Combining Handstand work w/Planche Progressions

[Guest Demond Thompson]

Would this be too much pressing work holding wall handstands (working up to 3 min) while also working on planche progressions (currently at tuck planche working toward 60 sec and currently at about 2)

Thanks for your help

[Guest Ido Portal]

This kind of question is an impossible question to answer. There is not enough data to give you an answer, and if you are going to get an answer, it can be anything from correct by chance to completely wrong.

Instead of asking question like this without presenting enough information about yourself I suggest you start to browse the site and learn as much as you can.

Through educating yourself about the issues you are interested in - handstand work and planche progression, combined with trial and error and self experimentation you will start to shift in the right direction. Either that or hire a professional to do the work for you, either way, the work should be done by someone, and a strict answer, even if correct, wont get you to the understanding of the training process.

To give you an example, I work the planche progression after 90-120 minutes of handstand work, and I'm improving every workout, but I built this specific work capacity to such a degree over time, doing the same workout 2 years ago wouldnt have got me anywhere.

[thenail01 4]

Hi Ido (or anyone who can answer), I know the above post is quite old, but...

Can you give a typically breakdown of how you focus your 1.5-2hrs handstand training? Obviously handstand training will depend on proficiency to begin with, but is there a certain flow each session - say, wallwork, then block work, both hands, one hand, etc?

I would like to get more involved with HS training. So if I could come up with an average workout that'd be great. I know a lot has to do with becoming more efficient on your hands and that has to do with simply spending more time upside down, but I figure there has got to be a better educated approach.

[Ian Legrow 11]

I will tell you how i do it. When i first started my handstand work, it usually followed my FSP. I would do wall HS for as long as i could and do 5x5 kick ups and hold as long as i could. The better i got i begun doing GTG(greasing the groove). Every chance i got i kicked up two or three times. After about a month of doing GTG i seperated my Handsatdn workout from my normal workout. That worked for me a great deal, but it might not be for some people. I would practice with no wall for 10 minutes straight (not ten minutes straight on my hands, the ten minutes also included rest periods). During this period i did wall HS as well. For these two months i just meantioned above i also practiced opening my shoulders. AFter i got somewhat decent (being able to hold a HS freestanding for 15s) I begun to work on Holding the HS longer. Once 45s and 60s became easier, 3x30s became my warm up as did kick ups, and i began to tuck up into a HS. Once i got into a HS from the tuck position 90% of the time, it b ecame part of my warm up and i added blocks, that was added to warm up, i began press work, wall runs, and OAHS practice (shifting weight from one arm to another). My planche progress is virtually the same. I am doing GTG for the Tuck planche for the past 2 weeks and my progress has really increased. My HS work usually varied in the beginning for about 20 min straight (rest included) but now it has increased to an hour or hour and a hlaf. This is how I did it, but honor your body and be mindful of when it is telling you to rest! i cannot stress that last part enough. hope this helps

[Aaron Griffin 13]

Ian, your handstand looks really solid in your videos. How did you transition from the wall to freestanding? And how did you do it safely?

[Ian Legrow 11]

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Ok this will be difficult to explain but i will try. First, thank you for complimenting my Handstands it really means a lot to me.

Secondly, If you look in the video my Handstand was not good. I started practicing hardcore HS at the end of October of 2011. When i say practicing Hardcore i mean to a point where my wife started saying "really!? Again?!". I would practice my stomach to wall HS during my workouts, and during the day i would do GTG. I would have a wall behind me and i would kick up back to wall, and if i hit the wall i would push off and try to hold it. After 13 days, the result is the video above. When i posted this on the web site Coach said i should continue my stomach to wall HS as did others. I could not hold a stomach to wall HS for a minute. I could barley hold it for 30s. SO one thing coach suggested in a PM was

You can certainly work 6x10 sec sets, you could also work 5x20 sec sets, you could run the 6x10 sec for 3 weeks and then switch to the 5x20 for three weeks. You could also use density training; e.g. how many sets of 10sec or 20sec HS can you perform within either a 10 or 15 or 20 minutes period.

6x10s was perfect to start and then i started doing ten second periods in 10 minutes and it became a game for myself, seeing if i could beat my last record. Keep in mind, i continued to kick up into HS's with my back to the wall and pushing off if i lost my balance. Keep in mind it will be frustrating . seriously...if y'all could have heard my language through out the whole process, the sweat, the anger. People have been shocked at my progress in 5 months, and I don't know if i am that much different then anybody else. But for five months i have literally ate slept and breathed Handstands. Every single time i practiced i videoed myself and critiqued very harshly. Not saying its nessiarily the best approach (i was very harsh on myself). I also sat back and read every single post in the Handstand Work section of this web site. Gymnastics became a life style for me a year ago, and 5 months ago i realized i loved Handbalancing. I could never push off the wall from a stomach to wall HS, it was too dangerous for me, but becasue i filmed myself so much (or if you havea mirror) i was really able to stay in line. Listen to your body and stay within your limitations. I don't know how old you are, but i am 23 and not as limber as say a 13 year old, so i had to stretch my shoulders elbows and wrists constantly. Make sure you don't hurt yourself. SOrry it was so long! hope this helpds!

[Aaron Griffin 13]

Thanks for the response Ian. I have been doing bodyweight work for some time, but only seriously started devoting my time to handstand work and handbalancing recently. Right now, I feel like I'm the opposite of you in a way - I have more than enough strength. I can hold a stomach-to-wall handstand with hands about 2" from the wall for 1-3 minutes depending on the day. I can do a mediocre pike press negative against a wall. I can do a handful of full HeSPUs. But I can't, for the life of me, freebalance for more than 5 seconds. The whole thing feels shaky and too loose to me, and I can't figure it out.

I'll start GTGing kickups like you said. NEAR a wall but not AGAINST a wall. I'll see if that helps me.

[Ian Legrow 11]

Yes, practice will definitely help and also if you do them on a hard surface it will help. With the wall behind you, any time your legs go over your head, you can still stay in the handstand just press off the wall you know? I will say though, i can only do one HeSPU free standing, and its sloppy and my box press HS is pretty crappy too, so your ahead of me there!