Confused as per where to start?
I get it.
☑ Holding a handstand
☑ getting straighter upside down
☑ improving flexibility
☑ tucking the head in
☑ tucking up
☑ cartwheeling,
☑ pressing up
☑ floating longer
☑ piking
☑ improving strength
… There are so many items on that handstand bucket list that it can feel overwhelming and confusing.
The following guide has been designed for you to gain clarity over how to prioritise your goals to get there faster.
Your puppy’s brain
The number one thing that prevents you from progressing is your very natural tendency to jump from one item to the other.
You are trying to learn all the words in the dictionary without spending nearly enough time on each to remember them.
You are learning a new dance and compiling all the moves without mastering one.
This puppy attention span may work for kids, but is hardly the most efficient route to progress for time-constrained adults.
Let’s be blunt for a second.
Achieving “a handstand” (more on this below) is going to take months if you do things right, years if you don’t.
I usually say this in my classes and courses:
My job as your coach is to convert years into months.But if you don’t practice every single week, several times a week, no matter how clear the map, you won’t travel far enough.
The more you scatter your attention, the slower your progress will be.
Everything is tempting, everything is appealing (cf. shinny object syndrome), and of course there are some crossovers in-between the different areas of the handbalancing practice. It would be foolish to claim that working on your straddle teaches you nothing about your straight handstand.
But this approach simply isn’t time and energy-efficient.
And I am assuming you want that handstand ASAP, not in a decade, right?
#What is a Handstand?
When I meet new students in person, I always go for a circle of presentation where everyone shares their name, their experience in handstand and their inversion goals.
Invariably, I get:
”I want to be able to hold a handstand”.
Oh yes? But WHICH handstand?
What they are basically saying is akin to going to a restaurant, and when prompted by the waiter to order, say : “I want food”.
Wanting to be able to hold a handstand is like signing up to a running club and say “I just want to run”. Running for a marathon, an Iron-man, or a sprint are very different things.
You need to specify your goals.
You need to be realistic with the timeframes involved
And you will re-adjust them once you achieve them.
#Real-life examples
Here are a few smart goals we start defining in that first session:
I want to be able to hold a 10-second handstand for the fun of it, this year, with a 70% + consistency rate
I want to be able to press-up into a straddle handstand within 6 months
I want to get a straighter handstand freestanding in 3 months
I want to be able to kick-up against the wall within the next 8 weeks
I want to be able to float 1-2 seconds in my yoga transitions
I want to be able to hold a handstand while looking at my capoeira partner and moving my legs for 10 seconds
#4 elements to define your current goal(s)
If you’re like most people, you probably want a handstand.
Take your notebook and start brainstorming on your goal for the next 3, 6 and 12 months.
Do it.
Unless you want to achieve that handstand in years, not months.
#Context
The context in which you want your handstand
You can want a handstand for the sake of being able to hold a handstand, but you can also want to integrate a handstand within an existing movement practice. A yoga handstand isn’t the same as a calisthenics handstand, isn’t the same as a capoeira - locomotion - dance handstand, isn’t the same as a crossfit handstand.
They obey the same biomechanical rules.
But they will branch out into different training components.
One doesn’t train efficiently the same whether they are handbalancing for crossfit or for fun.
Duration
The seconds on the timer
The number one, obvious metric to measure your handstand against. How long do you want to hold it.
Consistency
The frequency of success
If it’s ok for you to try 10 times until you stick your 20 second handstands, then consistency doesn’t matter to you. Otherwise, it does, and you need to be clear about the goalposts on your way to a 100% success rate. No, you don’t just go from 10 to 100 overnight.
Alignment
The shape of your handstand
Instagramely straight, or head-in, crooked legs and moving through it? Depressed or elevated scapula? Piked or straight shape?
I know, I know you want them all. But which one do you want first?
Or should we say: Which one should you prioritise first because it will accelerate your learning of all others?
Stop scrolling.
Do it.