Road to forearm headstand HS/PE3

Hi! I found forearm headstand much more difficult than tripod headstand. Actually I mastered HS/PE1 but I can't progress to the HS/PE2 because of HS/PE1>iM, which I still need to work on it. Anyway I realized that I already can do a solid tripod headstand, just like shown in the video demonstration.

Forearm headstand is definitely tough for me. Currently I can't at all lift my legs up! So I wonder if I can work from now on the form shown in the pic. A kind of tucked forearm headstand. So instead the tripod (which I already mastered) I would perform this exercise as HS/PE1, coupled with the planned mobility exercise HS/PE1>iM. This way I will approach faster the full form of forearm headstand HS/PE3 as I will master the HS/PE2.

Do you think it is a good idea? Should I manage to hold the position shown in the pic for 5*60 sec , just like the tripod?

Thank you!

PE2 will work on getting your legs up and balancing with your feet up in the air.  If you can already do this tuck forearm headstand, you (probably) won't have any problem with PE3 after mastering PE2.

Stay the course and trust the programming.  Keep doing PE1 and enjoy its easiness while you work on the IM.

people feel the PE3 difficult because there is the wrong way to reach the position. the timing and the methodology that I usually teach to my kids in order to open hips , knees and reach the for. handstand while holding the PPT is showed here.

Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)

Rayne-William said:

Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)

This was incredibly helpful for me.  Thank you!

I struggled with Forearm Headstands for a while- fatigue made a huge difference for my balancing skills.  I moved them earlier in the workout and had better success.  The rest of it was just practicing the movement of getting up into the position.  Once I got the feel of getting into the position, hitting the mastery timeframe was pretty easy.

I can hold this for 5 x 60s without any major issues, other than it crushes my neck. By the 4th set I'm in bits.
I have played with head position, towel under my head etc and it's no better. It seems least painful when I am more on my forehead than the top of my. So in effect my spine isn't neutral, which I know is wrong, but when I do it in neutral it crushes me and I struggle to breath as well.

Any pointers?

Can you post a video?

I couldn't upload a .mov file from my iPhone, so this is a screen shot of me at my most comfortable. Ran out of memory before I extended to full FHS.

A solution to take of some weight from the neck it trying to push yourself off the floor with forearms. in this way some pressure is taken by the shoulders elevation. Did you check if different head positioning takes off some neck problems?

Are you trying to breath in the upper rib cage or using the diaphram ?

On 12/18/2014 at 4:33 AM, Alessandro Di Sanzo said:

Forearm headstand is definitely tough for me. Currently I can't at all lift my legs up! So I wonder if I can work from now on the form shown in the pic. A kind of tucked forearm headstand. So instead the tripod (which I already mastered) I would perform this exercise as HS/PE1, coupled with the planned mobility exercise HS/PE1>iM. This way I will approach faster the full form of forearm headstand HS/PE3 as I will master the HS/PE2.

Do you think it is a good idea? Should I manage to hold the position shown in the pic for 5*60 sec , just like the tripod?

I can't tell you what to do one way or another: but I will say that I was in the same boat, and I worked on the forearm headstand while working earlier mobility. For me it was definitely time well spent and I don't regret doing it. Looking back on it, I really wish I would have also worked on standing shoulder extension with weighted bar and weighted dislocates, using a wide grip for both because I spent a great deal of time on both and feel like I would have benefitted from that training right away.

Right now I do my wrist stretches, then I start the wrist strength elements. I superset them with mobility from  prior HS elements that I've mastered, working on adding weight over time. Again, none of this is gospel but I feel it works well for me.

On 25 June 2016 at 7:56 AM, Alessandro Mainente said:

A solution to take of some weight from the neck it trying to push yourself off the floor with forearms. in this way some pressure is taken by the shoulders elevation. Did you check if different head positioning takes off some neck problems?

Are you trying to breath in the upper rib cage or using the diaphram ?

I find the position in the pic above is relatively comfortable. I just wasn't sure if my head position was ok or not?

ive tried more neutral neck but it is very uncomfortable and screws my neck.

is the head pos in the pic ok?

5 hours ago, Randeep Walia said:

I can't tell you what to do one way or another: but I will say that I was in the same boat, and I worked on the forearm headstand while working earlier mobility. For me it was definitely time well spent and I don't regret doing it. Looking back on it, I really wish I would have also worked on standing shoulder extension with weighted bar and weighted dislocates, using a wide grip for both because I spent a great deal of time on both and feel like I would have benefitted from that training right away.

Right now I do my wrist stretches, then I start the wrist strength elements. I superset them with mobility from  prior HS elements that I've mastered, working on adding weight over time. Again, none of this is gospel but I feel it works well for me.

Cheers Randeep. I'm hammering the shoulder mobility 

yes, it seems to be ok.

Great cheers. I'll stick with it like that then

On 24/06/2016 at 1:00 PM, Matt Robinson said:

I can hold this for 5 x 60s without any major issues, other than it crushes my neck. By the 4th set I'm in bits.
I have played with head position, towel under my head etc and it's no better. It seems least painful when I am more on my forehead than the top of my. So in effect my spine isn't neutral, which I know is wrong, but when I do it in neutral it crushes me and I struggle to breath as well.

Any pointers?

Try to put all the weight on the shoulders as if you could almost slide a sheet of paper between your head and the floor. That's the advice I give to all my students in yoga classes, especially those who have neck issues. Then you can slowly start to add more weight on your head to help your shoulders with the load.

Thanks Arpad

On 6/25/2016 at 0:58 AM, Matt Robinson said:

I couldn't upload a .mov file from my iPhone, so this is a screen shot of me at my most comfortable. Ran out of memory before I extended to full FHS.

 

 

I can't exactly see in the picture, but (again, this is from yoga) sometimes students have their elbows splayed out too widely. It helps to keep that tighter triangle shape with the elbows/head. If you use your hands to grab opposite elbows, you should be able to grab your forearms with your fingers wrapping around. Of course, I think there's some variation on this due to different physical dimensions between people, but it might help to play a little with that distance between your elbows.