Isn’t that what you want at the end of the day?
You go to the play ground and after training a few times, you effortlesly progress into a handstand.
Hopping from one arm to the other – turning up your music at the same time.
While others are still struggling and doing it one step at a time.
You make it seem like it’s your second nature.
Although it takes some people years, you aren’t even breaking a of sweat.
And what’s the secret to this level of handstand mastery?
Thinking you will get it overnight!
Taking a leap instead of doing it one step at a time.
I mean, the best things in life come easy, don’t they?
Well, prepare yourself for a shock…
Why You Need To Take It One Handstand Progression At A Time
Want to know something universal?
If you really want to get the most advance exercises, you need to take it one step at a time.
Just trying it without proper preperation and going for it blindly is the last thing you should do.
Don’t try to run if you can’t crawl, learn to crawl first.
Regardless, many beginners see someone doing a handstand online, go to the park (I’m guilty of this too) – without any knowledge of the skill it requires – and then expect to land their first handstand.
In reality this does not work that way, go try it if you don’t believe me.
Too many beginners are wasting their time pursuing a strategy of randomn trial-and-error which will probably never pay off the way they hope it will.
That’s why the following exercises will give you a step-by-step guide to build the basic foundation for a handstand.
Key Takeaway: Be patient, follow the right steps and don’t expect to succeed in your first attempt. Expect to learn instead.
Especially when it comes to the handstand, the importance is in adding a little bit of skill every time.
Mastery will come in time, but not when you want it to come.
1. Preparing Your Wrists
Prior to doing any type of handstand practice, you will need to strengthen your wrists.
Out of all the joints the wrists are probably the least prepared for bigger loads in inversions.
Especially because we use them so little throughout the day.
Make sure you are able to do these wrist exercises prior to starting your handstand training.
2. Plank Positioning
A good handstand starts with a strong plank.
Eventually your entire weight will be on your hands and shoulders.
Having this ability is therefore essential.
A plank will allow you to get a sense of what it feels like to place a load on your shoulders, elbows and wrists.
Primary focus: Getting a sense of weight transfer and building wrist, shoulder and core strength
1. First place your hands on the ground at shoulder width.
2. Straighten your legs and lock your elbows by turning your shoulders outwards while keeping your hands on the ground.
3. Stiffen your body by contracting your core, abs and back and especially butt muscles.
Mastery 5×60 seconds
3. The Crow Stance
Primary focus: Developing a sense of balance and building strength in the wrists and fingers
1. First place your fingers on the ground at shoulder width and place your knees as close to your armpits as possible
2. Grab the ground with your fingers and start leaning forward until you feel the shift in your center of gravity
3. Keep your feet on the ground while doing so and slowly lift one after the other until both are off the ground.
4. Try to move your feet up until your knees reach about a 90 degree angle
5. Bring your feet together and don’t forget to keep breathing
6. Get out of your crow stance by reversing the same steps.
Mastery 5×60 seconds
Note: Be careful and do this on grass or ground which allows for a soft landing until it becomes easy. Make sure you lean forward in a controlled way and remember to tuck your chin to your chest if you fall, don’t speed up the process too much or you might end up like this kid.
4. The Tucked Headstand
Primary focus: Developing a sense of inversion and balance
1. First kneel down and place your fingers on the ground at shoulder width.
2. Bend your head towards the ground so your arms are at around a 90 degree angle.
3. Straighten your legs and tip-toe your feet to your head as close as possible.
4. Find the point at which your center of gravity shifts from your feet to your hands and head.
5. Slowly bring one leg to your elbow, followed by the next and place the inside of your knees on the outside of your elbows/upper arm.
6. Get out of your half headstand by reversing the same steps.
Mastery 5×60 seconds
5. The Headstand
Primary focus: Balancing and getting a sense of inversion
1. First kneel down and place your fingers on the ground at shoulder width
2. Bend your head towards the ground so your arms are at around a 90 degree angle
3. Straighten your legs and tip-toe your feet to your head as close as possible
4. Find the point at which your center of gravity shifts from your feet to your hands and head
5. Slowly bring one leg to your elbow, followed by the next and place the inside of your knees on the outside of your elbows/upper arm
6. Once you have a strong half head stance, straighten one leg to the sky followed by the other leg while contracting your core and glutes. If you aren’t confident enough, use a spotter or a wall just in case.
7. Get out of your headstand by reversing the same steps
How To Do A Handstand One Step At A Time
Serious about getting your handstand?
Start building a strong foundation first.
Work hard. Earn It.
Don’t be afraid to faceplant. Don’t be afraid to fall. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Because here is the thing. All those things will happen.
