upper arm/bicep/triceps. but maybe my eating could be a factor? I've been thinking i have been eating pretty healthy, but maybe i need an actual nutrition coach. idk. also i addressed the training every day in my post

just eat enough fats, carbs and protein forget the healthy! XD

hey Danielle 

I am new to gymnastics forums and came across this. Have you ever considered working dead hangs  on the pull up bar (using different grips to)? 

If not maybe add that into your training schedule. 

Hello Danielle, could you describe your 2h daily routine? I am training equilibre again after almost 2 years away from it and would like to know how is your routine because you progressed amazingly well for just 3 years of training.

Arthur Costi said:

Hello Danielle, could you describe your 2h daily routine? I am training equilibre again after almost 2 years away from it and would like to know how is your routine because you progressed amazingly well for just 3 years of training.

Thank you! well currently my handstand routine after my full stretch and wrist warmups is:

Day 1:

Warm up-10 straddle presses from floor, two sets of 5 pike presses from floor and a few sitting straddle presses and moving through tuck.

Endurance: 3 minute handstand hold on blocks

- 3:30 handstand hold against wall

- 2 minute hold on blocks

Other: 5 sitting pike presses, and then two sets of doubles (when pressing down, open into v-sit)

- 3 sets of 3 sitting straddle presses

-press into pike hollow back, straighten and go into the position 3 times

-press into split hollow back

-press into hollow back

-press into kink/chair hollow back

-one arm straddle sits on each side, press into gator x3

One arms: warm up strad one arms on floor x2

- one arm straddle closing into straight one arm on blocks

-walk across blocks, starting with one arm on left, and when switching directions do right one arm. (In straddle, straight hs and tuck)

- stack blocks, press into straddle, take one off on each side and stack them. Once I reach the floor I grab the blocks on either side of my hands and stack them back up under me. I do this once with right arm first, then once on left.

- work on side one arm presses x2

- one arm straddle holds on blocks x2

- switchka/candle stick x2

- straddle transition to tuck and back one arm

- strad transition to split and back one arm

- strad transition to side straddle and back one arm

- strad transition to hanging? (Idk what this is called, kind of like an open pike by my arm?) and back one arm

- work on leans

- lower to planche x2

On Day 2, I only really add 1 minute interval holds, and move my freestanding holds to the floor and do another wall handstand for 2 mins. I also shave a bit off other sections.

I'm too lazy to copy and paste some lol. Sorry if it's confusing, I don't know how to explain certain points haha