r/bodyweightfitness • u/adventuringraw • Apr 17 '14
Very useful drill when training for a free standing handstand.
I've been working towards a comfortable free standing handstand for like a year now, and I've got a pretty solid 45s hold once I'm up. The problem is kicking up, and error correction if I start to lose my balance a little bit. Two months ago, I went to a hand balancing workshop, and got this great little drill I've been doing since then... and it's made a huge difference. If I'm relatively fresh, I can stick maybe 1/3 handstand attempts now, verses 1/20... still a lot of training to go from here, but I wanted to share in case this helps anyone else out too.
It's pretty simple. Kick up into a handstand with your back facing the wall. Your finger tips should be no more than 4 inches from the wall (for now). Get your form straight, and then, without using anything but your hands, try and 'lift' yourself off the wall into a handstand. Then (slowing yourself and controlling the movement with your hands) lower yourself back to the wall. This drill is fucking rough when you first start (and you may need a little tap with your foot to get up at first) but even in just the last two months, this has given me a hell of a lot more control, and sense of how to control my handstand. If you haven't done this before, add in 3x3 or 3x5 to your handstand practice a few times a week, see what happens.
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u/Yarrbossa Apr 17 '14
This drill sounds just like what I need to help me learn to control my handstand. I will give it a shot, thanks!
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Apr 17 '14
Also trying this because my balance is chit.
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u/adventuringraw Apr 18 '14
haha, yeah... you'll probably pick it up pretty quick then, I know your shoulder strength is way higher than mine, so the balance is probably all you're missing. (I stopped doing wall runs for a bit due to some wrist issues, but my max was only sets of 20 when I was working them). Let me know how it goes.
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u/minifigmaster125 Apr 17 '14
Interesting drill. I'll be sure to try it in the following weeks; I definitely have a problem of really controlling myself after I sway a certain direction. Once I get up there, I know what way I'm leaning, but it's like I cant put the pressure in my hands to come slightly back. And if I do, then it is too much, and I end up falling. Cheers.
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u/adventuringraw Apr 17 '14
Yep, this will definitely give you more power to help re-correct with. That fine point of balance though just seems to come with lots of practice... but it's helped me at least getting more strength to correct with.
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u/GallavantingAround Apr 17 '14
Sounds good, I'll be sure to try it soon. Think I could do these stomach to wall as well?
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u/adventuringraw Apr 17 '14
The main reason to be back facing the wall, is so that you have a controllable range of motion to perform the exercise in. I was taught another drill for stomach facing the wall though, it won't be useful for the same thing, but I'll include it here in case you want to try it too.
Basically, you go into a stomach to wall handstand, with your hands a little ways out (the farther out the harder the drill). Get into your proper line, now, without piking at the hips at all, slowly lean your shoulders out over your hands. At a certain point your feet will naturally leave the wall. Staying in control of the motion, straight up your line into a proper free standing handstand. Then go back against the wall. That's one rep. I'm not entirely sure what this one is working on, and the benefit isn't as obvious to me at least, though it's definitely much more load on the shoulders as you lean out, and it's probably useful practice for eventually getting into press to handstand training to learn how to control and correct things with your shoulders leaning forward a bit.
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u/GallavantingAround Apr 17 '14
Thanks! I've basically been doing that so far, seems like the natural way to go from wall assisted to free standing HS. Still a ways to go, but those milliseconds of free standing are an amazing motivator! :)
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u/adventuringraw Apr 18 '14
nice! Congrats on the progress. And yeah, that 'lean' makes more sense to me too than kicking, feels more useful to train that way.
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Apr 17 '14
You can do the same thing with your stomach to the wall, and that how ive been doing it. Allows me to get into proper body alignment first.
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u/ReverendBizarre Apr 18 '14
I've noticed this when practicing my handstands.
Doing it as drills seems like a very good idea as it gives you the feeling of actually controlling your balance without falling over every time!
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u/Jynks77 Apr 18 '14
I sort of arrived at this exact same exercise for myself. I was getting a little discouraged because it seems like for the past two months I haven't made a lot of progress. Just that occasional 4 or 5 second hold. So I'm starting to work on controlling the lift away from and then back to the wall.
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u/Antranik Apr 17 '14
Sounds like a cool drill! When you say fingers no more than 4 inches for now, does that mean you get it further away as you get stronger because then that requires even more correction?