Press Handstands.

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I can't do them from a sitting position anymore either. I used to when i was like 6, but i just can't anymore. I can do a really nice straddle handstand on bars though and not being able to do a press handstand isn't huting me at all.
 
DD1 is 10 and a level 7- When she was about 6 or 7, she could do about 5. Now she can do only 3.

DD2 is 8 and a level 6- This one amazes me! She just did 10 without stopping! Her and press handstands just click!

DD3 is 6 and a level 4- Can do about 2-3 in a row, I believe she just got them a couple months ago.

DD4 is 4 and on pre-team- none yet.. she isn't strong enough to lift herself up there;) She is pretty flexible, just waiting on the strength.
 
The more responses I see it does appear that it is a "body type" thing. Not necessarily a Strength thing.

Beetle is strong and very flexible (no hip flexor problems) But she has incredible long legs.. her feet get "stuck under" her.. so she has to almost do a complete straddle split to get the feet through the floor.

As a matter of fact, while I was reading the posts to her she was practicing them and actually got her feet past her shoulders and then was so suprised that she fell!
 
The more responses I see it does appear that it is a "body type" thing. Not necessarily a Strength thing.

Beetle is strong and very flexible (no hip flexor problems) But she has incredible long legs.. her feet get "stuck under" her.. so she has to almost do a complete straddle split to get the feet through the floor.

As a matter of fact, while I was reading the posts to her she was practicing them and actually got her feet past her shoulders and then was so suprised that she fell!

Great job Beetle! Keep on working at it:)
 
Ohhhh Beetle is reading? Tell Beetle to get her "tush" up...it's all in getting the tushie up...once we told DD that it "clicked" too! When DD was first learning she would rock a little while sitting in a staddle...that helped too!

Go beetle! You can do it!
 
The more responses I see it does appear that it is a "body type" thing. Not necessarily a Strength thing.

Beetle is strong and very flexible (no hip flexor problems) But she has incredible long legs.. her feet get "stuck under" her.. so she has to almost do a complete straddle split to get the feet through the floor.

As a matter of fact, while I was reading the posts to her she was practicing them and actually got her feet past her shoulders and then was so suprised that she fell!

My dd also has long legs. She was told to compress her straddle really high before she starts so her feet and bottom are higher off the floor to begin with. Then she was told to think about lifting her bottom really high and not worry about her legs until her bottom was right over her shoulders. It worked for her hope it works for beetle.
 
My DD is 9, and L3. She's been working on press handstands for about 2 months now, and it getting awful close. She's determined to get them on her own. Her efforts have already impressed her gym-mates, and coaches. This is her greatest motivation.

There are lots of seperate skills that need to be mastered to achieve a true press to handstand. (i.e can't swing, push off elbows, etc). She's just now learning to lean forward (while keeping head up). This puts her butt under her hands so gravity is centered and the "press line" is vertical and not eliptical. It's impossible to do press to handstands without proper balance and leverage. It's not all muscle. It's all...everything...working together.

I've found there is a lot of conditioning that is required to do them properly too. Nastia's conditioning has been targeted to mostly core, wrists, shoulders, and hip flexors.

Some of her home conditioning program includes:

- Support body on hands (fingers pointing forward), and hold stalder for 1 full minute. (or 3 sets of 20 seconds). Including what we call "propellers" (rotating the feet in small circles during the stalder hold) helps with abs and calf strength. This is easist on a mushroom, but can also be done on the floor, low practice beam, or on paralelletts. (this is commonly a TV-time excersize)

- Leg lifts on stall bars from pike position. 3 sets of 5. Working towards 3 sets of 10.

- 3-5 Shrugs during 15 sec. held handstands. (learning how to do a proper handstand is a prereq)
- Wall climb from pushup position to handstand.

There are many more, but those are the ones that were most recommended by some gym coaches. They seem to work well, so we continue to do them.


HIH.

Tim
 
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There are many more, but those are the ones that were most recommended by some gym coaches. They seem to work well, so we continue to do them.


HIH.

Tim

I love the way you say WE continue to do them HEHE
I am now imagining cat from shrek doing straddle half levers and waggling his paws;)

Seriously I can't even lift my feet off the ground in straddle so all credit to you for trying! and your DD will get it soon. IMO it is better to learn slower and have a nice shape than do one of those sticky out bum ones
 
ME?? Hah ha.... I'm lucky If I can hold for 5 seconds without my thigh muscles and flexors burning holes through my skin. And my straddle... not that wide. :no: Buy I try. It's "supposed" to be good for me right?

Besides, it encourages Nastia, and makes her laugh at the same time. What more reason would I need?
 

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