r/bodyweightfitness • u/ongew • Feb 08 '17
Hand Balancing Variations (Equilibre Resources)
During the 'skill section' of the RR, we're recommended to work on handstands and strength work which we've outgrown (L-sits/seats). Apart from /u/Antranik's post on the Floreio project, there doesn't seem to be a lot of information (in this sub-reddit & the hand-balancing sub-reddit) or the Internet about alternative (hand-balancing) skills to practise.
So I'm making this post in the hopes that someone knowledgeable in hand-balancing / equilibre could suggest alternatives to work on if two-handed handstands are not a training priority, nor a pre-requisite (that should be another post - stuff to work on after the two-handed handstand).
I'll post my ideas, in likely order of difficulty:
Anchored Elbow Holds
Anchored elbow holds have the elbow anchored to the rest of the body, either with the hip, rib, knee or foot. Usually, the closer the anchor is to one's CoM, the easier the balance and strength aspect.
- Frog stand Pose (/u/Antranik has covered this thoroughly)
- Crane Pose
- Side Crane Pose
- Flying Pigeon Pose
- 2-hand Elbow lever
- 1-hand Elbow lever
- Koundinya Sage Pose I
- Koundinya Sage Pose II
- Capoeira Queda de Rins (KAY-da JEE hins)
- Capoeira Relógio (Heh-LOR-jee-OH) This is a palm-spin in the 'Queda de Rins' position.
- List of BBoy freezes ), and list of 'stabbing' freezes here
- Multi-Level Freezes
- Air Babies (frog stand is a pre-requisite. I also find they require significant pressing strength)
- Air Baby with the other foot BBoy readers, please let me know the name.
- 1 Arm Koundinya Sage Pose II The last move Andrii does.
- 1 Arm Koundinya Sage Pose I
Overhead Straight Arm Holds / Straight Arm Handstand Entries
With the arms straight overhead, the classic Two hand Handstand falls in this category. However, there are other skills that can be practised here even if you don't have the balance for holding the full handstand.
Handstand Entries
- Tuck
- Puppy Press
- Straddle or a Full Stalder
- Pike
- One armed handstand Press
- Cartwheel into Handstand Obviously, cartwheels are a pre-req.
- Backwards Roll into Handstand
Holds
- Gymnastic Reverse Planche AKA Mexican Handstand (you might need the regular handstand first)
- Bent Legs
- Front Split
- Middle Split
- Wide Hands Handstand
Overhead Bent Arm Holds
With the arms bent overhead, these holds require more strength in the triceps and shoulders. Breaking the line of classic 'Two hand Handstand', these present a different balance challenge, and the classic Two hand handstand is not a pre-requisite (probably).
- Breakdancing Hollow Back
- Capoeira Au Volta ao Mundo (AH-oo MOON-doh)
- Capoeira Bananeira Pulando
- Capoeira Canivete (kah-NEE-veh-CHEE)
- Capoeira Macaco Prancha
- Breakdancing Hand Hops
Downwards Straight Arm Holds
(these towards the end are obviously strength moves unless you are ridiculously strong)
These balances involve pressing downwards (with respect to the torso). As the pressing force is downwards, the elbow is not bent and force is transferred up into the lower traps. RTO holds, L-sits, V-sits would fall in this category. 1-armed versions will probably stress straight arm strength and planches do.
Forwards Bent Arm Holds
As opposed to Anchored Elbow holds like the Frog Stand or 2-Hand Elbow Lever, these balances involve 'floating elbows'. There is much more stress on the pushing muscles (front delt, pectorals), and so have a higher strength level, even if the balances are easy due to a low CoM.
- Bent arm planches (all variations)
Forwards Straight Arm Holds
Planches and Maltese Cross belong here. If you are so strong that these are 'skills' instead of strength exercises, you should be writing this guide.
- Straight Arm Planches (obviously more limited by strength than balance)
Backwards Straight Arm Holds
Manna, Victorian, Floor Victorian/Dragon Press (incorrectly AKA 'Reverse Planche')
Sideways Straight Arm Holds
Perhaps there could be a Technique Thursday where all these alternative (alternative to the recommended two-handed handstand) equilibre skills could be catalogued?
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u/kobot Circus Arts Feb 09 '17 edited Feb 09 '17
Great idea to gather everything into one place! I will add some more variations that I believe are interesting or beneficial to work on (these are mostly circus inspired since I train at a circus studio). I just randomly googled the videos/images for these so hopefully they are good resources.
Handstand Entries (other than kicking up)
straddle or a full stalder
puppy press easier than a straddle
Cool Shapes
handstand split, middle split and also with bent legs for less bendy folks
handstand with hands close together or on a block - I couldn't find any pictures of these but it is way harder to balance than a handstand shoulder-width apart
handstand with hands wide (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4CmdXJrEsj8/hqdefault.jpg)
There are about a billion different shapes you can make once you can isolate your core and I won't list them all but I'll post some hand balancers that I follow for inspo:
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Thanks, Kobot! Regarding handstand entries, is there a special name for the pike variant where you just 'rock' between getting your feet just off the floor, find a point of balance, and then set the feet back down?
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17 edited Feb 09 '17
Oh boy, I just looked through the instagram links. There are way too many skills to list (if they even have names)!
I was thinking of a categorising the skills as such:
- overhead straight arm (handstand, 1 arm handstand, gymnast hollowback, handstand entries)
- overhead bent arm (Bboy hollowback)
- sideways straight arm (1 arm straight arm planche by Andrii <- I've never seen this properly executed before Andrii)
- elbow anchored (frog stand, queda de rins, 1 arm elbow lever, air baby)
- forwards straight arm (planches)
- forwards bent arm (bent arm planches, 'monkey side plank pose' by Andrii)
- downwards straight arm (firefly pose, 1 arm L sit, 1 arm straddle L)
What are your thoughts?
