Apr/090
What’s Stopping Your Handstands?
Today’s message is just for beginners. That is people still working on holding the regular freestanding handstand. If that’s you then keep reading.
I’d say two thirds of the people that come to my website are just getting started and trying to learn the handstand.
Even though it’s the basic foundational move of all hand balancing it still can prove to be frustrating, especially when you first get started. I know it was for me.
I’m going to be releasing a few videos in the upcoming days that will help you along. The thing I always tell people is that you don’t want to start with the handstand itself but more on that topic later.
For now I want to hear what’s holding you back? If you can’t hold a freestanding handstand for more than 5 seconds what’s stopping you for holding 10 or 20 seconds?
Or do you not know why you can’t get the balance?
Before you comment down below just know that I’ll try to answer your problems in these new videos.
Plus you’ll hear about my first handstand attempts, what others have done and more. I think you’ll get a kick out of them.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
Apr/090
Handstand Hand Isometrics
It’s been awhile since I’ve put up a full article on the site.
Well, there’s a new one up there now. This one shows you an exercise to build stronger wrists specifically to help you balance better.
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. And its just the first of many more articles to come.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. If you missed the announcement of the new Trampoline Handbook be sure to go check it out.
Apr/090
The Trampoline Handbook Available Now
The new Trampoline Handbook is available now. You can skip right ahead and get it now.
Or read below to get the back story…
—–
I’m human. And because of that I make mistakes. But I like to think I quickly learn and fix them. However sometimes that’s not the case and it takes years to realize your fault.
As you may know a while back I attended an adult gymnastics class. Having no prior tumbling skills it was certainly a challenge.
But even from the time I was young I wanted to be able to do a backflip among many other tumbling skills. So I went and I slowly got better.
They had a giant trampoline as well as the tumble-track, basically a lane of trampoline leading into large pads.
Unfortunately I hardly ever used these tools.
You see, I had this idea in my mind that I wanted to only be able to do skills without the assistance of anything. I wanted to jump rather than be launched into the air by a trampoline.
And this was my big mistake!
I didn’t realize that using a trampoline I could better learn to control my body in the air. And that definitely translates to doing moves on the ground or anywhere else.
When you’re in the air you can work on flipping, twisting and many other skills. It really doesn’t matter how you got up there. Just what you do when you’re there.
But the trampoline allows you do to it easily without wasting energy. And that means more practice (not too mention safer too).
Now I’ve learned from my mistake.
I discovered this book that takes you step-by-step through the most basic moves all the way to much more advanced tricks.
So that you don’t make the same mistake I did, I’ve made it available once again.
I know not everyone has access to a trampoline, but if you do I urge you to get this book. And if you haven’t used a trampoline in a while you don’t know what you’re missing.
You’ll be able to use it to build up your skills to improve your tumbling whether you do gymnastics, Parkour, tricking or anything else.
Plus it’ll be even more fun then just a little random bouncing. So go check it out.
Sincerely,
Logan Christopher
P.S. You can read more about it at The Trampoline Handbook including a list of the 50 stunts you’ll learn and when you act now you’ll get $5 off.
Apr/090
Will Wall Handstands Help Balance? How Often to Train HSPU’s?
I have some cool things in the work for this month. One of them is nearing completion. More on that subject later.
In the meantime let’s tackle a few more questions that have been sent in.
First off from Carol.
“If I keep practicing kicking up to a handstand against the wall, and holding it as long as I can with a tight body, will I eventually be able to do the handstand without the wall?”
The handstand against the wall is an important lead-up stunt I advise beginners to do when starting out with the handstand. It is great to work up to holding for at least one minute while maintaining a good position.
However, although you can learn how to keep your body tight and up in space you will not learn how to balance from this position. This requires a few other moves as well as practicing at the freestanding handstand itself.
And next from Ashley.
“Hi there. I consider myself to be a quite a physical culturist. I have made handstands a staple exercise in my upperbody workouts. I am currently working towards handstand push ups with my hands elevated to get full range of motion. How often would you recommend to train handstands to get to the desired standard?”
First off congratulations. Handstand pushups are often no more then a dream to most people, especially when you start going after the full range of motion.
I just happened to be working on a few myself today. In all honesty, depending on how you train with them you could do them everyday or just twice a week. And either way you can make progress.
If you just do a few sets each day and none of them are an all-out effort, you could do them every day.
But in most cases I would advise two or three times a week. Train them hard and eventually you’ll be able to do many full range reps. The important thing to look at is if you are moving forward. If your are then your training is good and you should continue.
If you’ve been training handstand pushups whether just starting out or doing them with ease I’d love to hear about your training. Send in questions, concerns, workouts or specific exercises you’ve come up with. Just hit the reply button up above.
That’ll wrap it up for today.
Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher
P.S. About that first thing I mentioned. If you’re following me on facebook or twitter there was a big hint just put up there in the form of a question. If you aren’t already become my friend on facebook or follow me on twitter by clicking the links.
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