Lost Art of Hand Balancing - Page 45 of 65 - Hand Balancing and Acrobatics Training for the Everyday Man and Woman

More Questions Answered

By admin on January 25, 2010 in Handstands, One Hand

I figured I’d dive into the email file and answer a few questions today.

“I’ve been working on the one armed handstand pushup and have gotten one armed handstand planks. Do you have any tips for faster progression with the one armed handstand pushup. I’m at partial ROM at the moment.”
Jesse

First off congratulations Jesse, you are much further along then most everyone, including myself.

I can’t give you my personal experience as I haven’t got to that point yet. But I can offer what others have said will work.

The basics of progressing from two hands to one would be to use your off hand less and less. You can do this by raising it on an object or just using less pressure (like going on to the fingertips. This way your ‘working’ arm must do more work.

For more on the one hand handstand pushup I recommend you check out the book Convict Conditioning by a man who was able to work up to this awesome move. You can read my full Convict Conditioning review here.

“I only started hand balancing because I thought it will make me taller??? I’m 16 and 5’9 will I be 6 ft if I do hand balancing???”
Naqib

This is the first time I got this question. And its interesting. Does hand balancing make you taller? Probably not. Hand balancing and inversion can offer many benefits and keep the spine straight and aligned. This probably won’t make you taller but it certainly won’t make you shorter. Considering that you’re young its likely that you’ll still keep growing.

“I have been practicing handstands for 3 years. I probably practiced it the wrong way because I can barely hold it for 5 seconds. What can I do to extend the life of my handstands?”
Brian

Don’t mean to be harsh but yes you must be doing something wrong. It took me about a year to work up to thirty seconds and I think that was too long!

You must be neglecting something basic like keeping the body tight. Without seeing you do a handstand I can’t advise you better than that. No matter what it is though, I encourage you to revisit the lead-up stunts as described in the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start Guide.

Sir I am practicing yoga since 1 & 1/2 years. I can do difficult postures excluding this handstand. In yoga all boys generally perform curved Handstand instead of straight Handstand. Sir I have one question, What is the role of our back while performing handstand? Is it responsible for balancing Or Handstand is only depends on power in our hands? Also I am 20 year old. I listened that age is one of the barrier in practicing the handstand. Is it true? If possible Please tell me sir, at what age you have started the Handstand?
Aniruddha

Whether you have a straight or curved handstand the back is not involved in the balance. IT is used to keep you stable, but you do not arch more or less in order to stay balanced. Balancing comes from the hands and also the shoulders. (For beginners I recommend keeping the shoulders immobile and focusing on the hands.)

As for age there’s a few things going on. Kids are better off at gaining skills. They have more myelin which allows them to gain skills quickly. And by starting early you have more time to build your skill. (Full details on this can be found on the Skill and How to Build It CD found in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.)

They also weigh less and are closer to the ground. So yes, younger people are much better off at hand balancing. But age is no barrier. You can become good, even great, if you’re dedicated.

That’s enough questions for today. Pay attention to the next post for something special. Until then…

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Planche Progression Video

By admin on January 20, 2010 in Planche

The planche is one of hand balancing’s most advanced moves. In this video you’ll discover one tip on planche progression.

This is just one of four methods that is included in the Hand Balancing Mastery Course. Be sure to check that out for many more details on not just planche progression but so much more.

Planche Progression Video

Even beginners can get started working on the tuck planche. Once that’s stable its just a matter of opening up the hips more and more each time.

But don’t think you’ll master this skill overnight. It takes tremendous strength all across the body.

For more details on this be sure to check out this other post on planche progression.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Which Course To Get?

By admin on January 14, 2010 in Uncategorized

Regular Handstand

All I can say is WOW!

The demand for the Hand Balancing Mastery Course is overwhelming.

That’s entirely understandable when you see the systematic approach Prof. Orlick takes in his books and all the added bonuses you can get like the interviews and DVD’s.

For all of you who ordered your courses will be shipping out very soon. In fact some of the first orders have already gone out. For those that haven’t ordered yours yet, what are you waiting for?

I’ve received a few questions asking about the new course in relation to the others I have available. How does the Hand Balancing Mastery Course compare to The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing?

First off, what’s the same? They both talk about hand balancing from beginning skills up to very advanced. But that’s about it!

The Hand Balancing Mastery Course is much more systematic in its approach. In most cases you’ll work on one move right before the next and you can honestly come close to following the book in order as its laid out.

While there is some crossover in skills there’s also a lot of difference. The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing is almost devoid of walking on the hands. The Mastery Course has a whole book on it. The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing covers the planche in some depth which the Mastery Course doesn‘t have in the books, but its covered in both the CD’s and DVD’s.

