WAG press handstands

[mommyof1]

My kiddo is now the only one in her L5 training group who cannot do a press handstand and is pretty frustrated about it. She has long legs and is not the most flexible. I am ordinarily 100% against gymnastics outside the gym, but this is more of a conditioning issue that is safe to work on at home if she wants to, right? If so, what should she be doing? I found a JAO video of drills, but a lot of them seem to require equipment or spotting and I'm not exactly qualified to spot. I think parallettes would probably help with the leg length issue, but I don't think she's at that point yet. Ideas?

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Youtube coach Coach Meggin has some great drills and tips that don't require equipment. And I think that young girls would find the videos fun and entertaining.

 

[reluctant]

My kiddo is now the only one in her L5 training group who cannot do a press handstand and is pretty frustrated about it. She has long legs and is not the most flexible. I am ordinarily 100% against gymnastics outside the gym, but this is more of a conditioning issue that is safe to work on at home if she wants to, right? If so, what should she be doing? I found a JAO video of drills, but a lot of them seem to require equipment or spotting and I'm not exactly qualified to spot. I think parallettes would probably help with the leg length issue, but I don't think she's at that point yet. Ideas?

There are many elite gymnasts who cannot do a press handstand. It's not a necessary skill and is just a lot harder for some body types than others.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Also, do use paralettes if she wants to try. You can make them yourself, and saves her wrists a bit

It is not a necessity to have, but it can be fun to try at times

 

[M2Abi]

My dd has never been able to do a press handstand. Her 6 y/o brother does them with ease.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

My daughter is one of those who could never do a press handstand, not being able to do more than one kept her from making the TOPS National Testing 2 years in a row. She can now successfully do about 8 in a row using paralettes but can still only do about 3 in a row on the floor (and can't do any on the beam). As someone above said, they are not necessary unless you are doing something like TOPS or are trying to get invited to invite camp, where they want the gymnasts to be able to max out on all physical abilities and being able to do 10 press handstands is a physical ability that will be tested at camp.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Its ok if she doesn't have a press handstand. They are not required except for TOPS. They're cool and all that, but not necessary. Most of the girls in our gym don't have them, probably only 10% of everyone on team.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

That is one of the conditioning things the coach expects them to work on outside of gym, like if we are on vacation.

 

[mommyof1]

Thanks for the videos and ideas. I understand that a press handstand is not required, but try explaining that to an 11-year-old. “Everyone else has a [fill in the blank: puppy, iPhone, press handstand]. Why can’t I have one, too?”

 

[kecks]

if you have access to a shallow pool and she is close: water makes these things much easier.

 

[gymdog]

She's the only one that doesn't have a stalder press handstand from a sit, or from standing? I agree at level 5 that she has to get it from a stand or drag with a slider, but if everyone else has a stalder from a sit, that's kind of luck since its partially body type/proportions. I also find it hard to believe, it may be that some have it but my guess is there are others who can't do it from sitting.

Here is what I would recommend as training, esp if she doesn't have it from a drag/stand, she does need to get that for her cast to handstand:

-paralette holds 3x20 second in pike, straddle, tuck
-start in push up with slider under toes, drag toes towards hands until she's piked, and try to press to handstand with no jump 5 times
-handstand hold, lower to straddle hold (press down) 5 times
-wall presses in a row 5 times
-lay on back with hands on wall, try to straighten legs with heels on the wall as close to hands as possible (pike stretch). 3 sets of 30

 

[mommyof1]

She doesn’t quite have it from a standing position. She claims the others all have it from sitting. It is a small group and the others are all quite flexible.

They were working straddle cast handstands earlier this summer and she said she was “really close,” but I never saw her working them so I have no idea what “really close” actually means.

 

[CLgym]

Mine has also always struggled with press handstands -- and it was one of two things (beam blocks being the other) - that killed her in TOPs this year. She can do a max of 3-4 from sitting on the floor, but usually just 2. However, she has never struggled with them from standing (pike or straddle) and was one of the first in her group to consistently cast to handstand. So I guess it has not hindered her skills progress so far. It is great to hear that even elite-bound athletes have struggled with this skill (thanks for posting @FlippinLilysMom)!

For my DD, it does not appear to be a strength issue (she can do 30 L-leg lifts, and do the L-rope climb in 8 seconds). However, she has very short arms and a long torso, so doesn't get her butt off the ground as much as some when pressing from the floor.... Plus she has relatively tight hip flexors (does not have a straddle split) so her legs can't just pop up in a straddle but instead sweep behind her a bit causing her to weight to shift forward onto her shoulders -- if that makes sense. I'm not sure what more she can do. She practices a ton (one day did 100 singles at home after a 6 hour practice) but to no avail.

In any event, good luck to your daughter. I think the practical advice from @gymdog is great. Just wanted to share that I know how frustrating the press handstand can be!!

