Wall Handstand Hold

Before you press a handstand you have to be able to hold one. The wall handstand hold teaches your shoulders, abs and hands to organize themselves upside down while the wall takes the balance problem off the table. Every minute you spend here makes the handstand push up easier later, and it costs you nothing but floor space.

How to Perform

1. Place your hands on the floor six to twelve inches from a wall, shoulder width apart, fingers spread.
2. Kick up gently, or walk your feet up the wall from a push up position if kicking up makes you nervous.
3. Stack your body: hands under shoulders, ribs down, glutes squeezed, legs straight and together.
4. Push the floor away so your shoulders are pressed up toward your ears rather than sagging.
5. Hold for time, breathing normally, then come down under control one leg at a time.

Tips

• Chest to wall is the better version once you can do it. Back to wall lets you arch and cheat the position.
• Grip the floor with your fingertips. That is how you make small balance corrections without falling.
• Build to three sets of forty five seconds before you start pressing. The strength shows up faster than you expect.