3 Hot Handstand Tips 🔥

Below are 3 epic handstand tips that all synergise and compliment each other nicely.

First is a spicey move called “front weight raises”

It is perfect for conditioning the shoulders for the pathway the arms take whilst under load, when doing handstand entries and press to handstand!

The awesome thing is it does not Stress the wrists like handstand does. So if your wrists have had enough but you have not. You can get some extra training volume in!

2 x per week at the end of practice. 3 sets of 8-10 reps works well. Start light with around 3kg (or whatever is suitable for you) Then build up to heavier weights as you adapt and grow stronger.

Heres how to do it. Look at the image below for reference.

  1. Keep your spine flat against the wall. Knee's and elbows straight.

  2. Begin lifting the weight and protract the shoulders. And as it moves overhead elevate the shoulders. In other words push the weight away from your body with the arms throughout. Lower the weight back down to the start position.

  3. Each rep bring the weight as close to the wall behind you as possible

  4. Lower and lift slooowly, 3 seconds on the way up AND down.


Essential tuck up entry tip!

Secondly I am going to cover a few little pointers that regularly help students nail their first tuck up in class 🌱

Look at the image above.

In our starting position and Just after we jump the knees are quite close to the chest.

As my hips get further up into the air and over my hands my knee’s starting moving away from my chest, until we have roughly a right angle between the thighs and my torso in the final caught position.

The problem 80% of people make is that they try to keep there knee’s close to their chest the whole time. Which stops them getting up at all. Like an anchor.

Lift the knee’s up before you get to the top. And also try and kick yourself in the butt with your own heels to get some extra lift 👌🏾


Tuck Jump Trouble Shooting - The Chest to Wall Tuck

Thirdly If you are struggling with your tuck jump into handstand a good thing to focus on is being familiar and strong in the tuck handstand position itself first.

Plus this is just sensational for your shoulder strength and flexibility in general 🙌🏽

1. Begin by getting into a chest to wall straight handstand with the hands roughly two hands distance away from the wall.

2. Bring your knees down to your chest whilst keeping your (pointed) toes on the wall. As the knee's come down push hard through your shoulders and maintain at least a 180 degree angle as shown above.

3. Aim to eventually reach at least parallel lines with the thighs in relation to the floor. In most cases you will need to slowly build up to this. (lift them higher if need be)

4. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. A good way of doing this is 1 minute of total time. So 3x20s for example. The goal is 30s in one set with the thighs parallel eventually 👌🏾

Apply these tips and moves to your practice and you will reap the benefits.

Happy practicing. And always feel free to reach out! =)

sundi pereira

Handstand Classes, Workshops and Short Courses Melbourne

For all things related to the wonderful world of hand balancing and handstands, handstand classes, handstand workshops and handstand short courses Suby Handstands has got you covered in Melbourne.

Whether you want to work in a group setting with Melbourne based handstand classes or Melbourne based handstand short courses or on a one to one basis with private handstand lessons you are going to experience growth in your practice.

Many people believe that the best way to progress their handstand is to repeat the same thing over and over again thinking that one day it will lead to some sort of miracle and finally click. I can tell you best way to progress is in fact to practice, but to practice the RIGHT things for your specific level, awareness and body. This is the way forward in your handstand training.

Participating in handstand classes or private handstand lessons is the best way to find the keys to unlock the gates to progress and stop experiencing frustration and fear in your handstand practice.

So you’ve mastered handstand at the wall and are ready to take it to the middle of the room? But every time you hop up, it feels like you can only hold the pose for a nanosecond. What gives? How can you learn to stick your balance in the center of the room?

If you’re looking to move your handstand away from the wall, odds are you’re already familiar with kicking up into the pose. Even so, starting with a solid, well-aligned foundation and kicking up with confidence can strongly increase your chances of balancing in handstand.

Press handstands are one of the coolest gymnastics/acrobatic skills out there

They are a demonstration of control, power and body awareness that can be done virtually anywhere.

Press handstand is a beautiful skill but one that is made up of many physical attributes. Flexibility, core strength, shoulder strength, skill and technique all equally play an important role. Having coaching to assess which area's you individually need to develop is vital to learn press to handstand safely and efficiently. I can help you put together a training plan to achieve your inversion, arm balance and hand balancing goals.

Tuck handstand is another awesome skill to work on.

As the name implies, a Tuck handstand is a bent leg position where the knees are pulling towards the chest, versus a handstand where the legs are fully extended with toes pointing directly towards the sky.

It helps to develop correct should alignment, shoulder strength, shoulder flexibility and is the gateway to many other cool handstand shapes. There is 2-3 amazing handstand drills that drastically help develop tuck handstand.

What about handstand pushups? A brilliant display of body control and raw power.

Just like you wouldn’t want someone performing a ton of kipping pull-ups when they don’t have the strength to do one strict pull-up, we don’t want someone doing a ton of kipping handstand push-ups if they don’t have the strength to do a strict handstand push-up. The shoulder strength required to complete a handstand push-up is great, and some may not have that strength just yet. Have no fear, I have created a simple training program to help you build your upper body strength to reach the goal of obtaining a strict handstand push-up. With dedication, patience and hard work, you too can successfully attain the handstand pushup.

As soon as you’re able to balance a handstand by the wall for just a few seconds without using the wall for support, it’s time to start adding some freestanding handstand exercises to your practice. BUT don’t leave the wall behind entirely just yet, it will still be one of the most useful tools for awhile to help maintain your conditioning and continue developing sound balance mechanics.

It can seem both terrifying and impossible to move your handstand practice away from the wall. Because what’s gonna happen if you fall? Some parts of the fear of falling out of a handstand are rational, others are entirely irrational.

let me help you address and overcome the rational fear of falling when you practice the freestanding handstand.

Learn how to handstand by learning :

How to fall

The benefits of going upside down

The muscles worked in a handstand

How to warm up before doing a handstand

Step-by-step directions for doing a handstand

Common handstand mistakes to avoid

As for how long it'll take you to master a handstand? It's pretty individual. Some will get it right away, while it takes a lot longer for others. Remember that it’s as much a mental discipline as a physical one and keep trying, knowing that you will get there.

So let get started. Click on the Handstand classes Melbourne page and take your practice to the next level whilst cultivating discipline and self understanding.