Lower back strenght? Core strenght? Glute strenght?

[Thesecondname 1]

Hi there!

I'm new to this forum, but I like it very much, I learn and read a lot.

Quick question about the handstand...

So let's take this video below as an example... (note that I'm not the guy in the video)

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If I practising this handstand skill, I'm falling foward (front of my face) when I try to lift my legs up.

My question is actually how I can get the ability to lift up my legs? Which muscle are involved for the most part?

I lock out my elbows, straight my legs/hamstrings, stand on my toes, go leaning foward but then it stops (I can't even lift my legs or I will fall on my face)

Hopefully somebody can help me. I'm new to gymnastic/calistehnics, so I appericiate all the help from you guys.

Thanks!

[Aaron Griffin 13]

Do negatives against the wall

[Joshua Naterman 1,765]

Your upper traps, external rotators, and shoulders aren't strong enough. There are some good drills for building that strength, starting with stomach to wall handstands. If you post some video so we can see what you are doing we can help a lot more.

[Ryan Libke 93]

I am still struggling with the press to handstand, so I hear what the original poster is saying. When I first started experimenting, I simply could not figure out what muscle to flex. Nothing seemed to budge me from being folded up, even when using a box. What has helped me is doing tuck presses, putting my mind into the back and visualizing the curling up of the vertebrae and trying not to flex the hip until my back was straight. The other thing that has helped is keeping at the box presses and doing negatives. I still have a long way to go, but with the practice thus far, I am starting to feel what needs to happen, even if I cannot do it yet. It took a while. Also, really getting my mind into the shoulder and focusing on opening them (flexion?) is helping too.

[Thesecondname 1]

Thanks so far.

I'll post a video soon.

Handstands against the wall with my stomach... so I have to walk toward the wall?

Negatives will also work? Allright!

And what to do for the hip/glute strenght? (to bring them up like in the video wich I posted in the first post?)

[Blairbob 308]

Dude, straddle-L is super critical towards a press HS besides straddle pancake flexibility. Straddle-L will work your hip/glute strength. It will also show weaknesses in your hip mobility.

I have a sneaking suspicion that poor internal hip rotation limits the ability to do straddle-L. Just from tests on myself and a few of the gymnasts who showed poor internal hip rotation ( they also couldn't squat worth a damn yet had pretty good splits ). Maybe just a coincidence. Not sure.

A good straddle-L also takes good ab strength/core strength. Critical for a press HS. Especially once you get bigger. Doesn't matter as much when you weigh 45-85lbs. Way different at 170.

For the core strength, you can do Hanging Straddle Leg Lifts to upside straddle (stalder) and Headstand Leg lifts. Tuck, then straddle, then pike.

For the HLL, you can do a regular one, straddling at the top and then through and behind yourself to the inverted straddle or just starting from a hang, straddle and through to invert straddle.

[Aaron Griffin 13]

I have a sneaking suspicion that poor internal hip rotation limits the ability to do straddle-L.

I know it definitely affects my pancake. I have a REAL hard time keeping my legs from externally rotating when trying to stretch my pancake. I'm hoping doing this will pay off.

[Aaron Griffin 13]

For the core strength, you can do Hanging Straddle Leg Lifts to upside straddle (stalder)

Wat? Do you have a video of this? I can't imagine doing that in any sort of fluid way

[Blairbob 308]

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Like 10 years ago, we used to do what I called "Hanging Hearts" with the girls. From a hang, straddle while doing a leg lift till your toes come back together at the bar. Just a fun name. Can't really remember if the girls could actually do them but I suppose I could because I came up with them.

I think I'll go try them and see if I can still do them. Might be since I've leaned out back to sub 170.

Note: Tried them. Well just hang, straddle while lifting bringing feet together at the bar rather than on those videos. Weren't very hard so did 5 more regular HLL before I had to come off the metal bar. Hands are roughed up from prior 2 days of pullups and HB swinging on this metal bar. I was able to pull off 1 HLL from L. Tough.

Further note: Tried them again later. Got 8 in before I could no longer grip the bar. So they are probably easier than regular HLL. Lost my callouses recently and that slippery bar doesn't help.