I will give The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing extra points for having real photographs to display the skills. The Mastery Course has drawings for most of the skills which do the job well, especially since I had every single one re-drawn. And yes the drawings you see here and on that page is what you’ll find in the books.

The biggest difference is the amount of content. The Hand Balancing Mastery Course has so much more. In the books alone you’ll find at least twice as much. And that doesn’t even include the several hours of audio and video.

There’s even less crossover between other products.

The Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD was born out of the ideas I learned from the Hand Balancing Mastery Course in using the lead-up stunts as Professor Orlick describes. That DVD covers just working up to the handstand and nothing beyond it. If you were just starting out I would recommend starting there and once you have some proficiency then getting the Mastery Course.

The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups is more about building strength then balancing. Sure it has a chapter on doing freestanding handstand pushups (which is covered in one of the DVD’s in the Mastery Course) but that’s the only real similarity.

That should give you an idea of the differences. To get more details take the time to read the product pages. Sure, they might be a little salesy but I do my best to actually show you what’s inside each book, DVD or course.

If you have any other specific questions let me know.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Hand Balancing Mastery Course is Live

By admin on January 14, 2010 in Uncategorized

Not much to say today except…

The Hand Balancing Mastery Course is Live!

Check it out now and see ALL that you can get.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. For a limited time its available at discount pricing so grab it now while you can.

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Wrist Flexibility Report

By admin on January 11, 2010 in Flexibility & Contortion

A simple wrist stretch

I’ve shared a couple videos with you in the past week and today’s a little different. Instead of a video I’m giving you a report that covers what is many would-be hand balancer’s biggest obstacle. And that is wrist pain and flexibility.

Wrist Flexibility Report
(right click and choose save-as)

This is something I personally battle with. So instead of giving you a little tip you can have all of what I do to help out my wrists. The simple truth is without doing this stuff regularly I can’t do a handstand, but with it I can.

Perhaps you’ve already realized it, or you surely will after reading the report and seeing the references. Soon I’ll be releasing a new product. What you’ve seen is just small bits and pieces of the whole thing. And let me tell you it’s BIG.

This is the biggest and best compilation of hand balancing material ever released in the world.

It’s been called the Hand Balancing Bible.

You could call it the Holy Grail of Hand Balancing.

But I’ve done away the religious references and simply called it the Hand Balancing Mastery Course.

The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing

Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on more details on why this course is a must-have for anyone who wants success beyond the handstand.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

P.S. If this report helps you out please comment below.

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Gymnastic Handstand

By admin on January 8, 2010 in Flexibility & Contortion, Handstands

The gymnastic handstand or straight handstand is a more difficult move then the natural or curved handstand. For that reason I believe a beginner should work on the curved handstand first and once they become proficient at that then they can move onto the straight handstand.

Working on the straight handstand will take a good bit of dedication as you must learn to maintain a straight body while upside-down, something that certainly doesn’t come natural. As with any move its best to learn it in the easiest possible way first. For that reason we go to the wall.

How to do the One Hand Handstand by Professor Orlick

Gymnastic Handstand

When working on the gymnastic handstand it is better to face the wall with your body rather then have your back to it. This makes it easier to get into the straight body position. You can cartwheel into position or walk your feet up the wall.

Once you are in the handstand get your hands as close to the wall as possible. Stick your head through your arms. This alone will help your back to stop curving. While keeping the arms locked push through with your chest to open up the shoulders. If this is difficult you may need to work on shoulder flexibility.

Another key part is the lower body. You want to maintain what is known in gymnastics as a hollow body position. That is you tuck your pelvis in. Think as if you were trying to reach your tail bone to your navel and shorten that distance. You may need to practice this position while not in a handstand if it is unfamiliar to you.

Once you have a good position hold for time against the wall. Work up to 2 minutes for multiple sets. If you can do this you have good endurance not just to hold the handstand but to keep your position while you do it. At that point the gymnastic handstand should feel natural to you.

The next step is to transition to freestanding. Instead of just kicking up out in the open start in the straight handstand against the wall and come off a little bit to find your balance. But that will have to be an article for another time…

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Biggest Hand Balancing Tip

By admin on January 7, 2010 in Handstands

I was hand balancing for a long time before I realized this tip. And when I did I immediately improved my abilities.

We’re talking about almost doubling the amount of time I could hold a handstand. Being able to do multiple complete pirouette turns versus falling after just turning 180 degrees.

Biggest Tip for Handstands

By paying attention to the furthest point from where you are balancing (i.e. your toes) you’ll be able to correct any shift in your balance before its too late.

To really drive this home do a little experiment with me. Go ahead and try a handstand while putting all your attention on your hands.

