top of page

Handstand Push Up Skills Clinic


This month we will be working on and perfecting the Handstand Push up. The HSPU is a high skilled, high strength movement that requires a lot of body awareness, core strength, and shoulder mobility, stability, and strength. As with all of our gymnastic skills, it is important to perfect the strict version the HSPU; strict strength will transfer more effectively to the kipping version, versus the other way around. Remember to move slow and in control.

  1. Handstand Program Levels

  2. Level 1:Pre-Req - na Goal - 10 Perfect Push ups + Handstand, 30 sec

  3. Level 2: Pre-Req - 10 Perfect Push ups & Handstand, 30 sec Goal - 1 Strict HSPU

  4. Level 3: Pre-Req - 1 Strict HSPU Goal - 10 Strict HSPU + 2 Freestanding HSPU

  1. The Perfect Handstand Push up

  2. Hollow Body - on the floor / upside down

  3. Shoulder mobility - overhead wall test (top of handstand)

  4. Hands / Head - your hands and head should form a triangle (bottom of handstand)

  5. Shoulder/elbow - elbows point backwards, just outside the shoulders (bottom of handstand)

  6. Legs - straight and together

  7. Press - the press from the bottom to the top is the same as a shoulder press; press straight, your head will move forward to finish between your arms and shoulders

  1. Why you should have a Strict HSPU before Kipping HSPUs.

  2. Kipping HSPUs put a lot of pressure and force through your cervical spine.

  3. We must learn to control yourselves on the way down and have the strength and stability in our neck and traps to support yourself upside down

  4. A lot of force is distributed through your neck and cervical spine as you drive your legs up in the kipping HSPU. Energy is being transferred from your hips/legs and through your core, neck, and head

  5. Having the strength and stability to do multiple strict HSPUs, will give you the support needed to hold good positions through the kipping HSPU

  6. Even if you have the strength to rep out strict HSPUs, fatigue will eventually catch up to you while kipping and can easily lead to an injury; PLEASE KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND LIVE TO TRAIN ANOTHER DAY!

  7. We are not saying that you can not do kipping HSPUs, but please be careful and work hard to improve your strength, mobility, and stability in the strict HSPU

Mobility

Traps and Shoulders

Shoulder Flexion-Overhead

Pecs-Snow Angels on Foam Roller

Neck Stability-Flexion

Neck Stability-Extension

Neck Stability-Lateral

Overhead Stability with Ball

Skills

Hollow Rock/Hold

Plank with Pelvic Tuck

Tripod

Headstand Holds

Kick to Headstand/Handstand

Handstand Negatives

Handstand Facing Wall

Strength

Push Ups

Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Handstand Holds

Strict HSPU - feet on a box/bar

Strict Banded HSPU

bottom of page