I have decided to start training my handstands again because I did so well with it last year, getting up to a 15 second hold. I have decided to start blogging about it because I need some accountability to help me stick to it. I’ll be giving tips and info for beginners and ho to get started as we go!
I have tried lots of methods, including going flat out with training building strength in back/shoulders, core and hip flexors and a more relaxed approach. I have found somewhere in between is best. If you go too hard, you can’t improve at the same rate and it takes time for balance to resonate with your body and being!
A little (45 mins) every day is the best way! It’s an amazing, frustrating, rewarding, exhilarating and totally addictive practice.
Handstand History
I have been able to handstand for years. I first tried it as an adult when I went through an Iyenga yoga phase in the early 00’s. You kick up against a wall to begin with and it feels so heavy and hard to hold at first and you go so red in the face and I even got little blood vessels bursting in the delicate area above my eyes. Not a good look!
But over time, as your shoulders strengthen, it starts feeling lighter and more floaty! Such an amazing feeling!
I graduated to the middle of the room but never put in enough practice to get impressive hold times. I dabbled for years after that but just didn’t take it any further and stayed at that level. As with anything you have to be consistent and put in the work to improve.
Training Courses
Last year I decided I wanted to improve my handstands. It came out of my press handstand training which is a different kind of handstand (where you press up front the ground). I was training this skill (another story!), was gaining the strength to get up but was finding I couldn’t hold when I got there.
Hence diverting to the traditional handstand training. So now I am living the handstand journey and pressing has taken a back seat. I’ll come back to it later. There’s no rush. I have a lifetime to do it in. It’s really my hobby.
So, before I began, due to years of yoga arm balancing and the press training, I had a lot of shoulder and core strength and good flexibility – necessary ingredients for hardstanding. But the missing link was balance. Balance up-side-down isn’t something you just ‘have’. You have to learn it. And it’s complicated. I had no idea how involved it would be.
I started by taking a course with Kirsty Grosart (Garage Gym Girl), a renowned gymnast and trainer or inversions (upside-down stuff). That was a year ago. And now my best hold to date is 15 seconds.
I’ve had a few months off and I’m not getting back to it. I’m going to be posting more tips and info soon! The video is some attempts last year. Not too bad….
If you want to train with me, get in touch. I have a new programme Peaceful Soul, Bangin’ Body. vicki@yogamovesyou.co.uk or book a call: https://go.oncehub.com/VickiSnow
