Today I was trying a new shape and as you can see there is still work to do. There's lots of things that could be said about this video but what I want to address today is elbow hyper-extension. . I get lots of questions/concerns about my elbows and wanted to open up for discussion around this topic. . Anyone who says to slightly bend your arms when balancing on their hands has probably never done a handstand this way. Yes, I can do this slight bend when balancing on two arms and yes I train this elbow position in crawling drills and planks but balancing, especially on one arm in this position feels terrible and impossible. . @cirque_physio posted about this last week and to quote her balancing with a micro-bend takes WAY more energy and muscle groups (muscles that are much smaller than the analogous groups in our legs), and I’ve seen many tendon overuse injuries as a result of hyperextended handbalancers attempting to handstand “micro bent” with straight elbows.. . I also completely agree with her that with hyper-extended elbows strength and mobility of the wrists and shoulders is key. . I also train to strengthen that end range of my elbow mobility. In the second video I have posted one of my favourite drills which is incline bicep curls. Note my tricep is resting on the bench not my elbow. . So if you have elbow hyper-extension be mindful of how they feel and do the work to keep your joints strong and mobile. But also if your elbows feel fine, have fun upside down! Also follow @cirque_physio because she is way smarter than I am:) . #handstandtips #hyperextendedelbows #oahs
Yesterday I posted about handstand line. One important aspect of achieving a straight handstand is ribs down. When your rib cage is rotated up you get the dreaded rib flare. Often this is accompanied by a butt sticking out position and the even more dreaded BANANA! . Standing tall grab your rib cage, with your fingers at the front and thumbs at the back. Feel it rotate up as your point your nipples up to the sky. Then feel it rotate down as you point your nipples straight ahead. Understanding this movement is a big part of being able to feel and then achieve it upside down. . Note: Nipple position can vary and the instructions above are just rough guidelines. . #handstandtips #ribflare #nipplesup
I'm currently putting together a Press to Handstand coaching program. The first thing that we will cover is handstand line. It's not essential that your line is perfect (however that is defined) but there are some aspects of your line that will increase your ability to press. . The first is your overhead position. Yes flexibility may be a limiting factor here but another huge part is understanding how to get into that good overhead position under load. . In the first drill I show a stick version. If I bring that stick overhead, it is difficult to get a good line unless I reach up (elevate) and create the space to pull my arms back and ribs down. . It's slightly harder to see in the handstand version but I initially start without pushing. I am trying to get into a good line and pull my ribs down. BUT until I push and elevate my shoulders it is really impossible to get into a straight line. . In a press to handstand the float from the floor comes from this push (shoulder elevation) while at the same time compressing and pulling your chest in and ribs down. So before you work the press make sure that you can get into this overhead position in your freestanding handstand. . The cats were having a blast in the gym today, nothing gets them going like handstand technique videos! . #handstandtips #handstandline #presstohandstand
Trying to copy the smooth moves of @farid_herrera. I didn’t quite get there but had a lot of fun. . #copycat #macaco #sundayfun
