Best handstand line ever - NOT

Hey guys 

I appreciate I’m jumping the gun here but I had to get some feedback from you guys on this even though I’m completely embarrassed by this terrible handstand video I’ve sent . 

Tonight at the end of an unusually early session it was still light so i wanted to see if there had been any improvement in my handstand line as since starting gb in Oct 2016 certain supplementary exercises have greatly improved (ie flexion, core stability etc ) 

i was greatly disappointed 

I’ve submitted the video and also a pic of me holding a better line against the wall . It seems that no Matter what cues I’m telling myself when I’m in the free handstand I can’t get my body to get into the same position it is when it’s against the wall as in the pic ... noticeably my rib flare and overly excessive lumbar extension - even tho I’m busting a gut to be in ppt . - all that happens is I start to pike as seen 

Is there anything anyone can chip in with here that may help me with this 

Holding the handstand isn’t the issue as before coming to gb I already had this along with admittedly alot of bad form (hell its why I’m here) but I have not improved one bit in my opinion

anyway appreciate any help I may get here and of course again I appreciate I’m still early into my hs work with a lot of work to do 

thank you 

Leigh 

https://youtu.be/TL2awKU3CGw

I'm useless in giving tips, but if I may express what I see just based on the visual part of the pic and video. In your picture (not video), even though you are trying to keep a PPT, the spine between the shoulders and lower back is slightly arched already (and your hips are closed, nice open shoulders tho!). Your free HS in the video, looks like an exaggeration of body line in the picture: more arched spine between the shoulders and lower back, which can only lead to an arched lower back, now that you don't have the wall to lean on. Not sure how far along your are with the HS1, but I believe their later progressions like the wall HS, wall runs, forearm HS, Chinese HS are all excellent progression to address the entire bodyline (shoulders, upper and lower back, hips, & leg) while introducing the balancing part little by little.

Hi @Leigh Kettle,

Nice work balancing. You need to work on that posterior pelvic tilt and pointing your toes. Work on PPT drills and the stretch series. It will help with your handstands.

Thanks Jin really appreciate your help

I totally get what your saying and agree with you completely 

as I said im very early on in hs as unable to progress very quickly due to my mobility deficits . I’ve been working hard On flexion which is now finally starting to improve but my thoracic mobility is still a massive work in progress - the thoracic series is definitely hekping tho 

thanks again 

5 minutes ago, Leo Trinidad said:

Hi @Leigh Kettle,

Nice work balancing. You need to work on that posterior pelvic tilt and pointing your toes. Work on PPT drills and the stretch series. It will help with your handstands.

Thanks leo

yes as I said the balancing part has never been an issue as before I came to gb I was able to hold handstands for decent lengths of time albeit with terrible form . 

My ppt And mobility are being worked on as I’m doing foundation, hs 1 and 2 and all 3 stretch series every week so hopefully this bad form can Be eradicated one day . I was just shocked to see such poor form when I felt I was actively trying to correct everything when upside down 

thanks again 

I know this from tennis—it is so MUCH harder to correct bad habits, than develop good habits… it's kind of almost exponentially harder… unfortunately, you have no other option, because you've been doing your handstands for so long with your shoulder flexion limitation. 

My little thought is: try to stretch your hip-flexors a lot (and quads), maybe even roll them before you do your handstand again. Just compare your line, if it is a little bit better. Maybe your tight hip-flexors are pulling your pelvis too hard into APT and it's too much struggle to fight it when being inverted. When you PPT, you pike instead. Looser hip-flexors could help your line a little bit.

@Leigh Kettle I suspect that this might be due to tightness in the shoulders, than anything else.

What I think is happening is that as you are trying to open your shoulders (after the 0:06 mark), you are instinctively compensating for this by arching your back. In other words, had your shoulders been truly open then there wouldn't have been the need to compensate with the arch.

Conclusion, work on opening those shoulders some more.

On 20/02/2018 at 10:55 PM, John Kiggundu said:

@Leigh Kettle I suspect that this might be due to tightness in the shoulders, than anything else.

What I think is happening is that as you are trying to open your shoulders (after the 0:06 mark), you are instinctively compensating for this by arching your back. In other words, had your shoulders been truly open then there wouldn't have been the need to compensate with the arch.

Conclusion, work on opening those shoulders some more.

Thanks John really appreciate your help

 I work in opening my shoulders daily and have done for some time now and they are so much better than they were when I started out but I know I have a long way to go to correct my deficiencies 

thanks again for your help 

On 20/02/2018 at 3:51 AM, Suzanna McGee said:

I know this from tennis—it is so MUCH harder to correct bad habits, than develop good habits… it's kind of almost exponentially harder… unfortunately, you have no other option, because you've been doing your handstands for so long with your shoulder flexion limitation. 

My little thought is: try to stretch your hip-flexors a lot (and quads), maybe even roll them before you do your handstand again. Just compare your line, if it is a little bit better. Maybe your tight hip-flexors are pulling your pelvis too hard into APT and it's too much struggle to fight it when being inverted. When you PPT, you pike instead. Looser hip-flexors could help your line a little bit.

Thanks so much suzanna

I understand I may have tight hip flexors that may be a contributory factor here but there doesn’t seem to be any part of me which I’d deem “loose” so l continue working on it all

thanks again so much 

Leigh 

John and Suzanna 

may I also ask you this

in my pic (I know it’s not perfect ) but my line is a lot more respectable 

what is stopping me achieveing this when doing the free handstand I guess is my question in summary 

thanks guys

@Suzanna McGee @John Kiggundu

3 hours ago, Leigh Kettle said:

in my pic (I know it’s not perfect ) but my line is a lot more respectable 

what is stopping me achieveing this when doing the free handstand I guess is my question in summary 

You are right, and I guess it was your original question… Your head positioning could be maybe a little part of it, look at the picture and the video… also, try in your wall handstand, in that beautiful line, to pull your feet (and all body) away from the wall and try to balance that way. See if you can keep that line… (I am personally really scared of it, because I still don't have a free handstand and I worry I would fall over, but you already have a free one)

58 minutes ago, Suzanna McGee said:

You are right, and I guess it was your original question… Your head positioning could be maybe a little part of it, look at the picture and the video… also, try in your wall handstand, in that beautiful line, to pull your feet (and all body) away from the wall and try to balance that way. See if you can keep that line… (I am personally really scared of it, because I still don't have a free handstand and I worry I would fall over, but you already have a free one)

I’ve tried this Suzanna as I was thinking like you that this would be a good way to do it - however my balance sucked . The head position is definitely interesting. I find it extremely difficult maybe impossible at minute to maintain shoulder flexion at my current limit while simultaneously looking down at the floor (in a free handstand ) as soon as I start to look down towards the floor - even against the wall- my line breaks and I feel my shoulders start to close and my arch reappears - maybe I’m answering my own question here and more shoulder mobility even past 180 is required. I am working on this daily and have been for some time 

@Leigh Kettle just keep working on your shoulder flexion (which I know you will) and maybe try to figure out the balancing by the wall leaning away how you were doing it (and sucked). Maybe that's what your body needs to retrain the position and how the balance feels in that position… and I wouldn't do the free, arched one at all, so you don't encourage the old, bad habits.