How to Handstand Push-Up | Beginners to Pro

Summary

The script offers a detailed guide to mastering the handstand push-up, emphasizing proper form and balance. It outlines progressions from pike push-ups to wall-assisted handstand push-ups, highlighting the importance of muscle engagement and breathing. Addressing common issues like balance loss and wrist pain, it suggests solutions like shoulder taps and using parallettes. It concludes with tips for further advancement, such as adding weight or deficit training, and encourages dedication to achieve this challenging but possible skill.

Takeaways

• 🤸‍♂️ The handstand push-up is achievable for real humans with proper form and practice.
• 📚 Chapter one focuses on the proper form, emphasizing balance points and the transition from straight to bent arms.
• 💪 The exercise engages mostly the shoulders and requires lower body muscle engagement for balance.
• 🧘‍♀️ The traditional form involves protracting scapula, squeezing glutes, and shifting shoulders forward for a more natural pressing pattern.
• 🌱 Chapter two introduces progressions like the pike push-up to build overhead pressing strength.
• 🏋️‍♀️ As strength increases, training can progress from pike push-ups to elevated feet and floating Pike push-ups.
• 🧍‍♂️ W handstand push-ups allow practice of the full handstand push-up motion without the fear of falling.
• 👀 Chapter three highlights the importance of where you look to maintain balance and engagement.
• 🚫 Common issues include falling out of the bottom of the rep, losing muscle engagement, leaning to one side, hand grip failure, and wrist pain.
• 💡 Solutions to common issues involve exercises like shoulder stands, squeezing lower body muscles, and using parallettes to reduce wrist strain.
• 🌬️ Breathing correctly by inhaling on the decline and exhaling as you push up is crucial for the exercise.
• 🕒 The time to master handstand push-ups varies from one year to one and a half years for beginners, to 3 to 6 months for those with some experience.
• 📈 To progress further, add weight, revisit basics, take training outside, practice deficit training, and pair handstand push-ups with other calisthenics skills.

Q & A

What is the handstand push-up and why is it considered difficult?

The handstand push-up is an exercise that requires balance and strength, resembling the military press but performed in an inverted position. It's considered difficult because it engages many upper body muscles and requires additional lower body muscle engagement for balance, which is not typical in most exercises.

What are the three balance points to remember when performing a handstand push-up?

The three balance points for a handstand push-up are the fingers, the inside of the knuckles, and the palms.

How does the weight and pressure change when transitioning from a straight arm to a bent arm position in a handstand push-up?

When transitioning from a straight arm to a bent arm position in a handstand push-up, the weight and pressure change to the outside of the palms and the two fingers, as opposed to being distributed across the fingers, inside of the knuckles, and the palms.

Why is it recommended to have the elbows tucked in during a handstand push-up?

Having the elbows tucked in during a handstand push-up is recommended as it distributes the weight more evenly, aligns with a more natural pressing pattern, and prepares the body for other advanced calisthenic skills.

What is the pike push-up and how does it relate to the handstand push-up?

The pike push-up is an exercise that serves as a progression towards mastering the handstand push-up. It shares similar body cues and helps build the necessary overhead pressing strength required for the handstand push-up.

How can elevating the feet during pike push-ups help in progressing towards a handstand push-up?

Elevating the feet during pike push-ups increases the pressure on the hands and challenges the balance, gradually preparing the body for the full handstand push-up by simulating the inverted position.

What is a floating pike push-up and how does it benefit shoulder stability?

A floating pike push-up is an exercise where, at the bottom of the rep, the feet are lifted slightly into the air. This helps improve shoulder stability and strength by challenging the muscles to maintain balance and control without the support of the ground.

What is the significance of looking at specific points during a handstand push-up?

Looking at specific points during a handstand push-up, such as the first or second bumps on the fingers or a point a palm's length forward, helps maintain engagement and balance by keeping the eyes focused and preventing the loss of alignment.

What are common issues faced while learning handstand push-ups and how can they be addressed?

Common issues include falling out of the bottom of the rep, losing muscle engagement leading to a 'banana back' appearance, leaning too far to one side, hand grip failure, and wrist pain. These can be addressed by solidifying the bottom of the rep with shoulder stand exercises, remembering to squeeze the glutes and legs, doing shoulder taps or weight shifts, and using equipment like parallettes to reduce wrist strain.

How long does it typically take to learn a handstand push-up from scratch?

For someone with no prior handstand experience, it can take around 1 to 1.5 years to learn a handstand push-up. For those with some handstand training, it may take anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

What are some suggestions for taking the handstand push-up to the next level?

Suggestions include adding weight to the body, revisiting and polishing basic exercises, training outside or using a balance ball, practicing deficit training with elevation, and pairing the handstand push-up with other calisthenic skills.