Hot Handstand Tip #2 - Pelvis positioning

Hey guys and girls I wanted to share an important body awareness drill for beginners with you today addressing one of the elements of pelvis position in handstand.

You may have heard someone say to you before to squeeze your glutes!

This is by no means a bad bit of advice as this can help stabilize the hips and overall handstand line but before this is even possible we have to make sure our pelvis is in the correct position.

The fancy terms are posterior pelvic tilt and anterior pelvic tilt. In handstand we favour posterior tilt as this allows us to engage the glutes and abdominals. Notice how when you do these drills and stick your butt out and arch the back which is anterior tilt you cannot engage your glutes. Then notice how the reverse is true when you tuck the hips under which would be posterior tilt.

Here is 4 different examples of how you can utilize this concept to gain awareness of your own positioning.


Hot Handstand Tip #1 - Shoulder angle

Hey guys and girls I wanted to share an important body awareness drill for beginners with you today addressing one of the elements of shoulder position in handstand.

I recommend having at least a 30 second to 1 minute chest to wall handstand before trying this drill. Do 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps as part of your warm up.

You may have heard the terms open and closed shoulders. Now its one thing to comprehend the theory behind something but in order to fully understand this we need to “feel it”.

Kick up with your back against the wall with your hands about one hands distance from the wall. Now whilst pushing up an elevating the shoulders throughout you are going to lean your shoulders over your hands as far as is comfortable. This is closing your shoulder angle. Then do the opposite and move your shoulder towards the heel of your hand as far as possible without falling back to your feet. this opening your shoulder angle.

Most peoples correct shoulder angle for a regular handstand is somewhere in between these two extremes.

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.