There is no doubt that the handstand push-up looks cool. Could this be the reason why most the majority of fitness enthusiasts and athletes take it as the biggest bang-for-their-buck?
There has to be a connection.
The truth be told, strengthening as well as controlling your body is the most crucial element to focus on in your workout sessions.
Mostly, athletes just aim to do handstand pushups against the wall rather than a full-swing workout where you dip down your body between two chairs.
Though the full-swing handstand is a very challenging move — yet the people who are experts will tell you that you’ll feel even better once you get trained.
And of course, you have to earn that feeling. It’s really a hard nut to crack if you’re not in that zone.
In this article, allow me to show you how you can get yourself from a scratch to full swing handstand push-ups.
Just follow the below-mentioned series, keep your mind on, dedicate some time to it, and you’ll be amazed by your results.
This is a common perception that handstand push-ups is all about the upper body strength.
But the physical ability to balance, adjusting vertical body alignment and the dimensional alertness are key decisive factors.
So, you can say that the training is hard. But the results are worth it.
Handstand Push-Up Progressions
First of all, you have to develop a good handstand capability. Full handstand will become much harder if you do not hold a good stamina of handstand.
So, you need to go through the handstand practice before to work on nailing your push-ups.
Handstand push-up is a next level move. This involves a proper workout where you go down to a headstand and again back up to the handstand.
Meanwhile, you do not have any kind of support than your hands.
Even a full-swing handstand push goes beyond this workout. In this scenario, you have to dip down your head taking your shoulders down all the way to your hands and then press up again.
However, this great skill requires a lot of time and focus on your workout.
This is the primary rule of workout to start from the beginning regardless of your strength and energy.
The steps mentioned below will lead you from the beginning to the end goal.
Moreover, you need to be patient — putting in some quality time. Are you all set to start?
Step 1: Train Your Body
Let’s start from the very beginning. Maybe you take the initial workout not that serious, but these early exercises indeed demonstrate the basics necessary for the skill.
The first step involves further sub-steps. First of all, you need to practice a “Bear Walk”. Drive your butt vertically to the maximum limit. Now, try to walk like a bear.
Secondly, bend your knees inward pointing to the toes and try to bow on arms as much as you can. This will help you to develop a weight control capability on your wrists.
Third, now try to put all your weight on your hands by lowering your body. At this stage, you can take wall’s support and try to suspend your body in the air.
This all workout will require a considerable time, focus and substantial amount of energy. You need to be patient.
You are required to do a minimum of 30 seconds of each step before moving on to the next level.
I would like to recommend that you perform each set for 20 seconds repeating it 3 to 6 times as per your ease. Also, you should take 1 minute rest in between.
Remember this: Do not move to the next step unless you find yourself mastered in the previous one.
Step 2: Build-up your stamina
When you have sufficiently practiced the first step, now it’s time to move to the next level. In this step, you will learn how to build a strong foundation for the handstand push-up. Your stamina is key.
Put your body weight on your hands in such a way that your knees touch your elbows’ backsides. Now, slowly lower your head to the ground.
Then, again put your whole weight on the arms and try to elevate your legs into the air without any support. However, do not set your legs apart when in the air.
In the third step, jump to bent arms stand and straighten your legs vertically in the air. Keep your elbows close to your sides and make sure you are breathing.
Now, being suspended in the air with straight legs, try and lower your head to the ground and repeat the step.
Do these steps with 2 to 3 repetitions and 4-5 sets of each step. Meanwhile, make sure a rest span of 2-3 minutes in between. Up to this level, you have developed muscular stamina but don’t let yourself stop here!
Step 3: Repeating the movements
In this step, you just need to master your practice. Repeat all previous steps and make sure the unique points of balance along with gaining strength in the handstand push-up are maintained.
You will try to make your legs as straight as possible with the sufficient spatial awareness. Also, try to keep your head in between your arms.
In this way, lower down your head to the ground and then press back up. Be careful and don’t slam your head into the floor.
