No strength in extended shoulder position

I remember reading one coach's article on the pike press and it said people have a hard time transitioning from pike press headstand to pike press handstand because they don't have strength in the extended shoulder position.

I've been trying to practice tuck planche and press handstands for about a year and I'm not getting any better at them. I can press a tuck planche so my hips are level with my shoulders or a little bit under. but after I get to that ROM I can't do anything even when I try to do a really high tuck planch I can't hold it at all, I just fall thrue it with a tiny bit of controle.

It doesn't even feel like I have muscles to be able to do it. Same thing with the press handstand, whenever I try to lift my toes off the ground I fall right down. and if I try to do it against a wall with my chin tuckend in I can't get my toes of the ground either.

It's frustrating because I really want to learn these moves and practice them a lot. I have a friend that just learned how to do a press handstand with 20 extra lbs on his ankles... he doesn't even practice these moves half as much as me! :twisted: he's pretty big too, 6 feet 180 lbs.

You should already be familiar with the following exercise from a previous thread: Box Press HS

Work on these diligently for 6-12 months and you will see a tremendous difference.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Sasquatch, something that has helped get my press HS and solidify it has been HS press downs against the wall.

Kick to HS against the wall, straddle as wide as possible and work on slowly lowering down.

An intermediary step between the HeSLL and HSLL was bent arm. However, if you don't have the ability to have bent arm HS strength ( HeSPU/HSPU of some sort ); it's moot because your arms will not be able to hold and you'll end up lowering/falling into the HeS.

Thanks for the exercises, would you say I should practice them whenever I'm feeling up to it or only on my workout days, Monday,Wednesday and Friday? And when you do the negative HS press down, do you make sure to not put pressure on your head? I can do three press handstands if I press my head hard into the wall, but it doesn't really feel like I'm doing much with my shoulders. If I do take my head off the wall I can't even lift my toes off the ground... WEAKLING!

If I do take my head off the wall I can't even lift my toes off the ground... WEAKLING!

This is why I recommended the box presses to you; so that you can simulataneously build both your press HS strength and your ROM.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Alright, coach. Thank you

Unless I have a score of metrics it's hard to diagnose the weakness. Doing HSPU progressions will make your shoulders strong.

I find the HS press downs for me were more about hip flexor activation and developing active hip flexor ability. Mine is still poor as evidence in my straddle-L but I can press HS now from a stand. Again, this could be just working lots of press HS on the wall and off.