Volume isn't the key to success
The core of this methodology I have been developing and refining over the last few years is for us to find the shortest path to success. This usually rhymes with learning to listen to our body cues and assessing our priority in training...
While focusing on a perfect line or pointed toes makes total sense for the young gymnast training for competition, it tends to confuse the busy adult who can train one to several hours a week (vs dozen) and has a whole baggage of traumas and life experiences on their shoulders.
False Belief #1: you need to bring the pelvis over the shoulders to hold a handstand
This one comes from the fact that a big part of your learning in handstands stems from your ability to place your pelvis in specific positions once upside down.
We refer to this as the “stack”: we stack the centre of mass over the shoulders.
Stacking the pelvis is certainly something you want to learn to do. It is part of the Alignment component of handstands, which is crucial:
Without a clear understanding of what makes a line functional, you won’t be able to hold anything consistently.
However, the oversimplistic, overdogmatic view that says YOU NEED TO DO IT is absolutely wrong.
What is a banana handstand, if not something we can hold precisely without that stack?
I am not saying it is necessary the most eye-pleasing shape.
Rather, it is one of the options we have, and it doesn’t require the stack of the pelvis.
Oh and don’t think for a second that this is a way for beginners to get away with it. Some more advanced handstands do require you to NOT stack the pelvis, such as the scorpion:
Therefore, telling you that the reason why you’re not holding a handstand is because you don’t stack your pelvis is absolutely incorrect.
False Belief #2:handstands = balance
90 % of my beginners rush the warm-up, skip the boring tension drills and kick-up against the wall in search for that elating feeling of floating.
Floating being the closest thing to holding a handstand, we tend to think that the more we do it, the closer we get to freestanding.
Wrong.
I like to define a handstand as a puzzle, comprised for many different pieces.
The puzzle won’t be complete if you just bring your attention on the floating piece.
Only if you hone and master the kick-up, the body tension, the body awareness, the intricacies of alignment, the pelvis position, the shoulder position, the leg position, the finger pushing patterns will that last floating piece make sense.
Each of those pieces deserves some attention and refining on a regular basis.
Just because you can float doesn’t mean your kick-up is perfect.
Work in silos on those different elements, don’t skip any key ingredient of your recipe, and you will end up with a beautiful, consistent, resilient handstand.
Training smart beats training hard.
Think of your handstands as a collection of things we have to think of, do or stop doing simultaneously. We will refer to all these elements as the mighty checklist.
All the elements of this checklist weren't created equal and don't deserve your attention the same way. There is the cake, and there is the icing. There is having a biomechanically efficient line, and there is posteriorly tilting your pelvis.
One pitfall in which many beginners fall is to try to tick all these boxes at the same time, not knowing any better which is the cart and which is the horse.
Of course, I am not saying that these elements are not important.
It is perfectly fine to desire a really straight line, or a press, or anything.
But let that confuse you. There is a logical fallacy at play here - the nature of the relationship between the elements of the checklist isn't reciprocal. Without solid foundations, you can not build the ornament.
Without a solid handstand against the wall, you can not freestand.
Without a solid, controlled kick-up, you can not freestand.
You can achieve a nice, efficient alignment, and then make it even better by posteriorly tilting your pelvis.
But posteriorly titling your pelvis won't necessary give you a nice alignment.