In our previous article, we discussed drills and progressions to get your first handstand against a wall. In that article, we discussed the benefits of handstand work – specifically, how it improves shoulder and core strength while also helping balance and spatial awareness.
Handstand work also transfers to many of our other movements in CrossFit, such as overhead lifts and our other gymnastics movements. You will become more confident in your body control and overhead support. Handstands are a great tool, and we will take a deeper dive into some of the more advanced handstand variations we practice in CrossFit, as well as drills to help you progress to these more advanced movements.
Handstand Push-ups
In CrossFit, handstand push-ups are done against a wall, so these would be the next progression to build toward after your kickup against the wall. Handstand push-ups are a great way to continue building that overhead strength and again will transfer to many other areas in CrossFit.
Before jumping right in and attempting a handstand push-ups, we have a few variations and drills to practice and use. These will all help to build that base we need when performing handstand push-ups.
The Pike Push-up: Handstand push-ups are a difficult movement that requires significant amounts of shoulder strength. A pike push-up is a great way to build this strength. Place your hands and feet a little closer together than they’d be for a normal push-up. Put your hips up so that your shoulders are stacked over your hands.
Perform a push-up where the elbows are sent back to the legs and the forehead touches the ground in front of the hands. Then, push up and through, sending the head back toward the legs to be in line with the arms.
The Box Push-up: After pike push-ups, the next step is to place the feet (or knees for an easier option) on a box. Stack your hips over your head so you mimic a handstand without using your full body weight. If needed, place a mat below the head for an easier target.
From there, descend to the ground by sending the elbows toward the box. The head will once again touch above the hands, and on the way up, it will push through to align with the arms again.
To make these harder, place the hands on plates while the head still travels to the ground. Box push-ups are an excellent way to continue building that shoulder strength.
Negatives: From the box, we progress back to the wall. In your handstand hold, lower your head to the ground as slowly as possible. Once more, the elbows are sent away from the wall, and the head descends in front of the hands. When the head comes to the ground, kick down from the wall.
Perform 3 sets of 3-5 negatives as slow as possible. This will get you comfortable in that position as well as buid up shoulder and core strength.
Handstand Push-ups: From the negatives, we can attempt full handstand push-ups. Just like the box, we can place a mat under the head if needed to begin. The descent is the same, elbows away from the wall, head touching above the hands. Try to redirect the momentum the moment the head touches the ground and push back up. Be sure to push the head through the arms, as this will aid the movement.
If you struggle with handstand push-ups, dedicate time to building your core and shoulder strength. Take time with the drills outlined above, and be sure to get in your hollow and superman holds.
The freestanding handstand
After you get comfortable with handstand work against the wall, you can begin working on getting a freestanding handstand hold.
Before going right to a freestanding hold, we can do a few drills while still against the wall.
Look at your hands while in the hold while still maintaining an engaged core.
Practice taking one foot off the wall and finding the balance once again. If you are comfortable, take the other foot off. This will teach you to balance while you still have the wall for a safety catch.
Practice freestanding kickups. The drills against the wall will be helpful, but you must learn how to transfer these skills to an actual freestanding hold. So, you will need actually to practice kicking up to these holds. Use your fingers to balance, and don’t let your core go. Get comfortable being on your hands.
The handstand walk
The handstand walk is a fun and challenging skill to master. It can be frustrating, but if you dedicate a little extra time each week, you can learn to handstand walk.
First, be sure that you are able to perform handstand holds and handstand push-ups. Building competency with those will only make handstand walking that much easier, as you will be comfortable on your hands and have better body awareness in the moment.
Next, spend time with the weight distribution drills. While holding a handstand against the wall, perform shoulder taps or simply lift one hand then the other, feeling the weight shift back and forth.
To begin handstand walking on the floor, having someone who can spot you through the skill is sometimes helpful. Have a partner catch your legs when you kick up. Get comfortable with this; then, your partner can help you with the walk. Have them make a fist that they place between your knees. From there, they can help lead you through a handstand walk. This is a helpful drill because it will make it very necessary to keep the core and legs more active throughout.
Eventually, you will need to try the skill without a spotter. If you have access to a turf or grass field, this can be a more comfortable place to learn to handstand walk.
Be sure to stay active in the core and reach your feet up and over your body as you walk. Keep the arms locked through the lats, and once again, use your fingers to help distribute the weight.
It will take time, and at the beginning, you may only manage a couple of steps at a time. But just like anything, if you stick with it and practice where you can, your handstand walks will improve.
