The tip of keeping the non-lead-leg out until you have found balance really helped me instantly! Now I no longer slam into the wall, and sometimes don't even need the wall.
I am struggling a lot with handstand balancing but after this video I tried my kick up handstand and applying the tips that you gave I did a good 10 seconds handstand...amazing. Thank you so much Sondre, I am really impressed by your capacity to simplify calisthenics in such a way to make normal practitioners recognise their errors and improve.
I tried learning to do unassisted handstands in early 2020 and I tried for about 2 months without consent success half way through the video I went "hell ill give it another go" and I got in on my first attempt and haven't failed in the last 13 attempts either. Thank you for making this video as others have sed it was presented wonderfully. 10/10 will recommend this video to anyone wanting to learn how to handstand.
Letting the second leg stay down is really helpful! my balance when im in the handstand is pritty good and i resently started my oah journey, but my kick ups is still not perfekt and i usually need 2 tryes to get up in to the handstand. Ty so much!:D
Nice Video bro! Glad you mentioned the staying in the split part- I did a video about that a while ago too. I often find with my students that keeping that front leg straight (the one you referred to as the first leg) is a mistake as well, since it raises the center of mass, and doesn't allow you to equally counterbalance front/back, since the back leg is quite low to the floor. You did it by keeping a small planche for that phase, but I think for beginners, especially those who aren't very strong there yet, this would be significantly more difficult.
Well, I don’t think the point should to bend 1st leg, or to have an over split for that matter. Bending the leg will only introduce another unnecessary variable in my opinion. I also think your analysis of my kick-up as “planching” is incorrect (unless you are talking about some of the clips I refer to as being an inefficient kick-up). If you look closely, I am actually doing the opposite - slightly over flexing in order for my leg to stay straight. It is true however, that beginners is likely to not be able to do this either, but may require as you say “over splitting” in order for hips to stay above shoulder and hands. I think small details like this is better if figured out on an individual level as it depends on level of flexibility and strength. So instead of saying that one way is better than the other regarding the planching vs over flexing and splitting straight leg vs bent leg, I think it makes more sense to just focus on getting that hip over the shoulders and hands, as that is what’s most important. My main two points regarding the actual kick was 1) to get hips over hands and shoulders and 2) to create balance before closing legs - not necessarily because it is easier due to the lower centre of gravity caused by the split, but because rushing the second leg usually causes inconsistency in terms of the momentum created when this motion is dynamic.
@@Sondre_Berg That’s the best counter point actually, but you actually have to bend that leg anyway on the way up to have an efficient swing on the entry- you did it every time as well; see 6:19, 6:27, or any other entry. It’s not a mistake that your body does this even though you’re clearly intentionally straightening the leg after. The physics is pretty simple too- by straightening that leg, rather than letting it bend, you move weight backwards towards the heel of the hand, and we know handstands have to balance, which means that weight has to move forward elsewhere to cancel it ‘overflexing’ or opening the shoulders too much would do the opposite, and would exaggerate the fall rather than counterbalance it. That said, after taking a screenshot of your handstand vs my handstand, it seems like ‘stacked shoulders’ for me has always meant the center of the shoulder is stacked vertically over the base of the wrist- which creates a more mechanically efficient load on the shoulder, vs for you, you center the shoulder over the center of the hand, which, while less mechanically efficient, allows for better lines and more capacity for rebalancing by opening the shoulders. Relative to that standard ‘center’, when I actually go frame by frame, you basically settled into that same position even when you the split. I agree that people should find their own style here, and that getting the hips over the hands is the most important thing, but I think you and I would both agree that there are some things that are bigger details worth paying attention to, and I believe whether or not you bend that leg on the entry and the split overall is one of them. I also think that people should start their handstand work in the split, (not freestanding of course at first) since it’s easier to balance in the split (especially with that leg bent) and since you should hit it first anyway for proper kick-up technique, but that’s mostly a separate issue ;). Anyway, it’s been a long time since I’ve learned something having a handstand argument with someone, especially with such good counterpoints. We should connect- I sent you an email! :)
I wish I had this video sooner. I am already practising the press to handstand which I got almoust down. I used to kick up so many times with way to much momentum, it took a long time to master the handstand. With this video it wouldve been quicker!
Thanks for this interesting video! I have been trying headstand for so long but still against the wall trying to separate legs, but I can only keep it for a very short time…
This is truly an amazing vid! Well done once again. The steps and advice you listed are clear and easy to follow for me! I am confident that I will be much more consistent in my kick-up.
Thanks for the tips Sondre, this video is gold! Especially delaying the second leg until finding balance helped me heaps. Really starting to feel in control upside down!
Honestly, this video is fantastic, as it highlights an often overlooked and neglected aspect of training. I rarely comment on RU-vid. But this has taken my ability to find the balance point from 5 in 10 attempts to 9 in 10, in a single day. Thank you! I have been training the handstand for years (inconsistently), and this is the first time I have treated the kick-up as a skill. No more kicking up aimlessly, feeling for the 'sweet spot', getting fatigued before even having chance to hold a handstand.
Hi Sondre, I've been looking for suggestions/advice lately so I'd like to ask you: what is your training routine for legs (if you have one) and what do you usually eat in a day? Thanks. PS. Answers with a couple of videos would be super appreciated :))
there is something that i learn is that handstand need a lot of practice but either way if is banana handstand it is still a handstand don't matter so yust put work and you will achieve any goal you want ok
This is so embarresent to say but my biggest problem is how to activate my glutes to activate my legs to get the L-position for this kick up. Also I find it hard to keep my hips square in L-position even though I'm able to do splits. I think I don't know how to use my glutes muscles. There are literally no videos about that. Could you help and maybe make a video considering this. Also I would like to hear cues considering timing in handstand having main focus in legs.
i am doing 16 kg normal push ups 12×4 16 kg pseudo push ups 12×4 16 kg diamond push ups 12×4 16 kgs 48 dips 12×4 10. 8 kg pullups 8,,8,,7,,6,,6 reps 16 kg 48 launges 12×4 16 kg 48 squats 12×4 16 kg 100 calf raises 25×4 5.2 kg 60 wrist curls 15×4 pushups in a row to failure can i build body with this doing 3 times a week??🔥🔥👍👍👆🔥
Thanks for this! As always super enjoyable and technically accurate and useful. I would like to mention a small detail not covered here that might help some: straight legs versus flexed legs at the time of lift-off. This is an interesting topic for me because I remember the moment I started to use straight legs consciously, not only it was a more pleasing-looking shape for me, but also my consistency improved a lot due to the reproducibility of the same movement and weight shift. There's also the topic of flexibility and how close to the hands on floor the leading leg and the second leg can be to improve kick-up consistency. I hope this is interesting as it is for me! Cheers.
I definitely agree with this 😊 Ensuring a straight kicking leg will hugely improve reproducibility and it will also give you more momentum in your kick 👍 and yes, flexibility (both forwards fold as well as shoulder mobility) has a role in making this easier - just found the hip up cue to be a simple way of it over complicating this 😅
Doesn’t your center of gravity shift backwards when your other leg isn’t in a line with the rest of your body at once? Why aren’t you falling backward?
when i kick up i lose my ppt, my lower back archs a bit and give me slight pike and i dont balance it im just slowly falling forward with hips (smth like im falling into a planche but piked). Now i kickup and squeeze my butt as soon as i can and then its fine, but id like to do it without *squeezing my butt*. Do u have any tips?
This may seem like a silly question - but are you kicking with your left or right leg? I.e. is it the leg that's crouched under the body more that is used to create the momentum, or the back leg?
