Handstand Challenge

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Glad you found it @huango!
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member


    [/quote]

    You're lucky to have a handstand class near you. I think the nearest ones to me are a few times a year, 300 km away.

    I'm lucky to have your thread, and YouTube. [/quote]

    @Orphia - There are at least 5 places within a 10km radius of me which teach handstands so I am a little spoilt for choice. Circus version of the class is my favourite of all the places that I have been to so far but I am always interested in seeing what other people teach. You-tube is a great class in any event. I have a date with "Yoga with Adrienne" every morning and it works for me.

    Welcome to @huango. Hope you learn to love handstands. Wallstands are a fantastic way to build up strength.

    I saw a great comment on Insta today which totally sums up why I love handstands. The comment was "Handstands make me happy. Mainly because I am not naturally strong and everytime I feel myself upside down in balance it feels like I did the impossible"

    I also love handstands as they make me feel like a little kids again.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    lol i couldn't even do them as a kid @TiisTitanium or a cartwheel.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    TiisTitanium wrote: »
    I saw a great comment on Insta today which totally sums up why I love handstands. The comment was "Handstands make me happy. Mainly because I am not naturally strong and everytime I feel myself upside down in balance it feels like I did the impossible"

    I also love handstands as they make me feel like a little kids again.

    :heart:

    Wow, so much :heart: for all of that!! Yes!!
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    I was back at my acrobatics class today for the first time in months. My instructor was very impressed with how much I have improved as apparently now I have perfect handstand body positioning. I didn't have the heart to tell her that a lot of it down to my Wednesday class because the instructor on that day is obsessed with correct form while acro class is more about fun. All the daily practice has helped a lot.

    All the little wins mount up for me (especially because i then had a lyra class and I really sucked at that so it was good to know I am good at something physically).

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited July 2018
    I made myself a yoga studio!!

    Our only child is 25, and living 300 km away, so I decided to make a studio out of his room. He said he wouldn't mind.

    My OH helped me put the desk in the garage. We put the bed base against the wall so our son can use it when he visits, and the mattress against another wall for me to do wall drills against.

    I'm so happy with it!

    w1x9sgprk1da.jpeg
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Very nice @Orphia. So zen and uncluttered and plenty of room for inversion fun!

    Lots of handstand practice tonight which was lots of fun. I am not being consistent with the daily practice at the moment so I am always glad when I find some time to work on the hand balancing.

    A different kind of hand balancing pic tonight.

    ui0x3qzt867b.png
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    That is SO awesome @Orphia! I am totally jealous. I wish we had a spare room. In fact, my oldest is sleeping on the couch in the game room because his little brother took over his room when he moved out. We joked that we always had a couch for him if he ever needed to move back in. Well, guess what.... :tongue:
  • huango
    huango Posts: 1,007 Member
    Now I just need to remove the wall: Ha!


    I did straighten my toes, and I felt myself not touching the wall:
    oooh, a little scary.

    36899251_10217224718595952_8748107611762589696_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=15108f1ce939dce751a01035b23f8258&oe=5BA1A9D5
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    looks great :)
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,780 Member
    Yoga today was a handstand class - loads of hand warm ups, even more core work - abs and back - and finally handstands for about 10 minutes. Being fully warmed up with the core switched on definitely helps!
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    New Calisthenics guy at the gym today was doing handstand walks across the room. He suggested I try walking as a change of pace as he said he finds it easier than static holds. Nope, not me. 😂 I did get a couple nice static holds in though.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    As a teenage gymnast I did loads of backflips and walkovers.

    However, my brain still thinks that when I get upside down, I should arch my back and let my legs keep moving.

    Or, it thinks I should arch my back and hopes my legs magically stay upright.

    I do have a strong core when upright and planking, but the back arch and floppy legs take over when I'm upside down.

    My back was damaged from all those years of arching, and I can only practice handstands safely for a few minutes. I can't do hollow back handstands safely, either.

    Thinking this through, I should do more practice of that exercise where you lie on the ground and stretch your arms and legs out with your lower back flat on the floor. Forget what that's called.
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    We call that hollowbody in my handstand class @Orphia. If my teacher is feeling mean we have to do it in a rocking motion. Sorry to hear about your dodgy back though all the core work would help a lot I'm sure.

