A popular question I get from readers via email is, “What are exercises that I can do to build up to a Press Handstand?”
Learning how to do a handstand is like climbing a mountain. It’s BRUTAL.
But a Press Handstand?
A mere daydream.
I know. I was there. I was in your shoes. (No, I wasn’t trying to learn to press with shoes on!)
Now I want to HELP YOU!
I can’t believe I’m about to say this (it’s a little demoralizing) but…
Statistically speaking a tiny number of students who know how to do handstand learn how to do a press handstand.
Why???
Because it’s complicated and it’s hard. And unfortunately, hard work just isn’t enough. It takes INTELLIGENCE and PLANNING.
I don’t want to lead you on. And I don’t want you to believe this is easy.
And not to mention you probably have this little thing called a brain thats says to you, “Hey! can you really do this?”
:::sighs:::
I hear this all the time too, “Brian, I can’t press and I’ve given it my best effort, I’m annoyed.”
I hate to tell you this but…your best efforts aren’t enough.
But I’m here to help YOU!
I’m here to help YOU learn HOW TO PRESS TO HANDSTAND!
What does it take to conquer something this monumental?
A relentless assault of your BEST EFFORTS.
You need to keep giving your best attempts. Over. And over. And over.
Here’s the catch, in order for it to be your best effort, it MUST be better than your last best effort.
Your next best effort must be better than the previous best effort.
Every best effort makes you slightly better.
You see what I’m saying to you?
And not to shoot your ego down too much, but if you’re new to this, your best effort probably isn’t very good. That’s ok.
We all suck at some point and we all have to make a conscious effort to keep going or quit.
We all suck at some point and we all have to make a conscious effort to keep going or quit. Click To TweetKeep going. Keep giving it your all.
You need to learn to develop this little magical power. (It’s kinda like a Playstation cheat code that gives you all the guns, all the ammo, AND an invincibility shield!)
When I tell you how easy it is, you’ll slap yourself in the face a couple times and you’ll say to your brain, “Hey! Brain! why did it take you SO DAMN LONG to teach me this wizardry???”
Are you ready for this magic power?
:::Clears throat:::
The ability to get back in the ring.
Magic Power: The ability to get back in the ring! Click To TweetThis is the fool proof way of getting better.
This Low Crow Hold Exercise is one step in the right direction, so use it.
Here’s what you can’t see from the video:
- Squeeze your inner thighs together, this facilitates proper core engagement
- Make sure your shoulders move beyond your wrists
- Although your shoulders are forward, you don’t want to overuse them or allow them to clench
- No pain in your wrists
- Actively draw your knees up towards your chest
- For this exercise point your feet
- Don’t be concerned with flexing or pointing, any foot engagement is better than no foot engagement
- If you can’t get the feet off the ground, slide as far forward as you can and come as high up on the toes as possible
Keep giving it your best effort. Over time, they’ll multiply.
Here’s what I want you to do:
I want you to get in the habit of observing what you feel in your body EVERY TIME YOU PRACTICE. (it’ll make you a better practitioner over night!)
Try this silly exercise. Write down exactly what you feel working in your body when you do this. Leave it as a comment. As I always do, I’ll answer every single one of them and make sure you’re on the right track! Ok?
Go at it like a smoking gun.
Until next time,
-Brian
Ps. After you leave me a comment follow me on Pintrest (especially if you have nicer profile than me, I’m terrible at this whole “pinning” thing I need to learn to organize my boards :-))
PPs. I Know. I’m giving you a lot to do. I want you to be an action taker. Not one of those silly daydreamers.
PPPs. Want to see an entire overview of what it takes to nail your press (and make sure you’re on the right track)? Get my Press Handstand Master Checklist Here!
Brian:
Thanks sooo much for getting time to help us in this joyrney what ever i achieve it has been sooo difficult cause i have no teacher where i luve theres so few ashtanguis so i decided to bring 5 months ago wayne krassner to help us a little and now mark robberds is coming just for a weekend but the truth is i have been learning almost by myself the tricks is difficult to find someone that you that get into detail
, well i wanna thank you to share all the great advices you give , i connected via internet the last tutorial you gave it heeelped me loads , so for sure i will try this , cause i try it before like lolasana but still impossible to lift so for sure with blocks is going to be easier to build the strenght, ….thanks so much again !,,
Sincerely
Devi
Hi Devi,
I’m sure you’ll get it! Let me know if you have any questions. Always happy to help.?
Brian
Brian,
This is great. I love all the exercises you’ve been showing us lately. They’re really motivating to help keep me practicing. I hope to put all this great info to good use!
Thanks Catherine! Glad you’re enjoying them. 😀
Will give this exercise a try to practice pressing into handstand. Is it easier to do such rather then kicking up? I wouldn’t know, b/c I’m still using wall. Additionally, does it also make a difference pressing into handstand regerdless of gender?? Some videos suggest it’s easier for females come into handstand in a wide split slowing bringing leg together. AHHH!! LOL! not possible here on my end
Hi Murielle,
This exercise is also great for working on your handstand! As for the gender, in general, males and females have different hurdles to overcome to get the press (and not always true). It’s safe to say there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to learning it, custom plans are best. You’ll get there, just one tiny step at a time!
