Workout of the Day:
“Diane”
Rounds of 21, 15 and 9 reps for time of:
225/155 lb. Deadlift
Handstand Push-Ups

Modifying the Handstand Push-Up
Written by C.J. Martin

Unless you are in the .005% of the population that can perform free-standing handstand push-ups, you will need to select an effective manner of modifying the movement. There are many ways to modify the handstand push-up. Many chose to kick up into a wall (facing out), others elect to walk up the wall until their nose is nearly touching it. For those who have not yet developed the strength to perform either of these options, we often rig our pull-up bars with bands that cradle the athlete’s shoulders and assist them through the movement or we use a plyo-box to support their legs and reduce the load they are moving through the range of motion (see photo above). The efficacy of each of these modifications is highly dependent on aligning the athlete’s hips over his or her shoulders. This vertical alignment should be the goal regardless of your method of modifying the movement. Unfortunately, we see far too many good CrossFit athletes cheating the movement by walking the hands away from the hips and performing a movement more akin to a decline push-up (see photo below).  

This incorrect posture in the modified handstand push-up permits more recruitment of the pectorals, and thus makes the movement easier to perform, but it is not a great substitute for a properly performed handstand push-up. Might it make a weaker athlete stronger? Of course, and that will help them eventually get to a more vertical position, but I have seen too many athletes get stuck in the habit of performing nasty decline push-ups who are plenty strong enough to push their hips up directly over their shoulders. With a proper box or band assist, most of our athletes are able to attain proper posture in a handstand push-up (see first photo above knees are supported close to the body and hips remain over shoulders). The problems manifest when ego drives an athlete to a modification that they are not yet strong enough to perform correctly, or when the athlete values the speed of their performance over the intent and virtue of the movement. As you tackle Diane today, be conscious of your inverted posture. Are you sagging through the middle or walking your hands away from your hips? If the answer is yes, slow down and strive to maintain the positioning demonstrated so beautifully by Cate S. in the first picture.