    I think handstand walking is easier than being still as you focus less on balance and more on momentum.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,780 Member
    After my full on hour-long handstand yoga class my shoulders are still sore two days later!! More work required.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Some days I'm on the struggle bus, other days it comes easy. Yesterday I couldn't hold a handstand for the life of me. Today, I held one for about 30s on the first kick up. Crazy.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    One cue that's really helped me is when I put a lot of weight on my hands before attempting to kick up. If I just lightly place them there, it's more difficult. But if I really put as much of my weight on my hands as I can and just lightly kick up, it's much easier.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    that's interesting @mom23mangos maybe i'll try that tonight and see what the difference feels like
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    How interesting. I have no experience with yoga or gymnastics or anything like that. I will go through some of the links sometime when I'm not at work lol.
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    @mom23mangos - i head you on the variability One day it feels like I am a hand balancing superstar, the next if feel like i am struggling to balance during a wall drill.

    Definitely put as much weight as possible on your hands. When we are working on press handstand drills one of the cures is to put weight in your hands and lean forward as much as possible before lifting feet off the ground.

    @hesn92 - if it makes you feel less concerned about the lack of gymnastics. experience i have been only into for a few years after a lifetime of being sedentary.

    I have had a few slow days fitness wise as I had a bad case of can't be bothered. Sort of motivated this morning but then i over stretched one of my shoulders which made handstands hard work. Managed to bust out a few elbow stands but then abandoned lyra class to avoid making things worse.

    mpotiux1fcpe.jpg
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Handstand Practice

    July 1 – 5 min
    July 2 – 5 min
    July 3 – 5 min inc 7 and 10 second handstands
    July 4 – 5 min
    July 5 – 5 min
    July 6 – 5 min
    July 7 – 5 min
    July 8 – 5 min gradual progress
    July 9 – 5 min in my new yoga studio 
    July 10 – 5 min inc splits
    July 11 – 5 min
    July 12 – 5 min inc hollowbody
    July 13 – 5 min wrist & recovery after running speed session
    July 14 – 5 min still sore
    July 15 – 5 min stretching. Still sore and now a sore arm!

    Hollowbody really gave me a sore core!! LOL so much for me saying I have a strong core! :smiley:

    Today I have a sore arm! Just leg/hamstring stretching, which I've found helps with bail outs.

    mom23mangos wrote: »
    One cue that's really helped me is when I put a lot of weight on my hands before attempting to kick up. If I just lightly place them there, it's more difficult. But if I really put as much of my weight on my hands as I can and just lightly kick up, it's much easier.

    @mom23mangos What an insightful tip! Thanks!


    @rodmelching Have you been practicing? Haven't seen an update, but thought of you on my run this morning.

  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Back to contortion class tonight and lots of handstand drills. I even managed a 2 minute wall handstand which impressed my trainer.

    A mildly funny handstand related story. I go on holiday to the UK in three weeks. Last night I was scrolling through instagram for some information and up popped a post about someone from the London School of Handstands. Further investigations revealed they are running casual classes and it is not ludicrously far from where I am meant to be staying. i am stupidly excited about the thought of it. I think i might see if I can find classes in other places I am visiting :)
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    You should @TiisTitanium ! We get a lot of travelling drop ins at my aerial place. I'm very impressed with your 2min wall handstand as well. That's a LONG time. I can only last about 45sec.

    My balance was feeling OK today. No long holds, but some consistent 7-10s ones.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    friday and saturday i spent time with handstands. i felt reasonable secure when i did it in fabric. walk ups to the wall was a little iffy, but overall, i feel improvement and i think on the edge of a balancing breakthru
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    My core and arm are better, and I was happy with today's handstands.

    10 seconds without needing the wall at all.

    https://youtu.be/WsUnWrNNkTM
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Great job @Orphia ! I'm so jealous of your space. To have room to cartwheel!

    Took the pup for a walk around the nearby university and practiced handstands everywhere. 😂 I had a couple decent holds, but most were just a few seconds. And very ugly.

    https://youtu.be/EjuOqBrIUaw

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    @mom23mangos Thanks! I love your video! Nice shots with different scenery behind in each hold.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    @TiisTitanium I've been doing some drawing using my iPad Pro and Pencil today, and here's one of you.

    Only learning with the app I'm using, so excuse the roughness.

    p2f61z552s2e.jpeg
  • TiisTitanium
    TiisTitanium Posts: 235 Member
    Aww thanks @Orphia. That is beautiful. It made me a little teary in a nice way. My little artist daughter was very impressed with your work. Haha she also said - "You inspired art, you really are amazing".

    I am feeling very happy with myself tonight. My handstand instructor says i have made a massive improvement in my handstand skills over the past couple of weeks. And I nailed tuck handstands which have eluded me for ages. Happiness truly is found upside down.

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