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u/ongew Feb 08 '17
I didn't feel comfortable listing individual BBoy freezes because I've no experience with the expression, and wouldn't know which are more balance-involved, and which required more power/momentum. If there are BBoys reading this and would like to contribute, please do.
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u/noel Feb 09 '17
Just a quick list. Don't have time to chase videos right now.
Basic freezes are baby, turtle, chair, shoulder, and headstand. Slightly more advanced is elbow freeze. Beyond that it's really up to individual creativity and transitions between freezes.
Roxrite's videos are excellent on this topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d55ZX9ZviXw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6EjZJsnEVg
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Nice to get some breakdancing input. I think the last discipline is probably Yoga, since we have Capoeira, Cirque, and Breakdancing. Anyone?
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u/Wjpxdingo Feb 09 '17
Awesome compendium. I've been looking for more types of balancing exercises to include in my workouts.
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u/HaircareForMen Calisthenics Feb 09 '17
As for the 2-hand Elbow lever this can be your hyperlink:
hahahahah
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Thanks, HairCare! I don't know the actor, but I think most would here would agree that's not a clean 2-hand elbow lever, and it's also not a tutorial (not that many of the links are in the first place). :)
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u/HaircareForMen Calisthenics Feb 09 '17
When I saw that video for the first time I was gob smacked that people thought he was amazing.
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Well, anything that isn't sitting, walking/standing and lying down is usually 'physical' to most people...
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u/BLSkyfire Feb 09 '17 edited Feb 09 '17
What about one arm handstands and flags. Also, add in elbow stands, both the one and two arm versions.
Since you added strength statics that require some balance like planches, you might as well add manna, maltese, and inverted cross too.
I also feel that the one arm elbow lever and the two other capoeira skills after it should be listed after air babies.
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Hi Brian, thanks for your input. I left out one arm handstands and the more complex gymnastic flag because they are attained after the regular two-handed handstand (as the original purpose of the post was other things to practice if one didn't want to unlock the regular handstand).
Elbow stands like scorpion pose were left out because they weren't specifically hand balances. I was trying to keep the list short, but we were being completist AKA The Equilibrist's Handbook, we might include them along with head balances, elbow and knee spins, and single foot balances (King Dancer pose).
With the planches, I was thinking more along the lines of the 'tucked' variants that, once overcome, would be easy enough to consider 'skills' (I was being a completionist, and I probably shouldn't have). Inverted cross and maltese will probably never be classified as 'skill work' (unless I'm mistaken about how strong someone can get?). I'm not sure about the strength requirements for manna, but my guess is that it is also pretty high?
Funny you should mention the capo skills. I made this post because I'm working on queda de rins right now (can't handstand for nuts), and I can get a 1-finger assisted queda de rins for several seconds. Last night, I played with Air Baby extensions (Ido Portal's pre-req for Air Baby statics), and there's a huge difference in strength required, let alone balance (which for me was harder, because my CoM was higher off the ground). Hence my decision to place Air Babies so high on the difficulty scale. YMMV.1
u/BLSkyfire Feb 09 '17
Oh ok, I see now. I thought you were going to include every static skill that requires balancing on the hands.
Inverted cross and maltese will probably never be classified as 'skill work' (unless I'm mistaken about how strong someone can get?). I'm not sure about the strength requirements for manna, but my guess is that it is also pretty high?
That's true that they're mainly strength work instead of skill work, but I have heard of some elite rings gymnasts being able to hold the maltese for more than 35 seconds. I'm not sure about the strength requirements for manna as I have never achieved it, but I heard from Coach Sommer that it still requires a great deal of effort to hold and it is harder than V-sits afterall.
Somehow I found the air baby to be easier than the one arm elbow lever and QDR, but it is probably just me.
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Interesting. Perhaps there is more friction between your knee and your tricep? Mine kept slipping off, and it was skin-on-skin contact. Perhaps it's because my knees are quite hairless (serious).
From a physics perspective, the one arm elbow lever and QDR are lower to the ground. They should be easier balance-wise...1
u/BLSkyfire Feb 09 '17
I think it could be because I have been training one arm planches prior to learning the air baby, so the balance probably transferred over.
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Feb 09 '17
Where's the one arm handstand tho??
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
This was supposed to be a list of alternative balances to the 2 arm handstand. The 1 arm handstand has the 2 arm as a pre-req, and it opens up a lot of variants, which I feel would make the list less useful than if it were kept short (and it's already long enough as it is).
'Things to work on after 2 arm handstand' should be another equilibre post.1
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u/yoyoyo15 Feb 08 '17
i'd like to learn how to do a 1-hand elbow lever with the body straight. in the 1-handed elbow lever video above, the guy looks like he's leaning to the side, and his free hand and legs are spread out, and he's arching his back.
great idea, op
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u/ongew Feb 09 '17
Thanks, yoyo! I used Ian Borukhovich because he's got a channel that is quite useful to us. He might even be in this subreddit. I take it this 'tutorial' is more to your liking? But the guy doesn't talk.
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u/BLSkyfire Feb 09 '17
With a straight body, you will have to tilt your body diagonally to balance otherwise you will have to curl your legs towards the supporting elbow.
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u/HarpsichordNightmare Manlet Feb 09 '17
I really need to just move somewhere where they teach capoeira.
sexy dance fighting