“What strength do I need before starting handstands?”
If our shoulders aren’t strong enough to hold a proper plank for 1 minute, hold both arms above head while standing for one minute, and hold downward dog for one minute, then we probably should focus on those areas before we start flipping upside down. This is because handstands are weight-bearing on the shoulder joint—the arm joints and even bones can be strained if the proper muscular isn’t present to support them. Doing handstands without the proper strength may lead to injury and even tear tendons and ligaments.
Handstand Progressions
How can I build the proper strength to start training for handstands? Three to four days a week, do three rounds of:
- 30 seconds of plank shoulder push ups – without bending the elbows, let the shoulder blades touch behind the back, then press into the hands to seperate them as far as possible
- 30 seconds of standing with arms above head and wrists flexed as if you’re in a handstand except you are upright on your feet, gaze is toward hands, press back flat against a wall to assist in alignment
- 30 seconds of downward dog shoulder presses – press the shoulders to pinch the ears, then release neck long, maintaining the downward dog shape
Add 10 seconds every two weeks until you reach one minute in each posture / movement.
Proper Handstand Warm-Up
You have the strength to begin practicing handstands now? Excellent! Regardless of how long you have been handstanding, you can still get injured without properly warming up. What we should always do before practicing handstands:
- Wake up the supportive shoulder muscles – 2 sets of 10 reps of each progression.
- The shoulder is a circular joint, wake up all angles – shoulder circles, wrist circles, and neck stretches are always a good idea before bearing weight on your hands.
Takeaway: If you go into handstands too quickly, without proper strength in the shoulders and arms, you risk injury. But if you approach it progressively and mindfully, you will succeed in cultivating a strong and balanced posture, without the pain that comes from pushing.
What’s next? Back flips? No, no no, haha! Okay what about the next hand balancing pose that gets a lot of hype! – Crow Pose.
