The Handstand is an extremely effective strength exercise that demonstrates that the person performing it has impressive strength and enviable agility. In addition, the handstand itself is an excellent exercise, training the muscles of the upper limb in a very unusual style. But in order to be able to perform this exercise, you need to be in excellent physical condition and undergo appropriate training. How to learn how to do a handstand as efficiently as possible and without injuries - today we will tell you about this, as well as visually demonstrate the correct technique for performing the exercise.
So we decided to do a handstand. What do we need for this?
- First, strong hands
- Secondly, the abdominal muscles,
- Third, a sense of balance.
In this sequence! Therefore, the techniques described below must be mastered in the order in which they are described.
Preparing hands for exercise
To learn how to stand on our hands in the correct technique, first of all, we must be able to do push-ups. It is the push-ups that will maximally strengthen our "support" in the handstand: triceps, deltoid muscles, pectoral muscles. To master push-ups, if you do not know how to do this, you need to do push-ups from the floor from your knees.
Special attention to the wrists
An additional weak point when trying to learn how to get up in a handstand is the hands and forearms - the joint between them is very easily injured. Before going into a handstand, you need to properly warm up the wrist joints. This is done like this:
- We take kilogram dumbbells, stretch our arms in front of us, unfold them with our palms down. At first smoothly, then more energetically we perform the extension of the arms in the hands. In total, we perform at least 30 such movements;
- Turn the hands over to the supination position, fingers up. Bending the brushes in the same way;
- The next exercise is turning the forearms from the pronation position to the supination position, we do it smoothly, without sudden movements. At least 50 times;
- We put the dumbbells aside, grasp the forearm of one hand with the other, rub it vigorously in circular movements, for 2 minutes each hand;
- We fold our hands into the castle, we intertwine our fingers, we rotate the brushes, one minute at a time in one direction and the other.
Knee push-ups
We stand in a lying position: arms are slightly wider than shoulders, body is straightened, noses rest on the floor, legs together. We bend the knees, leaving the body and hips straightened in one line, kneel down, bend the legs at 90 degrees. Push-ups are performed by bending the arms at the elbows. You need to go down almost to the floor - the distance between the chest and the floor should be no more than 2 centimeters. We rest our palms on the floor, tighten the pectoral muscles and triceps, squeeze ourselves up, leaving the elbows at the top point slightly not fully straightened. This is one repeat.
© Glenda Powers - stock.adobe.com
The challenge is to learn to do knee push-ups at least 50 times. Moreover, at this stage we need to go through certain milestones:
- Master 20 knee push-ups. Until you can push up off the floor from your knees 20 times in one set, you should practice every day, doing as many reps per set as you can, bringing the total number of push-ups per day to 100 times.
- It turned out 20 push-ups from the knees - we master push-ups from the floor. The starting position is the same here, but the support falls on the toes.
We start doing push-ups from the floor every day according to the following scheme:
A week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Push ups | 2*10 | 2*15 | 2*20 | 1 * 25 + 1 * max. | 1 * 30 + 1 * max. | 1 * 35 + 1 * max. | 1 * 40 + 1 * max. |
Knee push-ups | 2*20 2*15 1*10 | 3*20 1*15 | 3*20 | 3*25 | 3*25 | 3*30 | 3*35 |
* max - the maximum number of times.
You can continue by analogy. The task is to push up from the floor from your knees 50 times. Once you have done that, you should completely remove the knee push-ups from your program and focus on your regular floor push-ups.
50 push-ups with a hold in the bottom position
This is exactly the task we set for ourselves - not just push up from the floor 50 times, but also linger on each repetition for 2 seconds in the bottom position.
An approximate scheme for mastering this stage looks like this:
A week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Number of push-ups | 1*20, 1*15, 1*10 | 1*20, 2*15, 1*10 | 1*20, 2*15, 2*10 | 1*20, 2*15, 2 * 10- delayed | 2 * 20, 1 * 15, 1 * 15- with delay, 2 * 10- with delay; | 2 * 20, 2 * 15- with delay, 2 * 10- with delay |
At the end of each week, you need to arrange for yourself a test: do the maximum possible number of push-ups with a delay. As soon as you are able to push up from the floor more than 20 times with a delay during the test, you are one step closer to making a handstand without problems. Now you can start mastering the Strong Press complex.
Preparing abs for exercise
In order to learn the handstand technique, we also need a strong press. Moreover, we are interested not so much in a strong press as in strong core muscles - in addition to the abdominal press, this includes the iliopsoas muscles, the extensors of the spine, and the gluteal muscles. Moreover, these muscles should work in a static mode. To achieve the desired core conditions, we need a plank exercise, in three of its varieties, and gluteal and lumbar hyperextension. We will perform these movements in a complex, Again, every week we arrange an endurance test for ourselves, our final goal is 5 minutes in a bar with straight arms.
A week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Elbow plank | 1 * 30 sec | 1 * 40 sec | 1 * 60 sec | 2 * 60 sec | 2 * 60 sec + 1 * max |
Plank on straight arms | 1 * 30sec | 1 * 40 sec | 1 * 60 sec | 2 * 60 sec | 2 * 60 sec + 1 * max |
Cross plank * | 1 * 20 sec | 1 * 30 sec | 1 * 60 sec | 1 * 60 sec + 1 * max. | 2 * 60 sec + 1 * max |
Gluteal hyperextension ** | 2*20 | 3*20 | 2*20+ 1 * 15 with additional weights | 2*20+ 1 * 15 with additional weights | 2*20+ 1 * 20 with additional weights |
Lumbar hyperextension *** | 2*20 | 3*20 | 3*20 | 2*20+ 1 * 15 with additional weights | 2*20+ 1 * 20 with additional weights |
Plank on straightened arms and elbows:
- * The plank in the "cross" style is performed in a lying position, but at the same time the arms are spread apart, the elbows are straightened, the body and arms form a kind of "cross" - hence the name of the exercise.
