Buzz
When we kicked off the handstand challenge last week, I admitted that being upside down wasn’t my comfort zone. But, I was determined to change that. Just yesterday, I managed my first handstand against a wall, feeling surprisingly strong and balanced. I’m here to share some tips that helped me get there.
To get started, I took the advice of a commenter named tallnproud and began following this video series designed to help you master the handstand. In the first video, we learned some essential tips for kicking up into a wall handstand:
Bend forward and place your hands flat on the ground before you attempt to kick up. It shouldn’t be one continuous motion.
Position your hands so they point towards the wall.
Ensure your elbows point away from the wall, so your elbow pits face the wall.
Lock your elbows straight. If your joints hyperextend, aim for the straightest position possible. Keep them locked; if your elbows bend, you're in trouble.
By chance, I walked into a CrossFit class, and the skill focus of the day was handstand push-ups. It was the perfect setup: a wall, a spacious area, and a coach who would prevent me from making any risky moves. With all the right elements in place, I remembered the advice from earlier, positioned my hands correctly, and—bam!—I nailed a wall handstand. I did several, actually, and even took my first steps towards learning kipping (cheater) handstand push-ups, which is a whole new adventure.
If you're still in the process of getting comfortable upside down, this video from the previously mentioned series is a great starting point. It walks you through a set of exercises designed to warm up your wrists and shoulders, and concludes with a lesson on how to bail out of a failed handstand. It's basically just cartwheeling in disguise, so if you can master a cartwheel at awkward angles, you’re halfway there. After that, this video shows you a variety of methods for approaching the handstand, where the real progress starts to take shape.
So, how’s the challenge going for you? Have you been able to lift your feet off the ground yet? What part of the journey are you currently tackling?
