Substitute for handstand pushups?

What's a good way to build handstand pushups strength when you don't have a wall?

I was using a wall in the living room for negatives and partial reps until I noticed it was getting marked up and my wife asked me to stop. I would like to build enough strength to start in a headstand and push into a handstand and, eventually, do it free standing. I won't need a wall for those variations.

The best thing I can think of is free weights. It's warm enough to bring the barbell outside but I have some issues and I'm not sure my PT would approve cleaning a barbell right now.

Thanks.

The Hansenator said:

What's a good way to build handstand pushups strength when you don't have a wall?

When you read that question in isolation, it's very... :shock: :?

The Hansenator said:

I was using a wall in the living room for negatives and partial reps until I noticed it was getting marked up and my wife asked me to stop.

I've been there with my now ex-wife, but I wouldn't recommend that as a solution.

The Hansenator said:

The best thing I can think of is free weights. It's warm enough to bring the barbell outside but I have some issues and I'm not sure my PT would approve cleaning a barbell right now.

If outside is an option, can you find an external wall somewhere? Or a tree. Or a power pole. Or anything taller than you plus your reach with arms extended overhead.

Strict overhead pressing will certainly help, but you'll need a fair bit of weight to come close to simulating a HSPU and the only way to get a heavy bar racked is by cleaning it or power/squat racks.

There's the garage wall but there will still be the problem of feet scuffing the paint. Especially since feet will get dirty because it's outside.

See if you can tack on a scuff pad, like a piece of floor vinyl or wall paneling or something. If she's absolutely insistent on having perfectly clean garage walls and won't go for any of that, do your reps in your socks and wipe the wall when you're done!

Yeah, don't do them in bare feet. There was a section of my dorm room wall that I used for handstand work (pushups, cast wall walks, wall runs, etc). By the end of the year, the wall and ceiling were black.

Dude, just wear socks...

phrak said:

Dude, just wear socks...

I was wearing socks and now you can see these marks going up the living room wall.

Is there any problem with keeping your knees bent or doing a wide straddle? That might allow practicing in the basement.

If you have a pull up bar and an iron woody type stretch band try this.

Kick up into hs and get your feet in the loop of the band. The band will keep you from falling. This is what i do just to unweight a little while i'm working on my HeSPU, but it would also help with your situation and keep peace at home.

some times I do them in a door(closed) as it is easier to clean :wink:

I've been experimenting with a doorway because it has the glossy paint. It works well for static positions but is a little tricky for reps because I have to work my feet around the top of the door frame every time I go up or down. It would be better if I could use the other side of the door but there just isn't room.

When I get a chance, I'm going to look into setting up a way to hang a piece of luan over the inside of the garage door and be able to take it down when I'm finished. Until then, I guess I'll do a lot of static holds and pike pushups.

Strap assisted Ring HSPU negatives?

I've been playing with the first variation of HeSPU, and it can be very heavy, depending on how much assistance you give with your feet. I feel like it can be almost as hard as the HSPU facing wall, if you focus on almost lifting your feet.

You can do it anywhere there's something at your hip height which you can put your feet above. Like a chair with some books.

Dude... Basement? Tree? Wall in your room, Attic, Hidden wall where your wife cant see? outside against the house? Maybe tape some paper on the wall so it doesn't make marks on the wall. It seems unreal that you can't find a wall. lol

I agree with Pogo (and take it a bit further). If you're resting on a wall, the instability and the stabilizer recruitment (why we do BW exercise) is zip, and the scalability (why most don't dig BW) is as bad as it was before. I have 4HSPU's (full ROM) with 70kg of body resting on a wall, but only 3x60kg with a bar, and I'm arching horrifically. IMO BW press + Solid HS > ready to work on HSPU's. Ido says at his gym HSPU's are freestanding, or not at all.

When you're done pressing, said wall scuffs may be covered by resting a 7ft barbell on the wall :wink:

Animalonfire said:

When you're done pressing, said wall scuffs may be covered by resting a 7ft barbell on the wall :wink:

I've got it... this is brilliant!!!

Remove the wall.

When questioned, explain that since the wall was obviously presenting a huge problem you simply removed it so that it wouldn't start causing any problems in you and your wife's personal relationship. "I did this for US, baby!" :!:

Alternatively, you could simply build a NEW wall right in front of the existing one so that HER wall stays perfectly clean.

mr brady said:

If you have a pull up bar and an iron woody type stretch band try this.

Just trying to see if I've got this pictured right. So you'd tie/loop the band onto the chin-up bar, which I assume needs to be higher up than your feet would be once you're in your handstand, so that it can take your weight from directly above you when you're in the handstand, and try to correct your feet if they sway a bit? Are there any problems with, uh.. your feet getting stuck in the band if your handstand fails?

