Handstand Work – From the Ground Up!
Video by Travis Ewart
Learning a handstand can be a long process, though well worth all the effort! On the surface it seems like all you need to do is get upside-down just right, and “voila!” you now know how to do all things inverted. Unfortunately this is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are many parts of a handstand that can be altered to create different handstand postures, but one of the most predominantly overlooked piece of the puzzle comes from hand position. As much as we may refer to hands acting as feet would while in a handstand, it is not that simple. For instance, a foot has a heel that we use to support our weight when we lean back and the hand has a rounded palm. The hand is also much smaller than the foot in length which creates a smaller platform for the body to balance above, thus is less stable to support yourself than a foot. Thirdly, the wrist cannot comfortably bend to the same degree as an ankle’s dorsiflexion. For all of these reasons we must examine the best technique for hand placement for each of the three main handstand movements in CrossFit – the static handstand, the handstand push-up and the handstand walk.
In this video, each of the previously mentioned handstand skills will be cited and different hand placements are encouraged for each movement. Even if you think you are the Handstand Master you may want to reevaluate your current technique and those of your peers and/or clients to make sure you are giving them the best opportunity you can provide for successful handstand work.
Please comment below or in the comments section of the YouTube video itself if you have something to add…We’d love to hear your take!
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