© seventyfour - stock.adobe.com
- ** It is advisable to perform hyperextension in a special simulator, however, even if you exercise at home, it does not matter. Hyperextension is extension of the body performed at the hip and / or lumbar spine. To perform the gluteal variant, you need to rest the simulator pillow on the thighs, at the groin level, fix the lower back in a motionless position and straighten out due to extension in the hip joint. If you work out at home and do not have a simulator, lie on the edge of a sofa or chair, face down. Fix your legs, support - on your legs and pelvis.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
- *** The essence of lumbar hyperextension is to straighten only at the expense of the lumbar spine - for this you need to immobilize the hip joint. This is achieved by emphasizing the simulator cushion (or some other support in the “home” version) on the iliac spine. You need to raise the body until the legs with the body are in the same plane.
© Bojan - stock.adobe.com
So, if you have mastered the second stage of training the handstand, taking into account the fact that you are simultaneously practicing push-ups, trying to reach the above norm, you should perform push-ups from hollow, plank and hyperextension on a daily basis, trying to progress in your workouts from week to week. ... Now you can move on to working out balance and coordination.
There are many interesting handstand training techniques in the video that were not included in our material. Be sure to read it!
The main errors are detailed here:
Coordination
In order to learn how to stand in a handstand, it is critical to develop coordination and a sense of balance. The following exercises will help us with this.
Rear bridge
We will perform these exercises after the strength exercises related to the first stages. We will start with the back bridge - we lie on the floor, raise our hands above us, bend at 90 degrees, put our palms on the floor. We bend our legs at the knees, put them on the floor, with support on the entire surface of the foot. We rest our heels and palms on the floor, straighten the elbows and knees - the body forms a kind of arc. In this position, we freeze, keep the tension in the muscles as much as we can, but not less than 10 seconds, We try to progress, increasing the holding time of the bridge to 1 minute.
© vladimirfloyd - stock.adobe.com
Headstand
The headstand is one of the final exercises that will allow you to learn how to do a handstand. Starting position: support falls on the crown, forearms and elbows. The body is perpendicular to the floor, straight. Legs are in line with the body. A simpler option: the legs are bent at the knee and hip joints and tucked towards the stomach. If you started to master the exercise from this option - perform the simpler option for a minute, then, without rest, go to the headstand with straightened legs.
© vladimirfloyd - stock.adobe.com
Forearm stand
Starting position: body weight falls on the forearms and palms, the body is at 45 degrees to the floor. The legs are bent at the knees and pressed by the hips to the stomach. The recommendations for implementation are the same as in the previous exercise.
In the course of mastering the complex for the development of balance, you may feel that your workout has become too hard and intense - in this case, you can perform strength exercises every other day, on the other days - exercises for balance. And one more thing: with the beginning of the third stage, you should finish each workout with an attempt to stand on your hands: first near the wall, leaning on it with your heels, then - with the second attempt - to stand on your hands without support. This must be done in a room where a mat is prepared in advance, or a wrestling carpet - at first you will have to fall often and in order not to be injured you should be interested in the first place.
- You need to work out the exit to the rack: arms are raised, one leg is in front, the second is slightly behind. We transfer the weight of the body from the back leg to the front, bend in the lumbar spine, stand on the palm of our hand. This moment must be worked out to automatism!
- Further, with the supporting leg we push off from the floor, with the ballast leg we do it halfway, as if throwing the body over the center of gravity. Legs are not divorced by accident - you balance them, trying to catch a state of balance.
- Once you succeed, try to catch this position each time and linger in it for as long as possible.
- Do you feel what has begun to work out? We straighten our legs, try to bring them in line with the body, stand perpendicular to the floor and, of course, keep in this position!
Another important point is swinging the support: your task is not just to rest your palms on the floor - it is imperative to evenly distribute the load between the entire surface of the palm and the phalanges of the fingers - for this you need to “dig” your fingers into the floor - as if you are trying to clench your fingers into a fist, overcoming resistance from the side of the floor surface.
© vladimirfloyd - stock.adobe.com
What muscles work?
Strictly speaking, all the muscles in the body work during the handstand. The support load falls on the triceps muscle of the shoulder, deltoid muscles, trapezius, pectoralis major muscle, especially on its clavicular part. The buttocks, abs, extensors of the spine work hard in a static mode, holding the spinal column and, accordingly, the body, along with the legs, in one line, perpendicular to the floor. At the same time, the muscles do not just work - all muscle groups seem to learn to interact with each other, mutually increasing each other's power potential and developing a connection between the motor units of your body and the brain.
Should you teach your child to handstand?
Of course, if you have a child of preschool or primary school age, it makes sense to teach him to stand on his hands - this skill will be given to him much easier due to his small height and weight, and then he will stay with him for the rest of his life, which will contribute to significant physical predominance ... your child over peers - and not only physically, but also mentally - do not forget that the intensive work of the muscles of the upper limb belt improves cerebral circulation, and hence the development of new neural pathways and intersynaptic connections.