Focusing on press HS

[fireman]

I want to focus on press handstands. Now, I am following the "WOD" and i am not sure if it would be a good idea to train it all training days, like a part of my warm up, for example.

Thanks you

[Blairbob]

Work your press HS after your WU and before the WOD. You may be able to GreaseTheGroove with them or do them as finishers.

[fireman]

Ok, i will follow your advice. Thanks you very much.

[jl5555]

I've had to take a step or two back on my handstand progression as the press up still eludes me in a very frustrating way. My freestanding HS is in the 30s to 1min range but purely kick up or some variation thereof. However, for some reason I cannot figure out the press. I have no problem whatsoever punching out 15-20 leg raises when in a headstand with hands either in a tripod or behind the head. So I'm not sure why I cannot translate that.

I've reverted to practicing back to wall HS so I can work the pike press there. I have been working on making sure my back is fully against the wall from shoulder to hip and then doing a few pikes but they're not easy....

I'm using this http://www.drillsandskills.com/article/16 as a guide.

[Blairbob]

I had got back my press but it's gone away until I go back and practice more HSLL/press downs on the wall.

[jl5555]

I had got back my press but it's gone away until I go back and practice more HSLL/press downs on the wall.

That's saying something considering what I consider your pretty amazing back flexibility and strength...

[Bob Sanders]

That's a great guide. I am trying to build core strength. Good luck on training!

[Blairbob]

Ehh. A flexible back doesn't really do much for a press HS. It does help chest roll to HS (which has the same value as a press on FX).

I have very poor active straddle flexibility. It's not a pretty sight and my press is not close to textbook form because of it.

I still have most of my core and lower body strength but that was a lot easier to rebuild than the upper body strength, at least for me.

[jl5555]

Ehh. A flexible back doesn't really do much for a press HS.....

True enough once you are there, but all the practice time spent getting ready to perform the press HS requires that at the very least you don't have back issues limiting your movements. I've found that my freestanding HS improved substially when I learned to do two things: rollout when I was ready to come down or twist my torso to spin my feet down so I could land if I wasn't quite ready to come down or had overshot the kickup. Both meant decent back flexibility.

[klops3style]

http://www.drillsandskills.com/article/16 If I can do these all exercises on one training? 3x3 if 3x5? How period of time I have do?

[Cole Dano]

Ehh. A flexible back doesn't really do much for a press HS. It does help chest roll to HS (which has the same value as a press on FX).

I have very poor active straddle flexibility. It's not a pretty sight and my press is not close to textbook form because of it.

I still have most of my core and lower body strength but that was a lot easier to rebuild than the upper body strength, at least for me.

I'm not so sure about that, i'm not pretending to be an expert. I used to be able to do them, though not consistently, as part of my Ashtanga Yoga practice. The thing is they would always be very light after i did a particular pose. I don't know what you'd call it in gymnastics, but its like doing a chest roll, but staying and balancing on your chest and then touching your feet to your head. This is what got my T-spine to open up. Well after coming out of this pose the next was a press to handstand and then come down in a front split, and the press was really easy (at that time of my life, hope i get it back to some extent)

I didn't understand what was happening until coming here, but it was the flattening of t-spine that made it possible to keep shoulders over hands and this counter rolling of the t-spine just zipped the rest of the spine up. In other words a 'flexible' T-spine helps press handstand.

Of course i'm sure Coach will have a different take on this, that was just my experience via yoga.

As an aside, one funny thing i've noticed as i get older and have lost some skills is that in trying to rebuild them i actually find i know more about how to do them than when i could do them. At that time it just happened i worked really hard but didn't have a chance to work out the details, i don't think the form was always good and unfortunately the mentality in Ashtanga Yoga is not to teach or correct any thing, its just do it or die.

[Blairbob]

flexible' T-spine helps press handstand.

probably related to flexibility in the shoulder girdle. loosens it up a bit.

[Cole Dano]

Anatomically they are inter-related. Its part of what is called bone rhythm (humeral-scapular rhythm). As the scapula protract and rotate, the T-spine flattens (different than collapsing in the lumbar at L1 or L5).

The thing that made the light bulb go on for me as to what is happening - Coach said it feels like taking your neck in, thats the flattening of the T-spine, neck being taken in from the upper back.

No it doesn't take a ton of flexibility i think the modern buzz word for this is it takes mobility i just learned it on accident via flexibility.

[jl5555]

I believe what you two are talking about; this T spine stuff is the reason I'm not able to pull the press HS yet. I believe my spine is still a bit over-rounded yet in the HS. Definately the case when I get down into the straddle with shoulders over the wrists. I think my back is still too rounded and my hips cannot settle over my ankles. I will work on the "neck in" to see if that brings my back in. I think I need to video myself trying this...