How to get handstand walks!
rodrick lopezWhat is up rolosquad!
I get people telling me ALL THE TIME, ROLO I want to handstand walk, HELP!
Cool, lets freaking do it!
Before jumping in I want to note, there is no secret to handstand walking. It takes consistent work over time!
Now obviously you need to be doing the RIGHT work to progress not just any work! Let's dive into what work that would be!
Before I work on anything with my athletes I ALWAYS test first. I want to see where they are at and what work we need to focus on.
A few things I test before starting to work on Handstand walks!
- Wall walks + holds
- Handstand kick ups on wall and freestanding. (Depending on level of athlete)
- Plank walk outs
I NEED to see how comfortable athlete are upside down, how long they can be upside down, and how strong their core is!
All of these are pertinent to being successful at handstand walks!
If you are afraid to kick up by yourself it's likely you are not strong enough for handstand walks. (NOT ALWAYS but in my experience this is the case about 80% of the time.) If you are afraid of kicking up but definitely strong enough, handstand walking really just takes practice!
Movements to work on consistently:
1. Wall Walks + Holds
Building comfort upside down and increase the amount of time we can spend upside down.
2. Kick ups - on wall/freestanding (depending on level of athlete)
Getting comfortable kicking your feet above your hands.
3. Plank walk outs
Core strength and ideal handstand position training.
4. Piston presses
Strength and endurance + movements while stabilizing.
5. Line drills
Get comfortable moving upside down.
*Sometimes I will wait a few weeks to add this last drill in.
Sample week:
Pre training:
- 20 Kick ups (freestanding or wall)
- 10 Wall walks + Hold (percentage of max hold from test week) (try :10)
- 5 x 5 plank walk outs. (Be sure to keep core tight)
- 20 Line drills (Sometimes I'll have athletes perform this earlier in the session)
Add these to your pre/post training 2-3 times a week and I guarantee if you give it 100% effort for 3 months you'll either handstand walking or SO MIUCH CLOSER and comfortable upside down.
*Secret end note: Think back to how you got better at stuff when you were a kid. You did NOT try the monkey bars every once in awhile. You literally played on the monkey bars every chance you got!
As always, the only thing between you and your goals is WORK...so...PUT IN WORK!
I love you
- Rolo