Evolution of a Handstand Pt.1

Handstands are having a moment. Crossfitters do them, yogis do them, and you know you want to do them. Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat (who's skinning cats, anyway???) and there is no shortage of handstand tutorials out here in the interwebs.

I was not a child gymnast (or dancer, or athlete in any sense of the word) so I never had the experience of going upside down when my body had a mechanical advantage. This means that just about anyone can train for this movement. I encourage everyone to make it part of their practice. Shit just feels good!

What are the prerequisites for a handstand?

1. a really strong plank pose
2. a really strong bakasana (crow) pose - one that is lifted from the core, with knees on the triceps and not splayed out, working towards straight arms
3. a deep forward fold (this is not necessary but makes moving into a handstand infinitely easier)
4. THE ABILITY TO IMAGINE YOURSELF DOING A HANDSTAND!!!!!!

That's all, but that's also just my opinion. What if you lack one of the above? In my opinion, it's dangerous to take on a movement like handstands that you aren't close to having some control over, believe me, I speak from experience. It's not a nike ad, don't just do it.

Many site a logical progression of headstand, to forearm stand, and then handstand. Makes sense from the lumbar spine to the toes but everything above that (or below, depending on your orientation to the earth) is a whole different ball game. This is the sequence in which I experienced "aha moments":

1. I began to develop deep core strength
2. my shoulders developed greater mobility (strength+flexibility)
3. wrists developed greater mobility
4. core awareness and hollow body hold shifted from conscious to subconscious 
5. fingers/fingertips gained strength and dexterity (I've said this before, I'm a better guitar player because of handstands)

Each "aha moment" was like leveling up in a video game. But many of the new "levels" came with some growing pains. My left shoulder hurt for a few months, off and on. Then my right wrist flares up on occasion. I refuse to believe that these things happen because I'm of an advanced age;) I think I was training poorly. In reprospect, I should have paid more attention to strengthening and flexibility drills for the wrists and the shoulders before they became problems. I don't want to discourage you from working on handstands, but encourage you to add shoulder and wrist work to your practice.

Because of vast difference in the shoulder positions of forearm stand and handstand, I don't think you need to master the forearm stand prior to begining a handstand practice. You definitely should aim for a solid freestanding headstand (away from a wall). This is just an indication of your deep core strength. 

So, you have all the requisite poses on lock...how do you start? 

1. look to the masters - gymnasts. Work the wrists and shoulder flexibility. 
2. practice your hollow body hold
3. pick any entry - split leg, straddle press, tuck jump, straight leg jump, or straight leg press (ultimate badazzz move)
4. find drills that work for your mode of entry and do a little each day
5. take your time, you don't win a prize once you've accomplished your goal, on the contrary, you probably will have already set a new goal...it never ends.
6. do this work when you are warm but not exhausted. Skill building requires focused effort!

Stay tuned for Pt.2