Handstands?

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clarissagrant
clarissagrant Posts: 12
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I have a gymnastics-related question... I weigh 140 now and I am 5,5. I am hoping to lose 5-10 pounds to become 135-130 pounds. I really want to be able to to handstands and cartwheels! I can't now, but i am also really scared to throw myself into one. I don't know if I can't do it because I am too heavy and I am wondering if I will be able to do it when I lose weight. Also, are there any strength exercises i could do that would make me strong enough to do them? Please and Thanks!! :smile:

Replies

  • joannefaith
    joannefaith Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm a cheerleader, so I do a lot of gymnastics type things when I tumble. One website that I find really helpful is fortheloveoftumbling.com . It gives the basic steps of how to do different tumbling skills as well as the conditioning and exercising needed to obtain different skills, as different muscles groups are needed to be stronger for different things. Debbie Love, the website creator, is open to ANY and ALL questions regarding gymnastic/tumbling skills.

    Having been a cheerleader my whole life, as well as struggling with my weight, I will say I find it A LOT easier to flip around with a couple of pounds gone. Tumbling/gymnastics is more mental than it is anything else. Sometimes you just have to let your body do without your brain telling you that you can't. It may not be pretty the first couple of times you try a handstand or cartwheel, but it's one step closer to perfecting it.

    Don't let your weight, "weigh" you down as an excuse ! You can do it !
  • lacewitch
    lacewitch Posts: 766 Member
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    give it a go.
    e.g for hand stands
    against the wall, or start with shoulder stands or start by putting hands on floor and walking feet up wall

    good luck!
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    What someone else said, tumbling/gymnastics, especially at a beginner level, is really mostly mental.

    Try doing a handstand against a wall if you're a little gunshy at first.
  • clarissagrant
    clarissagrant Posts: 12
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    I'm a cheerleader, so I do a lot of gymnastics type things when I tumble. One website that I find really helpful is fortheloveoftumbling.com . It gives the basic steps of how to do different tumbling skills as well as the conditioning and exercising needed to obtain different skills, as different muscles groups are needed to be stronger for different things. Debbie Love, the website creator, is open to ANY and ALL questions regarding gymnastic/tumbling skills.

    Having been a cheerleader my whole life, as well as struggling with my weight, I will say I find it A LOT easier to flip around with a couple of pounds gone. Tumbling/gymnastics is more mental than it is anything else. Sometimes you just have to let your body do without your brain telling you that you can't. It may not be pretty the first couple of times you try a handstand or cartwheel, but it's one step closer to perfecting it.

    Don't let your weight, "weigh" you down as an excuse ! You can do it !

    Thank you so much! I am definitely going to check out that website
  • amandaj1966
    amandaj1966 Posts: 342 Member
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    I spent many years of my childhood trying to do a handstand, my school friends tried and tried to help me without any luck so now at the age of 45 I know I wont ever be able to do one. Good luck with it. :smile:
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    Hi - I am 5'3" and 166lbs and can kick into a handstand so you are not too heavy to get up there. I suggest it is more a case that you need to build a feel for what it is like to be inverted and get used to it.

    One thing that worked for me was to find a passageway - the hall? - where you can stand sideways on in the hall, put your hands on the floor and walk up the wall behind you. Then you can kick yourself over to the wall in front. To come down, bring one leg down then the other. That will cover the fear/confidence thing

    Then it might be hamstring flexibility as the c.loser you can bring your feet towards your head with your hands on the floor, the easier it will be to rise into a handstand because your hips will be further over in line with your shoulders and hands.

    Strength exercises: a good bodyweight exercise is Pike Pushups which will strengthen the shoulders in exactly the way you need for handstand. Concentrate on really toning the quads and hamstrings to hug the bones when you do this exercise as you will need to do this in the handstand to stay up there.

    Flexibility: work on gently easing out the hamstrings so you can close further in before rising into handstand.

    Practise little bunny hops getting further and further over your shoulders to gradually break down the fear of committing to your arms. Claw the floor with your fingers and you will find you cannot fall forward over your hands.

    You can definitely do it if I can! I am working towards the weight you are now.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Start doing wall walks.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7DaRCQh0lY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    You'll also want to work on flexibility in your legs for cartwheels. (trust me they will stretch the crap out of your hamstrings).

    Although I don't think weight has anything to do with your inability to do those moves; but instead, lack of practice and training. For example I was a high level competitive gymnast for about 8 years, (stopped when I was 16). When I went back to the gym at my heighest weight (and most out of shape) for an "adult class" I was still able to do round off flip flop backs, round off flip flop fulls, kips and castaway to handstand on bars, back walk overs and flip flops on the beam, etc.

    It was crazy because even though I couldnt walk up stairs without getting out of breath and I was 30 pounds overweight Its like my body was still trained from years and years of doing it.

    So my best advice would be focus on training, and practice! You CAN do it! Probably even now! You just need the right direction!
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,786 Member
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    I spent many years of my childhood trying to do a handstand, my school friends tried and tried to help me without any luck so now at the age of 45 I know I wont ever be able to do one. Good luck with it. :smile:

    I'm over 40 and can do one for a minute (against a wall). Why do you think you'll never be able to do one?
  • amandaj1966
    amandaj1966 Posts: 342 Member
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    I spent many years of my childhood trying to do a handstand, my school friends tried and tried to help me without any luck so now at the age of 45 I know I wont ever be able to do one. Good luck with it. :smile:

    I'm over 40 and can do one for a minute (against a wall). Why do you think you'll never be able to do one?

    I just cant kick my legs up, even against the wall. After posting this last night my partner tried to help me but ended up laughing so hard he had to walk away. Apparently I looked so stupid trying to kick my legs up. :laugh:
  • clarissagrant
    clarissagrant Posts: 12
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    I'm over 40 and can do one for a minute (against a wall). Why do you think you'll never be able to do one?
    [/quote]

    I just cant kick my legs up, even against the wall. After posting this last night my partner tried to help me but ended up laughing so hard he had to walk away. Apparently I looked so stupid trying to kick my legs up. :laugh:
    [/quote]

    The same thing happened to me, all my friends tried to help me but I still could't do it

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