Here I recommend you do 3 to 5 sets of each move with 2 repetitions. Perform all these movements in a controlled and highly precised manner.
Do not forget to take 3 minutes rest in between.
Step 4: Sum-up the efforts
This is the final step to get mastered and perform the full handstand push-up. Here you need much controlled and clear-cut movements.
At this point, you will start from headstand straddled to the handstand push-ups with your legs together.
So, start from headstand straddle. Keep your legs apart and try to stand inverted putting all your weight on your head. Meanwhile, keep your legs apart.
Then, try the same step but with legs together, elbows pointing to the toes.
Do not flare your arms.
Now, full handstand push-up (straddled), strand your body in the air with the help of your arms. Touch head to the ground and exhale as you press up.
Press down your head against the ground as hard as possible and then repeat the movement. Go slowly and precised.
At the final step, handstand push-up (legs together), keep your legs together while rising in the air. Press your head as close to the ground as possible before pushing back up.
Again you need to perform these steps with a frequency of 3-5 sets along with 1-2 repetitions of each posture. Do these as slowly and controlled as possible.
So, here is the full handstand push-up game which involves just precised practice, disciplined form, and techniques of balancing with spatial awareness.
You can make impressive handstand push-ups simply by following these steps and being patient as well as consistent.
Step 5: Use of Parallette
This is the advanced and final version of the handstand push-ups where you can increase the range head down by using some parallette.
Yes! You can get this sophisticated skill after developing a simple handstand push-up stamina. At this step, you need to get familiar with the exact use of parallette and high controlled body balance.
To practice this version, stand on a block and put your hands on the parallette lowering yourself between them.
Start with straddle handstand and lower yourself as much as possible. The, push your body back up in the air.
At the next step, start in straight legs in the air and both hands on the parallette. Meanwhile, keep your elbows in, take a deep breath and press down as hard as you can.
At this step, go for 3 to 5 steps of 4-6 repetitions of each movement. Ensure rest of 1-2 minute in between.
Go for the full handstand push-up with parallette when you can perform 2 to 3 headstand press to handstand in the straddle position.
Some training essentials:
Warm Up
Whenever a bodybuilder enters the gym, he or she performs some light workout in order to get warmed up. So, keep in mind that without being warmed up you will only damage your muscles.
Go for a while and get warm up before starting the main workout every time. Warm up your shoulders and wrists before you start the actual work.
1. Freestanding Handstand Practice
Do not perform parallette handstand push-up directly. You should spend a few minutes practicing freestanding handstand. When you feel confident then move to the next level.
2. Balancing the workout
You must put a considerable time on each movement and level. You’ll have to perform at least 3-5 sets with 3-5 repetitions of the respective level before moving to the next progression.
In this way, you will gain not only confidence but also a true body balancing stamina.
Moreover, do not forget to take 2-3 minutes rest in between. This will maintain your energy preventing you from ultimate exhaustion.
1). Move forward
If you have done with your regular workout and still finding yourself enough charged to go for another progression then you can go.
Go for the next progression only if you have done the previous with utmost confidence.
2). Regular Training
Keep it up. Regular and consistent work out is far better than the hard and irregular exercises. Only you can manage your routine.
Set a schedule and go for it without any compromise otherwise you will never reach the game’s end.
3). Crossing a desert
Challenging physical skill is a hard nut to crack. As long as you have a guideline or a supervisor, the only secret is to do a little every day.
However, certain things can be done only by your strong determination. Building a strong foundation and developing whole body strength depends all upon you.
It’s like crossing a desert; be consistent and determined, you will reach to an oasis very soon.
Wrap Up
The handstand push-ups is really a unique workout training that most people shy away from because of the mechanism behind it.
However, there are smart ways to go about it without hurting yourself or gasping for breath. Ideally, you should look downloads in order to recruit some of the chests.
If you like, you can even put your head in a neutral position, and make sure your hands are slightly away from the wall. This is a way to flatten your back muscles and set the triceps and shoulders free for the pushup.