Handstand

The handstand is a bodyweight skill where you support your whole body upside down on straight arms, balancing on your hands. It trains shoulder and upper-trap strength along with wrist, forearm, and core control.

Face a wall and place your hands on the floor directly under your shoulders, fingers spread and pointing forward. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders stacked over your hands. If you use parallettes, grip them firmly so your wrists stay neutral. Warm up your wrists before you start.

Kick up one leg at a time, or hop up from a lunge, until your heels lightly touch the wall. Once upside down, push tall through your shoulders so your arms stay active rather than sinking. Draw your ribs down, squeeze your glutes, and make your body form one straight line from wrists to toes. Balance by pressing lightly through your fingertips to bring your shoulders back over your hands.

Breathe steadily and keep your midsection tight rather than holding your breath. To make it easier, keep your chest facing the wall and leave only one foot on the wall, or hold a wall walk at a small angle. To make it harder, take your feet off the wall and hold a freestanding handstand.

Fault: Shoulders sink and elbows bend, collapsing toward the floor. Fix: Actively push tall through the shoulders and press the floor away, keeping your arms straight.

Fault: The lower back arches and the ribs flare, creating a banana shape. Fix: Pull your ribs down, squeeze your glutes, and aim for a straight line from wrists to toes.

Fault: Weight falls toward the fingertips and you cannot hold the position. Fix: Grip the floor and press through your fingertips to bring your shoulders back over your hands.