Variations

first i want to say thanks to ido... i started adding in some of the exercises that i saw in his last video and my balance has greatly improved. i still have a lot to work on but back to my question...

i tried doing wide arm handstands at the end of practice just for fun... i found it to be much harder... any tips or suggestions? i didn't feel like i could use my hands as much to help my balance and had a hard time to get past 10s freestanding... thanks for any help

I also added in some of Ido's drills and they do help tremendously Thanks Ido! 8)

For wide arm (aka Japanese) handstands I found that arching a little bit helps a ton with the balancing portion. Also, try looking at different spots on the floor. Like a little in front of your hands or directly between your hands (or where ever) and try to find that 'sweet spot' for your vision. I also balance more with my shoulders in a Japanese handstand than a regular one, I dont know if this is correct but thats what I have done just buy trial and error (I self teach everything).

You can do the same type of wall drills with the Japanese handstand that you do with a regular handstand, this has helped me the most. Like kick up against the wall and try and pull your feet off the wall and balance.

How are you with getting out the wide arm? Personally I always roll out because my nose is only 2-3 inches above the floor 8)

I think most of it is just more practice, like just about everything else that has to do with handbalancing.

Good luck!

i played a little with arching vs more of a flat back... not sure what i like better yet... definately found the balance to be in the shoulders... very little in the hands... i noticed tho that if i squeezed my shoulders (pressed my hands into the ground) that i can use my hands a little bit more but it was tiring... i'll have to try the different spotting idea... that helped a lot with regular handstands... after trying a few i now use the wall to practice them... i'm able to spend more time in the handstand

i think practice is very important... just want to be practicing it the right way... or the right progressions... think i might try slowly moving my hands out instead of just jumping out to wide... maybe i'll even try to mix in some of ido's leg movement stuff...

Ya, I started not so wide (1.5 shoulder width), and now I can put a finger on each line on our spring floor in my gym (the black Velcro tapes that hold the blue top surface together). Its really wide, thats what everyone one tells me at least, but thats what I have to do with a 6 foot 3 inch arm span :roll:

It is definitely more taxing than a regular handstand just do the same hold drills that you did to develop your regular handstand strength and you should be good to go, start narrow and slowly widen you hands as you get stronger. I can hold it against the wall no problem but I am still fiddling with the balance part, if I narrow my stance a little bit I am a lot better at balancing than if I go out to my widest point . I think the kick up is the most difficult part because it is so difficult to pull it back if you under or overbalance, so that is what I practice the most. I think I might try some Japanese tuck ups, pike ups and straddle ups today, just like Ido did with his regular handstands (I also do these a lot with my regular handstands and it has helped tremendously).

thanks... i've built up my regular handstand to doing 50s freestanding 45s rest for 6-9 sets... the volume is a little on the low side but it allows me to train it almost every day... i think i'm going to try some of ido's drills with wide arm... before i really begin working on it i think i'm going to take a step back and do some headstand work... hopefully this will let me work on my body control and awareness... tried some today and really enjoyed it... it should give my wrists and elbows a little relief... too much planche and oap work but i finaly got my first oap last week and i can almost lower from a handstand to a straddle planche...

Nice, 50 second freestanding is great. I just recently hit the 10 second mark which feels amazing! Hmm, I might even try Ido's drills in a headstand as well. That way I could work on the leg movement ones and not just the tuck ups, pike ups and straddle ups. I have also been doing one arm push up work (thats what oap is correct?) and I can finally do one on my right arm but my left arm is lagging a little but it will get there. My gym was closed the past 2 weeks so I have been greasing the groove with one arm pushups (up on my coffee table, so a 10 inch raise to make them easier) and one legged squats. Just from the 2 weeks I went from do a 2 negatives on the table and no ability to push up to being able to do 3 solid reps on each arm Today was the first day the gym was back open and I tried some standing fronts just to see if I still had them and I over rotated and landed in a push up position! I guess the one legged squat work help more than I thought! 8)

If you are doing one arm push up work I would defiantly suggest you try out grease the groove. Just to 3 or even 1 rep on each arm throughout the day. I usually get in at least 25 reps on each arm a day, which really adds up. If you cant do them on the floor do them on a small box or even the table. When I am at work I just do them on my desk which is a little easier but I get more work in at least.

And I hear you about the wrists and elbows, sometimes you just need a break.

congrats and careful with the flips... its taken me a while to build up and i still have a lot to work on... it took me a while to learn how to train the handstand... coach sommer's exercises and ido's drills are great... once i focused on it more my hold times, consistency and control greatly improved... i believe my training routine and exercises can still be improved but it will come with time... oap = one arm pull-up... i got it with my right arm... almost there with my left... it has really taken its toll on my elbows... a couple days of swimming, headstands and stretching and i'll be as good as new... i've learned to appriciate rest when needed... can't wait for friday

i am curious and maybe start a new thread about tips and technique for headstands... i've noticed they are much different than handstands... they really seem to make you more aware of your body...

griffdrc said:

i am curious and maybe start a new thread about tips and technique for headstands... i've noticed they are much different than handstands... they really seem to make you more aware of your body...

Agreed about the headstands. They are particularly challenging if you strive to not use your hands! 8) I usually set up a panel mat (3 panels high is good for me) and then kick up into a headstand on the mat, straddle my legs and try to slowly pick up each finger until I have as little pressure on my hands as possible. Striving the whole time to find that sweet spot and balance with no hands. See Idos blog for a video of what I am talking about http://idoportal.blogspot.com/2009/02/claudes-stories.html

Just be careful not to roll your neck :shock:

OAP, one arm pull up . . . got it I need to work those more but I am all ready pushing my body hard and I think adding another challenging skill might put me over the edge, recovery wise. So, I will have to be happy with increasing my regular pull up strength and really getting the one arm push ups down rock solid before I start the oap's.

i'm at a similar point... but have made a lot of progress in a couple of sessions... i find it helpful to move the legs and try to use the hands as little as possible... i like going legs apart and together (side and front) and i also really like doing press headstands... found these to be particularly helpful so far...

i was doing oap work and doing muscle up to negative ians then pulling to invert and lowering to front lever then l hang... readjust false grip and do it again... they are really fun but also realy hard on my biceps...

I tried Idos drills in a headstand today and I really liked them. Moving my legs like that really forced me to concentrate on maintaining body alignment and balance while in the headstand.

griffdrc said:

i'm at a similar point... but have made a lot of progress in a couple of sessions...

I have noticed that I make significant progress in short to medium bursts. I mean I am always getting a little better but every few weeks I seem to have a breakthrough. Like my jump form holding 3 second to 10 second handstands. And even today I did 3 10 second holds in a row (I have never done more than 1 10 sec hold out of 5 to 10 tries. My kick up was perfect and I just stuck it, no movement, it was just . . . well . . . easy

Now I just have to get that pesky straddle press handstand (with straight arms of course 8) )