Name: Playbook - Jess St John - Handstand Basics Phase 2
Uploaded: 2023-12-13T15:49:49.571Z
Duration: 60 min
Description: Handstand Basics Phase 2

This is a progression from the Handstand Basics Phase 1 for when you need more of a challenge. Follow this routine up to 3 times per week to build handstand strength and understanding. Everyone learns at different paces so move on to phase 3 when you feel you need more of a challenge.

This exercise is great for building wrist, shoulder, and core strength for beginners, and is a great warm up for advanced handstanders

- Fold at the hips and place hands flat on the floor
- Walk forward with the hands while keeping your core engaged
- Squeeze glutes and core to minimize side to side hip movement 
- Walk out to a plank and back to your feet

Plank Walk Out

- Twist body to side
- Lift hand in the direction you are twisting (ie if you are falling to the right, lift your right hand), take a small step forward with it, pointing fingers inward, and place back on floor
- Step down with the foot on the same side

How to fall: cartwheel

Only recommended when you have control in your handstand and you can come down on to a mat to learn 

- Keep the weight over your hands and slowly bend your elbows, knees, and hips
- Tuck chin tightly into your chest
- Land on the top of your shoulders, round your back and roll

How to fall: forward roll

Only recommended if you are confident in your ability to fall to a bridge 
- Fall straight forward and bend knees and arms to absorb the weight of the landing

How to fall: bridge

- Place hands close to wall, spread and bend fingers 
- Stack shoulders directly over top of wrists and kick up so hips are over top of shoulders 
- Do not arch your back
- Push through your shoulders and use your finger tips to try to push your weight away from the wall

Note: This is a tactic to getting comfortable kicking up into a full handstand and feeling the weight in your fingertips. When working on handstand position, stomach to wall is more beneficial

Kick up to wall

- Place hands on ground shoulder width apart 
- Lean onto hands and shift your weight over top of your hands, stack your shoulders directly over your wrists 
- Kick up with one foot and allow the second to follow
- Briefly bring feet together 
- Use fingertips to push against the floor so you don’t fall over 
- Come back down on the same foot that was in front when you kicked up 
- the main focus is to not fall over, start with small kicks and slowly make your way up to a full handstand by squeezing your bum to guide your leg into place 

Start with small kicks and start to kick higher as you gain confidence

Free standing HS kick ups

- Start in a decline plank (feet elevated on a higher surface like a box)
- Walk hands in towards the box while folding at the hips
- Finish when hips are stacked over shoulders and wrists, push through shoulders 
- Walk back out to plank
- Keep core and glutes engaged as much as possible to minimize side to side movement

Plank to Pike Walks

- Place feet on a higher elevated surface like a box
- Walk hands into box and fold at hips for the pike position 
- In this position push through shoulders and lift one hand at a time to tap the shoulder on the same side
- Place hand back on floor underneath the shoulder and alternate sides
- Keep core tight to minimize hip movement

Pike HS Shoulder Taps

- Start in a plank position with feet elevated
- Walk hands away from box and maintain a hollow body position 
- Push through shoulders and grip the floor with your hands
- Squeeze core to minimize hip movement
- Lift one foot down, tap the floor, and raise it back up, alternating sides

Decline hollow body toe taps

- Start in a handstand with your stomach facing the wall
- Push through shoulders and squeeze core and glutes as you walk your hands away from the wall
- Go as far as you can without falling or losing control and walk back in

Wall walks

- Place feet on a box and fold at the hips to stack your hips, shoulders, and wrists (they should create a straight line from the ground up)
- Grip the floor with your hands for stabilization 
- Relax shoulders as much as possible and then push through them as much as possible (as if you’re trying to push the floor away)

Piked HS shoulder shrugs

- Place hands on floor shoulder width apart and feet on a high box 
- Bend at hips to pike 
- Create a straight line from your wrists through your shoulders and hips
- Grip the floor with your hands (spread fingers)
- Push through shoulders
- Remember to breathe 
- Hold for time

Assisted Pike HS Holds

- Kick up to a handstand with your back facing the wall
- Push through shoulders, squeeze ribs in, squeeze glutes and keep legs straight and toes pointed to ceiling
- Push through fingertips and squeeze core to pull your feet off the wall
- Do not arch your back

Wall handstand (back to wall)

- Place hands a few feet in front of the wall and kick (or climb), up to a handstand with your stomach facing the wall
- Make sure your weight is completely over top of your wrists (shoulders and hips stacked)
- Bend at the hips to keep feet on the wall
- Use fingertips to push into the floor for balance
- Raise one leg toward the ceiling stacking that to over top of your hips, shoulders, and wrists (think of drawing a straight line from your toe to your hands)
- Lower leg to wall and alternate sides

Stomach to wall S/L assisted handstand

- Start on hands and feet
- Stack shoulders over wrists and grip the floor with hands for balance 
- Jump, bending knees and hips to shift your hips over top of your shoulders 
- Straighten legs toward the ceiling to finish in a handstand position 
- Lower down and repeat

Handstand Basics Phase 2

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