Taking the Pike through to Handstand to the next Level - Anatomically impossible?

First of all, to anyone who is reading this and wants to get stronger - get Foundation!

I started only a little more than 4 months ago, I have finished Foundation Two and I am just missing the final step at Handstand 2! It's beyond great!

For me, the coolest strength move was always a V-Sit (or manna) pike through to pike press up to handstand.

I do think levers or flags also look VERY cool of course - but this move is just my favourite ever!

So as I told you before, I can do straddle presses sitting and pike presses standing. I can hold a straddled V-Sit for a few seconds, shins almost beside my ears.

I am also working on the pike press to handstand on p-bars.

Hopefully, in about 5 months, I will be able to do V-Sit to pike press on p-bars or other raised surfaces to put my hands on and some straddle presses in a row consistently.

That would be awesome. (Correct me if this is impossible)

But my question is: Could I take it to the next step and do the V-Sit pike through to handstand on floor?

I know a lot of very very strong male gymnasts, but only one is able to do it and he is very small with short limbs.

I do have pretty long legs, but my arms are also pretty long, maybe this could help?

Do you think I could give it a try? If it works, how long should it take? 1 year?

I would appreciate everyone's opinion or if you have any suggestions who I could ask!

And btw...do you know this guy already?

He is so crazy!

Damn. One of my goals is L-sit to handstand. He makes it look so easy!

After watching the video. Of course you could do a v-sit press through to handstand. Heck, I wouldn't doubt you could do a Manna press through to handstand or Manna to dislocate handstand.

I also just wanted to be able to do an L-sit press through to handstand. Now I want to do a manna press to dislocate handstand.

Looking over the MAG Code of Points

Vsit to press handstand is a "C" rated floor skill and Manna to press handstand is "D" rated floor skill. While manna to dislocate handstand is "C" rated floor skill if the manna is held for 2 seconds but the handstand isn't. However if you hold the handstand for two seconds also, the manna to dislocate handstand is "D" rated floor skill.

Rayne-William said:

After watching the video. Of course you could do a v-sit press through to handstand. Heck, I wouldn't doubt you could do a Manna press through to handstand or Manna to dislocate handstand.

I also just wanted to be able to do an L-sit press through to handstand. Now I want to do a manna press to dislocate handstand.

Haha thanks but I think I would be pretty satisfied with "only" V to pike Handstand!

May I ask you how long it took you to go from standing pike press to L to pike handstand?

katlinchen said:

Haha thanks but I think I would be pretty satisfied with "only" V to pike Handstand!

May I ask you how long it took you to go from standing pike press to L to pike handstand?

At the moment, I am still working on developing the strength and balance for a free standing handstand.

katlinchen said:

And btw...do you know this guy already?

He is so crazy!

Oh yes we know him well. Actually Lucas is using this forums too 

Oh god, didn't know that! Incredible!

He lives on the same city (Curitiba) as I do here in Brazil, his background is from Wushu, that's where he got that amazing compression. He also spent the last year and half doing lots of weighted pike presses, weighted L-sit and V-sit holds and weighted hanging leg lifts.

About the pike press I am on the same road as you, I can press from V to HS on P-bars but not on the floor, when I do on the floor my heels touch the floor and cannot go through.

I am doing lots of weighted L-sits and HLL, the compression is improving and I found an exercise that caught my attention and it is very interesting because the guy who does on the video does not have an insane compression like Lucas, so I think is a nice drill to improve your ability to pass your legs between your hands on the floor.

Im doing 3-5 sets of 1 min twice a week and it is improving fast my compression.

If you find any other exercise that you felt important to your progress on this movement please share here because I am eager to do it also! 

Hey my name is Brandon Hansen. I was a competitive gymnast with Coach Sommer at Desert Devils and Xtreme from 2005-2010. Actually, I also happen to be the boy doing the pike position in the picture that Arthur Costi posted above.

I am much more of an Aerialist nowadays, so I don't train hand balancing daily, but the foundational work Coach Chris put me through is still alive and well years later. Below is a video I posted on Instagram about a month ago going from V-sit press through to Handstand.

http://instagram.com/p/tL3OHTliJJ/?modal=true

I promise it is very possible, especially by going through the proven Gymnasticbodies methods.