And best things in life don’t come easy.
But you become better.
One faceplant at a time.
Beast Mode ON!
Now I’d like to hear from you:
Did you like this post?
Or maybe you have a question.
Either way, leave a quick comment below right now.
Great post! It helps a lot to understand the process!
Hey Diego,
Thanks for the appreciation!
I hope it will help you in getting your first handstand!
Beast Mode ON!
I JUST WANT TO GET THE LINK FROM WHERE SHOULD I GET MY BAR BROTHER KIT. AS I LIVE IN INDIA SO I WANT TO KNOW THAT YOUR KIT IS SHIPPED TO INDIA OR NOT . BUT THERE IS ONE THING VERY STRANGE WHEN I PERFORM SQUATS IN PARK EVERYBODY MOCK AT ME BUT I DONT NO WHY
Hey Prabhash,
You can get the t-shirt and sweat shirt in the shop.
With regard to other people hating on you, let them hate, they probably don’t know what you are doing. Make it your goal to prove them wrong, they mock you out of ignorance.
Beast Mode ON!
Keep training and don’t give up.
Can you show us how to do a straight handstand with your hands covering your ears instead of your head jutting out in a neutral position instead? I don’t like arching my back. Do I need to have more shoulder range of motion in order to do a straight handstand?
Hey bro,
I’m not quite sure about your technique when you want to have your hands covering your ears. It seems as if you are talking about a triangle handstand. That’s essentially the same as the scorpion only now you make a triangle with your arms and hands, with your elbows coverinh the ears!
Hope this helps.
Beast mode ON!
TOMMOROW I STARTED THIS
Hey Rich
I can do the frog stand but I just can’t seem to make my way to the Tuck Handstand. Any insight of how I can progress to do it?
Hey Deon,
Good question and awesome that you have been going for it!
The tuck handstand requires a significantly stronger core. Let me guess you can’t get your knees off the floor?
Based upon that assumption, my advice would be to make sure you cover your core in the exercises you are doing. Add a core routine (Abs, lower back) to your training regimen.
You can find plenty core related exercises in the posts.
And from that point on, it’s all about…working out again, and again, and again…it takes time.
It took me almost 2 years to get a straight handstand and it still isn’t perfect. You’ll get there!
Beast Mode ON!
Thanks for the reply.
But actually the problem isn’t getting my knees of the ground, it is tring to lift it entirely into the complete tuck position.
I also attempted to do the Tripod Handstand and I actually managed to do it.
Hey Deon,
Haha that’s awesome first of all. Make sure you keep practicing that tripod, the balancing is definitely going to help you with your air awareness.
Based upon the information you are giving now, I’d say you simply need more overall upperbody strength. How can you increase this? Keep doing to frog stance and look for parallel bars where you can do the tucked version (Bring your knees to your belly, lean forward) and hold it for 10-15 seconds. It will be easier than it is when you do it from the ground.
This should help, keep practicing. It took me 2 years to learn the handstand ;).
Beast Mode ON!
Hey Thanks for the rwply.
My problem isn’t lifting my knees of the ground, it is going from your step 2 to 3 (according the pictures). I just can’t seem to get my knees in the air and holding it there.
I also tried the Tripod Handstand and the Half Cobra, I’m quite amazed that I could do them both.
Hi Rich,
A brilliant article as usual 🙂
I can quite comfortably do a headstand and the other exercises, but how do I transition to the first handstands?
What are your tips for the first steps? Say against a wall, etc
Many thanks
Rob.
Hey Rob,
Thanks for the message :D.
So the most essential thing is a straight line, because this will allow you to basically stack your joints which will minimize the amount of effort you have to put into it, compare it to standing with straight legs versus standing with your legs at 90 degree. An entirely different experience.
So if your line is straight in the headstand, the next step is to start working against a wall. Chest to the wall, elbows locked, glutes contracted, straight lower back, build it up to 5×30 and then to 5×30 seconds. Once you have those in check, work on shoulder taps 5×30 followed by 5×60 repetitions. Once you are there, send me a message again ;).
Beast mode ON!
Great post man! I am not ready for this yet 🙂 but if i am. I am gonna use this steps to master it! A handstand is heavy but great fun to do
Hey Lowie,
Awesome! You really can’t start soon enough with handstands, try adding one of these exercises to your training every now and then. Just to get a feel for it.
Keep up the good work.
Beast mode ON!
This is awesome thanks for sharing!
Hey Fernando,
Thanks for your comment!
I hope it will help you on your journey.
Beast mode ON!
Oke i will do that 🙂