Name: Playbook - Women’s Calisthenics - Straddle Press Handstand
Uploaded: 2022-06-10T17:39:26.178Z
Duration: 15 min
Description: Straddle Press Handstand

1. Your hands should be flat on the floor in between your legs with your fingers spread out. Lean forwards over your hands and as your shoulders tilt forward, transfer your weight from your lower body to your hands.

2. Use your stomach muscles to pull your legs off the ground, while you are leaning your shoulders over and past your hands. All of your weight should be on your arms as your core muscles lift your legs.

3. Slowly raise your legs up until they are straight over your shoulders in a handstand. As your legs rise, your shoulders will move to straight over your hands.

4. Once your legs are straight over your head you will be in a handstand. To hold this with control you need to make sure your legs and shoulders are stacked over your hands so that you form a straight-body position. From the handstand position you can reverse these steps to lower yourself back to the floor.

1. Sit at about 80% of your full straddle. Find slight external rotation at the hip and turn your feet slightly outward).

2. Place your hands in the middle as far as your knee if you can, and lean forward slightly.

3. Engage your hip flexors to lift your leg. If you’re not sure you’re engaging them, place one hand at the uppermost section of your thigh, right below your pelvis. Keep your quads and calf engaged to maintain straight knees.

Straddle Compression Lifts

Begin in a plank position with your elbows locked and your shoulders stacked vertically on top of your wrists. Rotate your wrists about 45 degrees and protract your shoulder blades by pulling them down. Then begin to lean forward until your shoulders are forward over your hands. 

Tip: Keep your butt down
Modification: Do the same lean on your knees in a modified push-up position.

Planche Leans

Press pulses are a great way to start training your press handstand. For this drill start in a straddle with your hands flat on the floor shoulder width apart. Next lean forward over your shoulders, engaging your core and shoulders. If you can bring your feet off the floor for a split second, and then bring them back down.

Press Pulses

Following the same body positions as a regular press handstand, but with more momentum through a small jump at the begging. This drill will help build muscle memory for your press, and help you gain confidence in doing the full motion of the skill.

Jumping Press

A puppy press is a great drill for achieving or improving your press handstand. Starting with your hands flat on the floor with one leg in an open tuck and the other as you would in a straddle. Lean forwards over your hands and as your shoulders tilt forward, transfer your weight from your lower body to your hands.Use your stomach muscles to pull your legs off the ground. Slowly raise your legs up until they are straight over your shoulders in a handstand. 

Do 3 of your best attempts

Straddle Press Handstand

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