Handstand alignment and strength

Hi, new to the forum so apologies if this has been posted in the wrong place lol.

I'm looking for some advice on handstands in the hope that someone may be able to help... 

I've been practicing freestanding handstands now for around 4 months, every week seeing improvement in both my balance and alignment. 

One thing I've noticed is that the more my alignment improves and the more I'm able to open my shoulders and stack my body on top of them, the less my hold time is. Blanace doesn't seem to be the culprit, as my arms will start to bend at the elbow and I don't have to strength to hold it any longer. I'm guessing this is because more weight is now on top of my shoulders instead of my back arching and taking the weight.

So my question is did anyone else experience less strength the more their alignment improved? And if so, any tips on improving strength and in durance in the handstands. I rarely practice wall handstand hold which I think would benefit me...? 

Hi Patrick,

This answer will seem very boring to you but the best place to start would be Handstand 1. The course is designed to work on all of the aspects that you will need for a strong well-aligned handstand. 

Starting you at the beginning and working your way through all the progressions of strength and mobility that you will require. It is well worth the investment if you are serious about developing your handstand.

In regards to your question about less strength, the more your alignment improved. You should actually require less strength as your alignment improves stacking will greatly reduce the amount of strength required to hold a handstand. That being said strength is very specific if you are training in new ranges of motion then strength will need to be developed in these new areas.

18 hours ago, Patrick Francis said:

One thing I've noticed is that the more my alignment improves and the more I'm able to open my shoulders and stack my body on top of them, the less my hold time is. Blanace doesn't seem to be the culprit, as my arms will start to bend at the elbow and I don't have to strength to hold it any longer. I'm guessing this is because more weight is now on top of my shoulders instead of my back arching and taking the weight.

A slight drawback in your theory: if you were doing your handstands only using your hands and no wall/support before, all your weight would have been going through your shoulders anyway.

the change you are experiencing is that the angle the weight is pushing through your shoulders and elbows has changed. So, you are using muscle groups in a slightly different way and they will need time to adapt.

my handstands were awful 6 months ago. I've been using Handstand 1 since then and I've noticed massive improvements in my handstand form and handstand specific strength. If it's a worthwhile goal for you, then it's a worthwhile investment

23 hours ago, Patrick Francis said:

Hi, new to the forum so apologies if this has been posted in the wrong place lol.

I'm looking for some advice on handstands in the hope that someone may be able to help... 

I've been practicing freestanding handstands now for around 4 months, every week seeing improvement in both my balance and alignment. 

One thing I've noticed is that the more my alignment improves and the more I'm able to open my shoulders and stack my body on top of them, the less my hold time is. Blanace doesn't seem to be the culprit, as my arms will start to bend at the elbow and I don't have to strength to hold it any longer. I'm guessing this is because more weight is now on top of my shoulders instead of my back arching and taking the weight.

So my question is did anyone else experience less strength the more their alignment improved? And if so, any tips on improving strength and in durance in the handstands. I rarely practice wall handstand hold which I think would benefit me...? 

Ideally, should be the opposite, as the shoulder mobility improves (and this means open more the shoulders actively) the move the alignment can be adjusted.

In the case of a range of motion restriction in the shoulder, there are no chances to make the alignment better.