Balancing in advanced HSs

[Karri Kytömaa]

I'm rushing this matter quite a bit but can't hurt to have the info ready when I need it

As a moderately big guy with many wrist problems, I started my planche work hands backwards right away. If I ever plan on doing something like press from PL to HS, I also need to learn to balance HS with hands turned out. I think this is only a good thing really as it probably helps bit more when moving to rings.

However I'm wondering how it's possible to balance there at all? What I have worked on free HS with fingers forward, I press really hard with fingers to stabilize which doesn't really work all that well with hands other way around.

So does essentially all the balancing in hands turned out / single bar / rings handstands come from the shoulders? It essentially means you need to learn some pretty hardcore fine motor skills with large muscles?

Also as a side Q, any pointers how to get to ring HS with the straps? I can't bring myself to kick there and pressing is quite far atm Can manage with spotter lifting me there but without I've no clue.

[yuri marmerstein]

On the floor you should be doing handstands with fingers forward. It is possible to balance with the hands in other positions, but you have to be very precise and saving it will be unlikely.

Balance is all about using as little correction as possible to keep your center of mass from moving.

On any stable surface the balance should come all from the wrists and fingers. On the rings the balance will come from moving your shoulders to get the rings under your center of mass.

To start rings handstands, it's best to have the rings set very low, literally a couple inches from the floor. You can straddle jump into it and wrap your feet around the straps.

However, in my opinion if you cannot press to HS on the rings you have no business working ring handstands.

[Nic Branson]

Listen to Yuri. It does not sound like you're ready for Ring HS work straps or not. With my home set up I cannot press into mine because of the overhang. I go from a headstand pushup instead, rings few inches off the floor. I don't do them often though, focus is on other elements really.

[Alessandro Mainente]

maybe is just my impression, but during my last training sessions i've passed to strongly stop my body only with fingers on the floor to try to extend them trying to lift the last part of fingers so that i have to balance only with the palm...was jsut an experiment but the result is very good, i'm starting to don't use the fingers, so is less strength i need to use to maintain the balance.

[yuri marmerstein]

Alex, what you are doing is great. Once you have developed and fine tuned your sense of balance, you can start to relax the fingers and balance from the palm.