Actually, thinking about it more, this probably isn't a problem. Although I am trying to think of whether I'd have difficult getting my feet into the loop in the first place. (c:

slizzardman said:

I've got it... this is brilliant!!!

Lol! Slizzardman, I like the cut of your jib.

thanners said:

mr brady said:

If you have a pull up bar and an iron woody type stretch band try this.

Just trying to see if I've got this pictured right. So you'd tie/loop the band onto the chin-up bar, which I assume needs to be higher up than your feet would be once you're in your handstand, so that it can take your weight from directly above you when you're in the handstand, and try to correct your feet if they sway a bit? Are there any problems with, uh.. your feet getting stuck in the band if your handstand fails?

Actually, thinking about it more, this probably isn't a problem. Although I am trying to think of whether I'd have difficult getting my feet into the loop in the first place. (c:

It does take some trial and error to find the best way to use the band for you. I've got it worked out now and its quite elegant but to figure it out, i found myself hanging like a stuck pig on a couple of occasions.

I have a high tolerance for pain and embarrassing situations. I can tell you the bands are excellent for hair removal!

This is encouraging.

Someone on dragondoor.com posted a link to this video. He says he hasn't trained them in three years and that he's been doing single arm kettlebell presses. Maybe I'll give that a try, it might be refreshing to do something else for a while.

g6elaKXpX_E

Nice to hear someone has used the single arm KB press to help them get there.

I like to do a small amount of work with weights, and have personally believe that one arm overheard press work is helping my HSPU goal along. I do it by feel, but Saturday night presses are a favorite workout of mine. I do a few simple ladders and think its helping my progress.

I wouldn't be surprised, especially since his HSPU are arched pretty hard. Looks like military press form to me!

If you want to have a straight body, you're probably best off working behind the neck presses along with single arm presses, whether they are kettlebell or dumbbell doesn't really matter. Kettlebells will be easier to control, I recommend a Kettle Stack if you are interested in kettlebells.

Honestly (and this is just my opinion) I think it's a terrible idea if your goal is full range of motion freestanding HSPU. A friend of mine competes in strongman with a military press above 230 lbs. and a log press close to 300 lbs. First time he did handstand pushups he knocked out ten full range of motion with no problem (back against the wall). But he is no where near even a HeSPU on floor (despite being able to hold a handstand). I am sure if he trains it he'll get it faster than someone with no strength base but if your goal is a freestanding HSPU working towards it by military pressing isn't going to get you very far.

I believe that the first variation of HeSPU of the book is the best thing to gain strenght in this movement. The rest is balance and body awarenes. It is the closest thing you can do for a HSPU if you can't do it freestanding.

I can do 1 or sometimes 2 in a row freestanding full HeSPU. But I still use the first variation to get strenght. You can make it almost as heavy as freestanding, if you focus on almost lifting your feet, giving just a small assistance.

Leandro said:

I believe that the first variation of HeSPU of the book is the best thing to gain strenght in this movement. The rest is balance and body awarenes. It is the closest thing you can do for a HSPU if you can't do it freestanding.

I can do 1 or sometimes 2 in a row freestanding full HeSPU. But I still use the first variation to get strenght. You can make it almost as heavy as freestanding, if you focus on almost lifting your feet, giving just a small assistance.

You mean the box HSPU? I started doing those a little while ago after I started spinning my wheels (full ROM on parallettes), but even then I think it's a good idea to play with the freestanding HeSPU.

Come to think of it, it might not be a bad way to get used to doing them on the rings...unless I'm totally off the mark. :?

AlexX said:

Honestly (and this is just my opinion) I think it's a terrible idea if your goal is full range of motion freestanding HSPU. A friend of mine competes in strongman with a military press above 230 lbs. and a log press close to 300 lbs. First time he did handstand pushups he knocked out ten full range of motion with no problem (back against the wall). But he is no where near even a HeSPU on floor (despite being able to hold a handstand). I am sure if he trains it he'll get it faster than someone with no strength base but if your goal is a freestanding HSPU working towards it by military pressing isn't going to get you very far.

This is absolutely true. I'm pretty sure Coach has also said something similar. I do the KB one arm press as an assistance exercise, and also just because i enjoy to do it.

However the main work is on lots of variations of the actual movement.

That said, as Slizz points out the One Arm Military press is different animal than the Barbell or log. Honestly i'm mighty impressed by those strong men, and i bet you are right with some practice your friend would get it, if he was so inclined.

The one arm press will tend to have better form as far as arching the back goes, and the way the arm tucks into the body and screws up with a similar groove.

I've added in overhead and bench press, so we'll see where I'm at after 2 or 3 cycles of 531. I am still working HS on floor and parallettes and wall for time besides dips, hespu, and ring pushups;