3 Handstand Observations

Last night, doing a 5 second handstand,
which felt like 10 seconds.

I'm questing towards proficient at handstands. This is part of a larger goal to perform planche pushups, but more about that later.

Currently, I can hold a freestanding handstand for about 5-10 seconds, although the average is probably closer to 2 seconds. A ton of the attempts fail quickly. With a wall to tap against as needed, I can hold one for much longer, but I feel like this doesn't help me learn the balance properly.

Recently, I've discovered three things that have dramatically improved my stands. Take this as a self discovery story, and not as definitive advice.

1. Practice more
   This should be a given. Here's the difficulty though. If you don't know how to do them, handstands are hard. If you're not used to peforming them, they tax the muscles too. This is a good thing though, as strength and balance are the key reasons I'm learning them. Well, and also because I love to play.
   
   A few days ago, I committed to doing a minimum of 25 stands a day. Not attempts. Actual stands. I'm viewing this like I did juggling when I taight myself that. I never got better until I practiced consistently.
   
2. Finger placement
   
   The internet frustrated me almost as much as it assisted me in this. Multiple guides said the balance is really in the fingers. While I'm sure instructions exist though, I never found one a site that explicitly explained HOW to use fingers for balancing.
   
   Eventually, I read to press the four corners of the palm onto the ground, and press with your fingertips. This helped but it still didn't seem to cover the whole picture.
   
   I went back and watched a video by breakdancer Simon Ata.

   

   Simon's hands during handstand

   His calisthenics abilites astound me. For some reason, the video he posted of his workout routine is no longer on his page, and it's with hesitation I post another link, since it's not on his. You have to see this though: Simonster.
   
   I noticed when he moves into handstands, his fingers curl up. Once I tried pressing as described above, with arched fingers, I felt the balance.
   
   
3. Press down
   
   It seems non-intuitive to me. If I'm standing on my hands, how can I press into the ground? Think about it. Stand up on your feet. Now press your feet into the ground. See what I mean?
   
   Nevertheless, when I focus on the act of pushing, my balance improves. Additionally, if I start to lose my balance, if I bend my arms ever so slightly, I find that I can usually remain upright for much longer. This will help when I progress to handstand pushups.

By the way, that's part of the progressions I'm using to get to planche pushups. Handstands, to handstand pushups, to planche pushups. That's not the only progressions though. I'll post about them when I'm closer to the actual goal.

Keep transforming. Keep regenerating.