Handstand Challenge

Options
1…1314161819…28

Replies

  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    i have badly lost my handstand mojo. My hamstring is still recovering and it really hurts kicking up (and squeezing when up) so I have limited to myself to handstanding in classes only rather than daily practice. I miss it a lot so feel motivated to go back to daily practice as my teachers say my shoulder alignment is much better so in theory going back to daily handstands should pull everything together.

    In the words of Buffy "I want the fire back"
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    https://youtu.be/x2ZPXut1SJw

    I had to only do strength and stretching for a week because of a bad back. Weird how I was able to run 36 km OK but bending was not OK! Really happy with this first effort back - straight into 6 seconds then touched the wall and then about 12 seconds.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    @mom23mangos That's so cool, I love it! Great hold!!

    I did a cartwheel at work last Christmas in our open plan / cubicle area, and got a workmate to do one too. A few people saw us. :smiley:
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    Been working on my handstands 5 minutes daily for 4 months thanks to this challenge!

    Some days have just been arm/strength/stretching but it all goes towards the goal.

    Happy with today's best hold.

    https://youtu.be/DRnisPot5Gc
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    Fantastic @Orphia.

    I recommitting myself to the daily handstand challenge for October albeit a day late - though I did do a lot of hand balancing practicing yesterday it was incidental and not something I set out to do.

    I just acquired a yoga wheel so I want to use that prop to help with various poses which hopefully make things exciting and fresh again.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    Ooh!!! I hope you enjoy the hogs wheel @TiisTitanium !! I want to start using it to help with press-ups. But I don’t have the flexibility yet.
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    Thanks @mom23mangos - yoga wheel was a lot of fun. And I am happy to report that I squeeze in my handstand practice and it felt good which made me happy. Woohoo.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    That's great @TiisTitanium ! And I just saw that it autocorrected my yoga wheel above into a hogs wheel. Bwahaha
  • YourJuneInJan
    YourJuneInJan Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    This is my 1st check-in! Handstands were not as strong, sway to one side and not holding for longer than 2 secs. Photos help me to see where my weak spots are. Arms + shoulders good, but core needs tightened for lower half.

    5021879v9udqa9le736.jpeg
    /uploads/editor/pn/566c5soc314m.jpeg[/i7qnnsakr5965.jpeg
    0jzggh1onca5.jpeg
    3rl51rqqt6wc.jpeg
    mg]
  • YourJuneInJan
    YourJuneInJan Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    I wanna recommend shoulder stands for anyone trying to stabilize back/core for handstands! (To get out of it put legs overhead in “dead man”/“plow” pose).

    t2sciavtrbhk.jpeg
    ioxtn9y1wzbp.jpeg


    If you’ve never done it before I know it can look intimidating, but it is actually a beginner pose and just as easy to start as rolling in a ball. The challenge is merely balance <3
  • YourJuneInJan
    YourJuneInJan Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    Great job @tropicalchicy ! And you look super straight @ContraryMaryMary. I'm very jealous of your flexibility.

    Life got in the way of me practicing the past couple of days, but I did get a session in this morning. Did some facing the wall drill, trying to get aligned. Even facing the wall it's very difficult for me. So I decided to do more of a hollowback to try to force my shoulders open. It did actually help, so I think I'm going to spend a lot more time in that position to try to get more flexible.

    eqviciawq9cr.jpg

    Hey love, yours looks like a Wheel Pose with such open chest and shoulders! That’s perfect
  • YourJuneInJan
    YourJuneInJan Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    ContraryMaryMary wrote: »
    My big problem with handstands is, and always has been, fear of falling over. I'm plenty strong enough but totally chicken. This month I aim to beat that!

    June 1: Read the blogs about handstands... paid particular attention to the fear bit. Must practise my cartwheel by the look of things!
    June 2: Spent a few minutes upside down against the wall but was wearing jeans (not advisable as it makes kicking up a bit tricky) and my hands started slipping on the wooden floor - need to use a mat.

    What about a handstand starting from plank climbing up the wall backwards (inching your feet from plank to handstand up the wall)? Or a headstand that starts from the ground to give you more control? There is standing straddle or dolphin pose to headstand.

    Dolphin lets you incrementally get used to the feeling of no gravity with the security of a mat or wall. Only movement is your kick, not swinging your head like a handstand because in dolphin your head is already down. Standing straddle puts pressure on your head so it takes some time to get used to, but your head is already down. This one lets you control with your core.

    Another option is to have someone spot you!
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    Another successful day of handstand practice though admittedly it was in my hand balancing class rather than disciplined self practice. We have recently switched from a 60 minute class which never seemed enough to a 90 minute class which seems endless but I am slowly improving so it is worth the effort.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    edited October 2018
    Options
    I'm so jealous--my handstand is terrible and it stresses me out. I guess that's why they call it a practice--maybe if I commit to doing it every day? You all might be the kick in the (yoga) pants that I need...
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    @mitch16 - if it makes you feel any better, I am the class dunce in my handstand lessons - everyone else is a circus performer and is happily doing handstand presses and straddle ups while I get over excited if I get 10 seconds of hold. My instructor says handstands are a slow incremental success story and when you get to milestones like your first hold, first 30 second hold etc it feels so sweet.

    I found this last week which seemed like a good resource

    https://lostartofhandbalancing.com/

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options

    Hey love, yours looks like a Wheel Pose with such open chest and shoulders! That’s perfect

    Bwahaha - that's the first time anyone's ever told me that! Welcome @YourJuneInJan! Glad to see a new face!

    You too @mitch16! I can't stress enough how important daily practice is for handstands. And patience. It's literally taken me years to work up to a 20sec hold and I still can't consistently kick up and hold first time. Since the start of this thread when I've gotten back in to daily practice, I've improved leaps and bounds. My shoulder and thoracic mobility is my biggest challenge.

    BUT - I videoed from the side this morning and was tremendously pleased to see that my shoulders are incrementally opening and my position is much straighter than it's been.

    https://youtu.be/GNrXyN7dQZM

    Also for giggles, this was a move from a Zuzka Light workout I did this morning that kicked my *kitten*. 10 reps of scorpion pushups into a tuck jump.

    https://youtu.be/T7xuEajq5w8
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    Day 133 and my best hold! About 15 seconds. Yay!



    https://youtu.be/3u25c6Vgqr0
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    Hahaha @Orphia! I loved the little wave at the end. Fantastic job! I'm still plugging away every day. Some days are good, some are bad but still huge improvement since starting this.

Categories