Now try it while paying attention to your feet.

After you’ve done that report your results by commenting below.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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Recent Results

By admin on January 4, 2010 in Handstands

A little while back I told you I was getting back into a regular practice of hand balancing. Well, its been a couple weeks and despite holiday craziness I’m happy to report great results.

I quickly did the lead-up stunts found in the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD before jumping right into the handstand (just like I recommend to anyone starting out). After I hit my goals there I moved on to another series of exercises.

And about that wrist pain I’ve been having? I’m doing something new that is blowing that out of the water. I’ve got a bit more experimentation and research to do before I report on that later.

One of my main goals this month was to hit a 60 second freestanding handstand again. Guess what? I did 63 seconds this morning. That puts me ahead of schedule.

I’ll be telling you a bit more about my training, my goals and how I’m going after them soon.

It looks like this whole email is about what’s coming soon, so I’ll end it by saying there’s two new videos coming later this week.

One is on the biggest tip I can give you for hand balancing success.

The other is on what to do if you want to achieve a straight handstand.

And soon the best resource, short of a personal coach, will be available to anyone who wants to MASTER hand balancing.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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How to Learn Parkour

By admin on December 23, 2009 in Parkour, Tumbling

Merry Christmas!

Regardless of whether you celebrate this holiday or any other this time of year, I’m in the spirit of giving.

I mentioned this before and now its ready. Grab my new interview with Mark Toorock of American Parkour

In just over an hour we covered tons of information from the beginnings of parkour on to how to learn parkour. Here’s a few of the things you’ll discover when you listen:

The difference between doing Parkour and training Parkour.
What your fitness level should be before you get started in Parkour. The answer may surprise you…
Tips on keeping the knees, ankles and other joints healthy so you can train a long time while avoiding crippling injuries.
What a typical Parkour training session should look like.
How to find other Parkour practitioners (aka Traceurs) that you can train with.
Tips on finding places to train (including the legal aspects of doing so).
The fundamentals you MUST focus on and why neglecting to do so will mean slower progress.
And much more…

We do talk about the Parkour Tutorial DVD, available here, but besides that its all great content on how to get started learning and training in parkour.

Good Luck and Good Free Running,
Logan Christopher

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A Rededication

By admin on December 10, 2009 in Uncategorized

This morning I woke up and did some Yoga. After about fifteen minutes I started my hand balancing practice as I’ve done every morning this week.

But I have to be honest with you, besides this week I haven’t done all that much hand balancing recently.

Life craziness plus an ongoing wrist injury have got in the way. This isn’t to say I’ve neglected all my training. Far from it. But hand balancing has taken a back seat.

Where I wanted to be at the end of 2009 is now actually further off then where I was at when this year just began.

However, that’s going to change. I’m now recommitted to regularly practicing hand balancing and taking my skills further.

In order to do this I have to go back. Back to the basics. In fact, at this point I’m not even working on a regular handstand. I’ve gone back to the various lead-up stunts found in the Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD.

Right now even the frogstand is difficult. Any pressure on my right wrist is tough but its slowly getting better. Getting to that recommended minute mark is proving a trial but sometimes you have to go back in order to move forward.

But you know what, I’m excited about it. Assuming my wrist cooperates I know I’ll gain my skills back and quickly surpass them.

Have you been neglecting to practice like I was? Sometimes the fire that got us started down one road begins to flicker and die away. This can be because other more important things come around.

Or there are a wide variety of other reasons. Out of laziness you can let it go. Just drop your training like so many people do after that initial burst of practice (and this applies to so much outside of doing handstands). Years down the road you’re likely to regret that wasted time.

As the great Jim Rohn, who recently passed away, said “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

The thing is at any moment you do have the opportunity to rededicate yourself. Sometimes you just need a little outside motivation to do so. I got mine from an unlikely source. My hope is that reading this will spur you on.

In order to keep that motivation high you need to continually surround yourself with what it is you wish to accomplish. If you wish to excel at hand balancing visit this site over and over again.

Get with people who share the same passion. Read books and watch videos on the topic (and if you don’t have any what are you waiting for?)

For the reasons listed above and others I’ve haven’t added as much content to the site recently as I should have. But that’s going to change. There are some great things in store there especially when the new year rolls around.

But for now there is one thing I’d like to ask. There are a number of great hand balancers and acrobats out there reading this. If you’re one of them how would you like to share your tips, training and techniques?

If so, send in your articles and/or videos and we’ll grow the site to help more people together.

You can reply to this email or just send them to [email protected]. If you have any questions as far as what to talk about send those in too.

As always, thanks for your time.

Good Luck and Good Hand Balancing,
Logan Christopher

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