Brian
I love your practice suggestions. For once, my practice has concrete goals with a true road map to accomplish them. I can feel myself getting stronger.
Susan, that’s so awesome to hear! Let me know if you ever have questions. 🙂
Hi Brian,
i tried your low crow hold exercise. I can lift my feet off the ground but somehow my knees is not tightly tucked closing to the chest. I know the more compact the easier it would be.
any advises?
David, yes, being able to be more compact is a function of your core strength. However, even if you can’t get your feet off the ground you should still feel your core working a ton. Do you feel it working? I’m making another video of another exercise that’ll help you with this one even further. Keep me updated!
Brian
Hi Brian,
Yes i do feel my core working. I bet i would fee more if I am able to tuck tightly my knees to my chest. Hope the exercise you will post would help that.
Thanks
David you’ll see it either today or tomorrow. 🙂
Hi Brian, During this exercise I can get my feet off the ground for just a second or two. I feel it mostly in my upper quad. I have the same feeling during L-sits. Any thoughts? – Kevin
Kevin, it’s actually a good thing. When you’re learning any type of exercise that requires a strong core engagement (L-sit, Press Handstand, ect. ect.), it’s a essential for you quadriceps to “draw up” toward your stomach. What you’re doing is drawing all of the body’s energy in toward your center which makes it easier to lift and float when you’re not dissipating energy outward.
So for the feeling in quadriceps, just means they have to stretched more! Plus, as they get stronger from constantly lifting in that position, that uncomfortable feeling will completely go away.
Brian,
– The first step I’d target is my shoulder mobility. It’s been my arch nemesis and I had to improve its mobility in the beginning or else I’d always keep turning into a downward facing banana.
– The second is slightly more mobility in my hamstrings and hips to gain more leverage.
– I’ve piked pressed in a couple of hot yoga classes before when all my ligaments were loose. It’s harder in a non-heated room.
– I’ve benefited the most from increasing mobility by holding a pose for 1-5 minutes long on those targeted muscle groups morning and before I go to bed.
I totally agree with that, increasing your mobility so important for being able to position yourself in space properly. Holding poses takes discipline, but the benefits are 10x worth it!
Hey Brian, thanks for this. I can do handstands pretty well but my biggest problem is my shoulders. I have weak AC joints in both of them. So I’d love some exercises to strengthen both the muscle and the joint.
Thanks!
Gabe, is your handstand solid or are you just able to kick up? Generally, the best way to strengthen the joints in your shoulders is to hold things for extended periods of time, not necessarily handstand but plank is a great one (anywhere between 1-2 minutes). This also strengthens the muscle in a really functional way. Shoulders injuries normally come from two things that I’ve seen, not enough flexibility in the spine and the hamstrings or simply too much brute force. Hope this helps!
I’ve been working on your strengthening the TVA course. I’ve been doing L sits with blocks trying to pull my legs back towards the core. I think my hamstrings are pretty tight though. I can lift the legs and hold them but feel the core more with my feet down. Should I keep legs down and pull back and eventually they will rise without me lifting them? I hope this makes sense! Can’t wait to try this press practice on the blocks too!
Suzi, makes sense! And yes keep them down and focus on pulling back as much as possible, you’ll get way more engagement this way. You’ll know when they’re readying to lift off, it’ll feel effortless. 🙂
Have you ever had anyone complain about cramping in their lower rib area right below the breasts? I have a student that this happens to and I wonder if it’s just tapping into that muscle she doesn’t regularly use. Your thoughts?
Deana, yeah I have actually, but in the rib cage area in general. I’d have to agree with you on this it’s just muscles that haven’t been used very much. Unless it’s mineral deficiency that’s causing it, which it very might be, I’d have to go with unused muscles.
Hi Brian, thanks so much for the awesome guides. I’m struggling in a couple of places:
1) holding the handstand – I can hold a handstand against a wall for easily a minute, but I can’t quite find the balance point to hold a handstand without a wall. I think I’m not finding the right balance of engagement from and back through the core. (I can also hold a headstand without a wall for a minute, so I don’t think it is the core strength – though maybe the additional lack of stability from being on hands is enough to disrupt the core engagement). When I come away from the wall in a handstand, I can sometimes hit a balance point, but I don’t really feel ‘engaged’ there – I’m pretty much just balancing, not holding myself. I usually fall away from the wall – I’ve been working locust for back strength, but can’t really seem to engage it in that position.
2) low crow hold – I usually don’t come far enough forwards, so the legs just collapse down. On the odd occasion that I come far enough forwards to support the legs, I can usually hold for a couple of seconds then pitch forwards and down. Lats seem to be working hard, there’s a fair bit of internal rotation through the shoulders and flexion through the back. It feels like maybe deltoids aren’t engaging as they should to hold me there.
Like it & here’s my technique. Get a yoga swing, hang upside down, straighten legs & practise how it feels stacking the body so all the weight balances on your handstand. You will fall forward & backwards as you shift your weight but the yoga swing will stop you falling all the way. This doesn’t give press technique but will build the core strength necessary to get up there I believe.
Great idea John!
But why is this drill is so hard for me but I can press up into handstand. I can’t even do lolasana without using a block
Jesica, it’s actually easier with the blocks? Assuming you can’t lift your feet, can you lift your hips?