Wrists
When we first start with handstands (or any arm balance for that matter) we are hyper loading our wrists in a position that they truly aren’t ready for. It’s true that in our handstand we should be in one long straight line but what if you are to go out of that line? You need a way of pulling your whole body back into that strong shape and it’s the wrists that are responsible for initiating this movement. If you think about it, your wrists are the first mobile joint responsible for hold your handstand, if this area is not properly conditioned and can’t support the weight comfortably how on earth will we ever be able to hold ourselves sturdy, if the wrists flinch under pressure by the time that energy has flown to our hips we are falling. My point is we need our wrists to be as strong and as mobile as our ankles.
These are wrist conditioning and strengthening exercises that should be performed everyday by those who are serious about learning to handstand as I can guarantee if you don’t do these already, your wrists are not strong enough to keep you balanced in a full handstand.
Heel Raises
- The hands are placed shoulder width distance
- Index fingers facing forwards and the rest of the fingers fanned wide
- The finger tips and pads of our hands are dug firming into the ground (camber grip)
- Shoulder weight stays right on top of the wrists
- Thumbs pull away from the ground or at least holding no weight
- You then pull the heels of the hand away from the ground
- Even pressure on all fingers, hands come up evenly and back down at a fluid pace
- Weight stays on the core and it is recommended to start with knees down hands close to the knees
Fin pushups
- Backs of the hands are placed down on the ground at shoulder width fingertips facing one another
- Fingers fanned out and middle fingers should almost be touching
- Elbows are then locked out (this here maybe enough for the first few times performing this exercise) keeping the shoulder weight above the wrists
- The elbows are sent directly away from one another as the sternum comes into the ground and touched where the middle fingers almost meet (head infront of the hands to prevent the rotating)
- We lower and head back up to a full position slowly and evenly to again lock the elbows
- Weight stays on the core and it is recommended to start with knees down hands close to the knees
Wrist rolls
- Arms are at shoulder width distance, elbows directly under the shoulders and hands are in a fist with with the forearms to knuckles flat, similar to while performing a martial artists punch. Forearms are parallel to one another
- The base of your fist stays pressed into the ground while we raise the elbows away
- Once the elbows are at a point where the fist must rotate, we the roll on top out fists trying to keep the weight on the knuckles
- Arms are then straightened at the weight is rocked forwards into the index fingers knuckle and the pinky is released
- Fists then lead and return to flat on top of the knuckles
- Rotate hands to bring the side of your fist back down and slowly lower the elbows
- Weight stays on the core and it is recommended to start with knees down hands close to the knees