Brandonh said:

Hey my name is Brandon Hansen. I was a competitive gymnast with Coach Sommer at Desert Devils and Xtreme from 2005-2010. Actually, I also happen to be the boy doing the pike position in the picture that Arthur Costi posted above.

I am much more of an Aerialist nowadays, so I don't train hand balancing daily, but the foundational work Coach Chris put me through is still alive and well years later. Below is a video I posted on Instagram about a month ago going from V-sit press through to Handstand.

http://instagram.com/p/tL3OHTliJJ/?modal=true

I promise it is very possible, especially by going through the proven Gymnasticbodies methods.

Wow, amazing. This is so great! You make it look so easy! Besides a stalder on bars, this is my favourite gymnastics move EVER!

What do you say is most important in this exercise besides active compression?

I think mine is pretty good and I can also do a V-Sit to pike handstand on P-Bars.

But on floor - no way! It's not even that my heels touch and I can press through, it's more that my calves touch the floor and I don't go anywhere but land on my butt - so really bad!!! Do you have any specific exercises besides just training the pike to handstand on lower and lower surfaces until you can pike through? And is there anything else I can work on? Shoulder strength? Core strength? What do I need?

I still don't think it is possible for a woman...I have never seen any female do it besides some really tiny handbalancers. But maybe I will give it a try!

Thanks

 I want to say it sounds like you are losing your pike compression as you attempt the press. Quite possibly you are losing that V compression and opening up.

Try working HS pike through to V without the legs coming away from the chest as you clear the floor and move to V.

Think about leading the press with your hips/butt from V. Your butt moves up and back from the V.

Another trick is to press off the metacarpalphalangeal ridge of your palm (where the fingers attach to the palm) instead of the palm. That should give you 2-3 more inches of clearance.

 I can't recall most of my older female gymnasts being able to do it ever but our small and young elite track girls could do it. Then again they were about 9 besides being runts.

 I want to say I had one girl who was about 13 at another gym of moderate height (maybe as tall or pretty close to my height). But she of course had little extra weight, no real hips compared to our seniors, and was also VERY strong, freaky strong. I remember she was training Handspring Front and because she was having a head issue with backward tumbling so Tsuks and Yurchenkos were stalled. I used to call her Prudonova because of her front tumbling.

 I seem to recall her being able to do a V-sit with good pike flexibillity compared to the rest of our optionals. I also want to say her shoulders were a bit on the tight side as I had her working stall bar pikes. I don't think we hardly ever pike press HS with the girls because I only remembering spotting a zillion straddle presses besides some girls doing them on their own so I wouldn't have to spot them.

Blairbob said:

 I want to say it sounds like you are losing your pike compression as you attempt the press. Quite possibly you are losing that V compression and opening up.

Try working HS pike through to V without the legs coming away from the chest as you clear the floor and move to V.

Think about leading the press with your hips/butt from V. Your butt moves up and back from the V.

Another trick is to press off the metacarpalphalangeal ridge of your palm (where the fingers attach to the palm) instead of the palm. That should give you 2-3 more inches of clearance.

 I can't recall most of my older female gymnasts being able to do it ever but our small and young elite track girls could do it. Then again they were about 9 besides being runts.

 I want to say I had one girl who was about 13 at another gym of moderate height (maybe as tall or pretty close to my height). But she of course had little extra weight, no real hips compared to our seniors, and was also VERY strong, freaky strong. I remember she was training Handspring Front and because she was having a head issue with backward tumbling so Tsuks and Yurchenkos were stalled. I used to call her Prudonova because of her front tumbling.

 I seem to recall her being able to do a V-sit with good pike flexibillity compared to the rest of our optionals. I also want to say her shoulders were a bit on the tight side as I had her working stall bar pikes. I don't think we hardly ever pike press HS with the girls because I only remembering spotting a zillion straddle presses besides some girls doing them on their own so I wouldn't have to spot them.

Thanks for your advice BlairBob!

Yes, for sure I lose the compression and I also lack in overall strength! Seems pretty impossible at the moment...I will focus on other things now and work on my strength, maybe I will be closer in a few months.