 

[gasrgoose]

There are many elite gymnasts who cannot do a press handstand. It's not a necessary skill and is just a lot harder for some body types than others.

I can't imagine an elite gymnast not able to do a press handstand. Would you name a few and where did you learn this information?

 

[reluctant]

I can't imagine an elite gymnast not able to do a press handstand. Would you name a few and where did you learn this information?

I can't find the reference, but i have always heard that Simone Biles doesn't do a press handstand. And above a parent of a very talented HOPES champion said her daughter cannot do a press handstand on the beam. It's a skill that takes the right body proportions (arm length, leg length, torso length) and flexibility not to mention strength. Obviously elite gymnasts are strong as anything, but you can't do much to make your torso shorter or your arms longer.

 

[gasrgoose]

I can't find the reference, but i have always heard that Simone Biles doesn't do a press handstand. And above a parent of a very talented HOPES champion said her daughter cannot do a press handstand on the beam. It's a skill that takes the right body proportions (arm length, leg length, torso length) and flexibility not to mention strength. Obviously elite gymnasts are strong as anything, but you can't do much to make your torso shorter or your arms longer.

Thanks. Simone not doing them and not being capable of doing them are different. Just as not doing one on a beam is different from not being able to do one on the floor. While i agree certain body types make some skills more difficult, I don't think they make a skill impossible. Particularly a straddle press handstand, there are very few limitations besides strength.

But I agree on the premise that they are not sacred or required for anything other than a show of strength. However, I would be a surprised if there was an elite gymnast (junior elite or senior elite) who could not do a press handstand, much less "many" who could not.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I only have the one sample, but our old gym focused heavily on press handstands, especially since pre team was all strength and shapes. It was a progression over several years, first pressing and holding, then pressing with a focus on getting their butts as high as possible and holding them there, and then finally, the press handstand, with lots of spotted press handstands through the years. They were worked at every single practice, like stretching is. The entire training group would get them within a couple months of each other. And the gym did not select based on body type beyond strong and fit. You would see this year after year after year. That gym did have an extreme emphasis on strength training at lower levels though, beyond even the gyms in the area that produce elites. So I would wager that that made the difference for the girls who have less flexibility, or a more difficult body type to press. They just made up for it in strength.

I have absolutely heard, from many coaches, that flexibility makes it much easier, specifically the ability to pancake. One of them explained the physics to me and it made a lot of sense.

 

[mommyof1]

I ordered some parallettes and she is excited to start working on the exercises gymdog suggested. She says her issue with the standing press is that sometimes she doesn’t have enough “leverage,” which I interpret as not having her center of mass in the right place. The issue with the straddle press is that her feet don’t clear the floor, which is probably partly body type and partly lack of flexibility. Her straddle split is not her strong suit, and I think it would take being able to pancake in a very wide straddle to get those long legs through.

 

[CLgym]

Good luck. We also have parallettes at home, and my DD has fun with them at times. Regarding flexibility, it is definitely a factor. Mine can pancake, but is not able to do a straddle pull through without her hips/butt coming way off the ground. It's like her hips won't allow her....

But -- all that said -- I totally agree with those who said a press handstand from sitting position is possible with enough work and strength, regardless of natural limitations. Mine said she got two in a row on beam yesterday, and can pretty consistently get 2 (sometimes 3 or even 4) in a row on floor. It has taken about two years (they don't do them every day though).

Oh, one more thing, working regular handstand holds is helpful too. When mine first started to (finally) press up to handstand, she then struggled to control her handstand so that she could slowly come back down without her rear hitting the ground (necessary if you want to add a second press!) or without going over into a bridge or forward roll.

 

[gymdog]

Thanks. Simone not doing them and not being capable of doing them are different. Just as not doing one on a beam is different from not being able to do one on the floor. While i agree certain body types make some skills more difficult, I don't think they make a skill impossible. Particularly a straddle press handstand, there are very few limitations besides strength.

But I agree on the premise that they are not sacred or required for anything other than a show of strength. However, I would be a surprised if there was an elite gymnast (junior elite or senior elite) who could not do a press handstand, much less "many" who could not.

I'm pretty sure Simone can do one. I also think she dislocated her shoulder doing them so if she doesn't do them (I truly have no idea) that could be why.

Anyway I actually do know personally a past senior elite who can't do them but I'm not going to put their name here. Most high level gymnasts who can't can do other pressing exercises like lowering to just past their arms but not a full sit and pressing back up. I would agree that virtually most elites could do at least one from sitting though. So I don't necessarily agree with those claims, but we are talking about a level 5 JO team at a gym that I know is fairly open to different ages and body types so I'm pretty sure if everyone else in the group has it that may just be a coincidence and not a problem but I do think if her daughter doesn't have it from standing it is a worthwhile pursuit at this stage, she should have it from standing consistently for this level.