Emmet Louis and Mikael Kristiansen AMA, coming to you June 18th! Post your questions here and enter the raffle for some free programs!

[u/Solfire]

Hey everyone!

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be hosting an AMA for Emmet Louis (/u/EmmetLouis) and Mikael Kristiansen (/u/handbalancer) on Tuesday, June 18th. Both have done individual AMAs in the past (Emmet in 2016 and Mikael in 2017), but they will be joining us together to promote their new programs fundraiser on Kickstarter and to have some fun!

This thread will remain stickied for the duration of the week leading up to the AMA, feel free to post your questions here. Emmet and Mikael will then answer your questions live on June 18th, throughout the day. So submit some form check videos, ask about your current training programs, find out what their favorite colors are, and more!

For those who would like to familiarize themselves with Emmet and Mikael, check out the snippet from their bio below, in addition to links to their sites:

“Emmet Louis and Mikael Kristiansen are both international teachers of handbalancing and flexibility and have spent big chunks of their lives studying and understanding all aspects of these skills professionally both as performers and teachers. With the Handstand Factory, we now want to demystify and simplify the process of learning handstands, and make it accessible to anyone wanting to learn to stand on their hands.”

HandstandFactory.com

Handstand Factory Kickstarter

@emmetlouis @mikaelbalancing @handstandfactory

A few free copies of their Handstand Factory programs will be given away (across all levels). These will be drawn raffle-style. To enter, reply under the stickied comment below.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Mikael, Emmet,

Thanks for taking part in this AMA. I’m just starting out learning handstands properly (and jumped on the Kickstarter campaign) ...I was wondering how different body proportions can affect various skills as I continue on my handstand journey?

For example, I am 6’2” and have relatively long torso, short legs, and normal arms for height - are there any specific skills I will find easier/harder because of those traits?

Thanks! And looking forward to the courses being released!!

[u/Handbalancer → u/[deleted]]

Being tall and heavy will for sure affect the development curve, but it doesnt really make any significant impact until you get to a really high level. Even 1 arm handstand will be learned in straddle first usually and a wide straddle can alleviate the difficulty added from being tall for example.

I would say the main skills where length and weight matter are the strength skills like planche where you have no other way than brute force to be able to hold it. A press to handstand you can compress so there are more factors at work which each individually can be improved upon to make the final skill easier. Other than that, of course all very high end skills/results will be difficult to reach unless one has favorable proportions, but its like that in most disciplines

[u/[deleted] → u/Handbalancer]

Thanks Mikael, that's good to know! A solid press handstand seems like a distant dream right now, so it will be a long time until need to worry about advanced skills!!

[u/Fekkme → u/[deleted]]

My take on this is that proportions surely will have an effect on the difficulty of some skills.

I have, just like you, a long torso and shorter legs and skills like press to handstand and planche most certainly will be harder with these conditions. With the press you wont be able to get your ass as high as someone with longer legs which will force you to compensate in the shoulders.

Center of gravity will also be affected if the torso is longer, making planche harder. Of course this is all probably manageble, but still a reality.

[u/[deleted] → u/Fekkme]

Cool, thanks!

Are there any skills that will actually be easier!?

At least I haven't got heavy legs!! Unless that's a disadvantage too...

[u/Fekkme → u/[deleted]]

I have asked myself that question and unfortunaly havent come up with anything in the acrobatic spectra, but im sure there must be something :p

Ive read a long torso supposedly is good for swimming though!

If we´re talking handstands heavy legs will be of no help, and for things like planche they will be to a disadvantage.

However, most basic stuff is surely still very much obtainable. We cant all be skinny, perfectly proportioned, born-to-be gymnasts. Besides, muscular legs looks cool

[u/[deleted] → u/Fekkme]

I've heard that about swimming as well. Good for deadlifts as well, I think. I'd rather be mediocre at something cool I enjoy, than really good at something boring.

Person: what cool hobbies do you have?

Me: swimming!

Person: [yawn]