Handstand progress and questions

I put together this video of my progress in handstand work thusfar:

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I've increased my time in hs by a bit, but am still learning technique, even in wall HS. Despite trying like hell I can't seem to straighten my right arm fully. Could this be due to muscle imbalance? Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing?

Also any general form critiques would be appreciated. I'm usually doing about 5minutes of HS work (including rest) on any given workout day. I know 10 is the recommended number, but usually by 5 I'm so fatigued I can't walk all the way into a stomach to wall HS anymore, let alone hold it properly.

Would turning my wrists out more help to straighten my arms? Is my hand placement in the last HS about right?

thanks for any advice in advance!

I like the grunting 8)

But it's a nice handstand with room for improvement

my main pointers to you would be to focus on opening your shoulders and incorporate bodyline drills to learn how to tilt your pelvis and depress/ protract your handstand. (hollow body position) Your headposition is up to you but I'd look at the fingers instead of backwards ( referring to the first clip). The reason for you head position in the first clip is that you feel that you're getting a better line, but instead of doing that work on active shoulder flexibility! 5 min is fine! volume and work capacity is specific and needs to be developed over time, so don't worry about doing 5 mins

I think you are walking in a little to close to the wall for you current ability staying out a couple more inches will allow you to straighten your arms and press out of your traps more effectively as well as maintain the hollow.

Ok - I'll definitely give that a try.

What should my priorities be as far as position & form? Are there any 'tricks' to force me into the correct position? I had read several suggestions to touch the chest and the quads to the wall, but that seems to preclude a good hollow position. I came across this video at gymnasticswod.com that suggests not touching the chest to the wall, only the toes:

http://gymnasticswod.com/content/handst ... ession-pt1

So as I walk my hands up, I want to make sure that:

1) my glutes, abs are tight and toes are pointed

2) my shoulders are pressing, shrugging against my ears

3) my arms are straight, elbows locked

4) nothing is touching the wall except my toes(?)

5) my head is tilted enough so that I can see my thumbs through my eyebrows, looking straight "up" through them.

Is that it? I'd love to see a video showing perfect wall handstand form to try and strive towards.

Ok - it's been almost 3 months since my last update on this, and while I haven't been obsessive over my HS work in general I have been working at it consistently with lots of rest days between workouts - mostly so my wrists can acclimate.

Here's my latest HS work video:

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Feel free to critique/comment! I'm trying to correct:

1) My vertical alignment

2) My stubborn right elbow bend

3) My shoulder extension (which I think is more a strength issue than anything because it gets worse when I'm tired)

4) and of course opening up my shoulders but that is a continuing effort.

Can't see the video, but for your elbow I would check out Kelly Starrett's blog/youtube. He has some interesting elbow straightening protocols using the jumpstretch bands

Fixed the video link. Thanks - I'll check it out. I've been to the blog but haven't looked specifically for elbow straightening protocols. I can't understand why it's so hard for me to straighten it! I did break that arm in middle school... hmmm.

Is this the video you had in mind or are there others?

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Edit - I also found this video, but I don't have a voodoo band:

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the first video was what I had in mind but the second one looks useful as well. If you don't have a voodoo/compression band I highly suggest to get one, it is super useful. I think kelly has one video where he makes one out of a bike tire inner tube.

But I would try the compression, then the traction but you should get good results with just the traction as well.

Let me know how it goes

yuri said:

the first video was what I had in mind but the second one looks useful as well. If you don't have a voodoo/compression band I highly suggest to get one, it is super useful. I think kelly has one video where he makes one out of a bike tire inner tube.

That's Glenn Pendlay. It's really easy, just cut out the valve and then cut open the tubing so you can open it up (it become wider).

Just a quick progress update video. I feel like my body line (against a wall) is improving.

Lately I'm working on:

1) developing balance coming off of the wall per Yuri's suggestion

2) improving my body line - I've realized that I'm not ever really fully extended. At some point in today's exercises I really focused on extending my whole body up and my toes touched the ceiling. They've never done that before. But then all of a sudden it was a crutch when I didn't want it to be with balance. Hmmmm...

3) Locking my body into one solid piece. Watching myself in these videos I see that I break at the hips pretty easily. In my last HS attempt of the day I really focused on squeezing my glutes and it felt much more solid. Too bad it took me until my wrists were toast to figure that out today.

Here's the video:

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Feel free to leave thoughts on what I can do to improve or anything I might be overlooking. Cheers!

More open shoulders

more head out assuming you can get shoulders completely open

closer to the wall on both exercises

learn to breath in a more relaxed fashion. My suggestion for this is to try to have a conversation with someone during your HS. this will force you to learn to breath

yuri said:

More open shoulders

more head out assuming you can get shoulders completely open

closer to the wall on both exercises

learn to breath in a more relaxed fashion. My suggestion for this is to try to have a conversation with someone during your HS. this will force you to learn to breath

Thanks for the feedback, Yuri. A few questions about it though:

Is there some kind of mental or physical cue to help me with opening my shoulders? Like for shoulder extension people say try to cover your ears and reach your toes to the sky - is there something like that I can do to help shoulder open my shoulders?

What does more head out mean? Look more directly at the floor?