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We’re all familiar with pushups and handstands, but what about a combination of both? Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Enter Handstand pushups.
Handstand pushups are now a popular move among calisthenic athletes worldwide. It takes a whole lot of strength and control, but it’s not impossible. If you can master a handstand pushup with great form, you can do pretty much anything.
Before jumping into attempting a handstand push-up, ensure you are familiar with both individual exercises. You should know how to do the handstand (even if it’s against a wall) and the technique of push-ups. Attempting this right of the bat could lead to injury and damage to your muscles and joints.
How to do a Handstand Pushup?
If you’re a beginner, it is strongly recommended that you do this against a wall. Don't aim for a deep pushup on your first go, but find what you’re comfortable with and capable of and build on that first.
Here's how to do handstand pushups :
• Stand in front of the wall and hoist yourself up on your hands. Spread your fingers apart to make the grip on the ground easier.
• Straighten out your legs above you and squeeze your core and glutes to avoid arching your back. Make sure your arms are straight too.
• Slowly bend at your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, head first. It is recommended that you turn your head upwards so you are looking at the ground as you go down. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree bend.
• Push yourself back up with your hands, straighten your arms out completely and return to the starting position.
Tips to consider
If you’re a beginner, this move can be tricky to pull off, let alone perfect. It will take a lot of practice, but here are some tips you can try out to help progress through them:
Use a wall
Nobody gets a handstand right on their first attempt, let alone doing a pushup with it. If you’re new to this, it is recommended that you use a wall to support yourself. Once you are comfortable balancing your body, you can move away from it.
Practice isometric holds
To develop your body to be able to control itself while doing this exercise, it is recommended to practice isometric holds. This includes the likes of the plank hold, boat hold, handstands, dead hangs, and wall sits. This will isolate the muscle groups in your body and you will learn how to keep them engaged while performing a handstand pushup.
Practice pushups
If you can do 15 reps of pushups in a row, chances are you can get at least one clean, full handstand push up. So rep out on your pushups and make sure they’re deep
Practice pike pushups
Pike pushups are vital if you want to unlock a handstand pushup. These pushups strengthen your shoulders to push the weight of your body at an inverted angle. Try to go deep during this movement to ensure more depth with your handstand push-ups
Benefits of handstand push-ups
Why should one even do the handstand pushup? Let's look at a few ways this intense move can benefit us:
Develops upper body strength
Handstand pushups are the best way to develop strength in your upper body. This is because your entire weight is being borne by your arms and shoulders. Unlike conventional pushups where your toes are resting on the floor, the handstand versions don't rely on any support.
Improves balance
What better way to learn how to balance yourself than by standing on your hands? Even better than that, constantly lowering and raising yourself while still maintaining that balance. Nobody will be able to mess with your stability!
Develops core strength
During this movement, your core is required to be engaged throughout in order to keep yourself stable. This helps in strengthening your core muscles.
Makes other calisthenics movements easy
If you’re venturing into calisthenics, the handstand pushup can help you unlock several other calisthenic skills and movements. These pushups will help you with exercises that require full engagement and control of these same muscle groups. They should be a breeze!
Yes, handstand pushups look extremely difficult and dangerous, but practice makes perfect. As long as you start safe and keep practicing, you’ll be able to master it in a few weeks. So keep practicing your pushups and isometric holds, you’ll be there soon!
