Have you ever practiced handstands at least 3 times per week for at least 30-60 minutes for more than 3 months CONSISTENTLY.... No?
Then you don't need to question why you are not progressing or get frustrated.
You need to put in the work.
Sundi Suby
If handstands were literally a journey it would be a 23,567KM offroad dirt track in the amazon riding a tricycle thats missing the front wheel... in the rainy season... :)
My latest free tip video this time centering on some of the functions you need to be aware of to maintain balance at any level of ability.
3 Very important concepts that everyone interested in experiencing progress in their handstand practice needs to implement.
Enjoy
Wrists!
They must be warmed up before we practice our handstand.
This is the minimum I recommend . Every position is done for 40-60 seconds.
Elbows straight and externally rotated for everything.
First place palms flat with fingers forward. Rock gently, I like to add in some half circles to move the load around the wrist.
Now turn the hands outward so the fingers face the body. try and keep the heel of the hand down whilst rocking back and forth.
Next we place the top of our hands flat on the ground with fingers towards ourselves. You may be more comfortable doing this one hand at a time with the other supporting palm down.
Now we place our palms flat again but this time we are bending at our first knuckle and rolling from index to pinky to stretch the hand.
Finally wrist push ups. Make sure the only movement taking place is through the wrists, elbows are straight, ribs pulled in with the shoulders protracted and directly over the hands.
Have fun,
Sundi
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Hello my friends!
This tip is straight from the handstand bible were there to be one.
Notice anything during this first demonstration?
The first is with depressed shoulders and the second is with full elevation.
When the shoulders are dropped the lack of stability and connection to the rest of the body is very obvious if you look closely. Once elevated we are in business. Because we balance from the ground up with our hands, This connection between arms and torso is very important.
Think about trying to touch your deltoids to your ears
We can practice this freestanding or in a chest to wall handstand. Then go between the two positions for reps.
You can also try this standing upright. To get a feel prior to going upside down.
So remember Push. The. Floor away.
The harder skills absolutely require this, even if you may get away without it to some extent in easier positions.
Happy training.
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Grab those old dusty yoga blocks out of the cupboard ladies and gents because I am going to show you an excellent way to use them to address a common problem.
Keeping weight in the hand can sometimes be a struggle when learning handstands.
By placing the blocks behind each forearm roughly two fingers width away we get physical feedback by way of our arms coming in contact with the blocks if our shoulders are drifting back too far to the heel of the hand. This would result in under balance and a fall to the feet.
This works great for free balancing work.
Practicing entries.
And for certain drills on the wall.
You could just as easily use any number of household objects if yoga blocks are not handy.
Remember above all else....to practice.
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Hello! Today I am going to talk about how we can conceptually and physically break down our kick up to handstand to better understand the mechanics and have greater success. I call it the 4 stage entry.
When done at full speed it seems as if everything just falls into place all at once but when slowed down there is actually a very specific order to which things to take place.
First we need to get our shoulders over the hands and push against the floor this is stage 1.
Stage 2 is pushing from the bent leg to send our hips over our shoulder.
Stage 3 is opening or extending the shoulder angle.
Finally stage 4 is joining the leg.
Here are some example of what happens when the order of operations is mixed up.
Stage 3 before stage 1 and 2 have been giving time to take place and stage 3 missing all together!
Although there is much more that can be said about this topic and technique for now hopefully this deepens your understanding of the most common handstand entry.
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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.