Handstands Tutorial: Learning Handstands From Scratch (2021)
Posted On December 2, 2019
Handstands present us with a complicated problem that needs to be solved de novo. Just as we have learned to walk on our feet, we must be humbled again by total incompetence. Our brain is moulded by novel stimuli. Just as learning music, languages and logic can develop our minds and activate new neural pathways, submerging ourselves in the world of calisthenics can stimulate neurogenesis and can have a beneficial effect on cognitive pathways related to memory and learning.
Handstands are sufficiently complicated that they require our entire focus. There are a million things to think about. Every second we need to make miniscule adjustments in muscular tension, in shape, in finger pressure. In the same way that Buddhists enter a state of Zen, handstands allow us to put aside our external thoughts and focus our minds on a single aspect of ourselves: balance. Like sitting cross-legged in a white room with no windows and no doors, we find ourselves without distraction and able to achieve complete focus.
Physically, the handstand is very demanding. For beginners it is an icon to strive for; for the initiated it is the perfect tool for maintenance. There is no good core workout without a handstand. It is simply one of the best exercises for the entire body. In addition to the core, we also emphasise the deltoids and triceps, two muscles primarily responsible for straight arm strength. The physically demanding nature of handstands gives them a relatively high-risk profile.
Learning Handstands
1. Warm Up
2. Gradual Progress
3. Hard Surface
4. Correct Shape
Handstands in Calisthenics
There are many fantastic places to practice calisthenics in Melbourne, Australia; but only one stands out! Join the Street Workout St Kilda community and grow your arsenal of calisthenics skills.
Master the handstand and become a true street workout athlete. Find out more HERE!
Calisthenics classes and Handstand workshops in melbourne
Written by Vic
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