This tutorial will cover the handstand on the floor. For the rings, please see the link to our other tutorial in the description below

There are five key points to note on form when training the handstand

Notice the angle of my shoulders on the right is more obtuse compared to the image on the left

As the angle becomes more obtuse the degree of 'openness' increases

When first learning how to create a hollow body position, it's helpful to liken it to an angry cat, or, the position you would take when being punched in the abdomen

The hollow body shape is VERY important

Note the arched back, and how this pulls everything out of place, and also puts undue pressure on your lower back

Straight arms create a sturdy base for balance

Bending creates unnecessary work for the wrists, forearms, triceps and shoulders

Looking too far forward throws off your centre of gravity

This is important for more than just aesthetics, as it helps keep everything tight and rigid

This involves flexing the calves, quads, and so on

Keeping these five points in mind, your handstand should look like this:

When a handstand is balanced, the weight passes straight through the joints resulting in very little muscular effort

There are two different methods for a safety exit

The first of which is a simple turn out, which can be used if you are leaning too far forwards

Second, is the forward roll out

A benefit of learning the forward roll is it gives you more time to fight to correct the handstand before exiting

To learn how to master the forward roll, please click on the mallet...

To progress from a forward roll to a forward roll from a handstand, follow these progressions

Forward roll on the floor

Forward roll from handstand, with knees on a block

Forward roll from a handstand against a wall

Forward roll from a handstand without assistance

It is important to warm up the wrists before training the handstand as they will be bearing a lot of the effort

Perhaps counter intuitively, a softer surface is less supportive to the wrist than a hard surface

This is generally because a softer surface absorbs the force from the hand, while a hard surface counteracts the force coming through your hand, enhancing stability

Pushups and walk-up-the-wall handstands are going to target your upper body, and really get the blood flowing

Remember to keep a tight 'hollow' shape in both these exercises

In the walk-up-the-wall handstands, go as far as you're comfortable

You can work on these exercises every day aiming for thirty or more pushups and ten or more upright walk-up-the-wall handstands

Hovers will help prepare the midsection for the handstand

Proper form on this exercise involves no major arching or hollowing, with a noticeable linear descent from the shoulders to the heels

Aim for one minute or more

Good shoulder flexibility is very helpful in holding a straight handstand

Two movements aimed at increasing shoulder flexibility are:

Bend over against a wall or bar

Shoulder dislocates with a bar

It's important not to grip too wide, or too narrow

We recommend you follow these progressions

Handstand against a wall, leaning INTO the wall

Handstand against a wall, leaning OFF the wall

Freestanding handstand

Consistency and patience are the key

Push your fingers into the ground if you feel like you are going to flip and push the palm into the ground if you feel like you are falling back the way you kicked up

You can also balance by either opening the shoulder angle when leaning too far forward

Or compensate for falling backwards by closing the shoulder angle

DON'T get in the habit of walking on your hands to rebalance

Instead, try to fight the loss of balance with your muscles

This way you will learn how to engage the right muscles to correct when off balance

If you can hold a handstand in the same place comfortably, you will have no problems walking on your hands if you so desire

The reverse however, does NOT apply

To master the handstand, you can take it to the parallettes

These actually make the handstand easier as they reduce the load on the wrist due to the more natural positioning

and also increase the amount of control you have since you can use your wrists to push and pull to a greater degree than on the floor

Extensions upon the handstand are only really limited by your imagination

Some examples are:

The pirouette

The handstand pushup

and the 90 degree pushup

Please check out the rings handstand tutorial for a more in-depth description of how to take your handstand to the rings

It's another progression upon the floor and the parallettes handstand, so make sure you're comfortable with these first

Hey guys, thanks for watching! If you have any questions, comments, or if there are other tutorials you would like to see, please list them in the comments section below

and also be sure to keep an eye on the Ring Fraternity for more tutorials coming soon