WAG Drills for giants & handstands

[livelifetumble8dx]

What are some drills for giants & cast handstands? (Straddle or Straight Body.) My coach says i'm strong enough to do straight body but i always bend my arms at the top or lean too far over the bar. ( I'd rather straddle tbh but it's all goood! ) but yeah! what are some good drills that i can work at home? are there any or on my own @ gym safely? (We have open gym twice a week) Thanks!

 

[BlairBob]

Cast, straddle on, press to HS. Then cast, popping butt up and miss the straddle on and press to HS.

Another is to set 2 big blocks on each side of a single rail right underneath. You might have to squeeze in some panel mats to make it tight.

Lay on the bar at your hips holding on to the bar. Your shoulders will rest on the blocks. Heel drive and up in sort of a shoulderstand on the blocks.

Maltese Drill using P-Bar Blocks (for Still Rings) - YouTube

I was familiar with this drill and my friend adapted it for the girls to use as a cast HS station.

 

[iwannacoach]

Laying on your stomach, sort of..........

Put your hands on the floor about midway from your shoulders to your hips. Push up until your arms are straight while leaving your hips on the floor this will put your body into a shape that resembles the rocker of a rocking chair. So what's next? Move your body into a rocking motion while maintaining the "rocker" shape. If you practice it enough you'll get to the point where your legs have enough momentum to continue to the upside down postion, and if your arms are strong enough you can push up into a handstand.

This exercise can be modified by laying on a stack of two fold up mats..... one that is the same (or close to) the hieght of a floor bar, and placed up against it, and the second mat laying on top of and extending about 8-12 inches beyond the floor bar. Use the same moton with your hands on the bar and, with your thumbs wrapped around the bar opposite your index finger (my personal preference) use the rocking motion you learned on the floor to rock yourself up to a handstand while being spotted.

This drill shouldn't be used to form a complete working model of a cast handstand. It's just a drill to teach you how to lean forward while your legs elevate behind and above you, and help you build the specific strength that a cast motion requires.

Have fun, but use good leg form!

 

[livelifetumble8dx]

Thanks for the suggestions! I appericate all the help. I have another question though. Whenever i do cast handstands (straight body) with/without a spot i like...get to handstand but as soon as i do my arms bend & before i know it i'm doing a chinstand on the bar lol I know "Just don't bend your arms" but..... Whats goin' on?

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Swing handstands on parallel bars! Best drill in the world for straight body cast handstands.

 

[BlairBob]

get to handstand but as soon as i do my arms bend & before i know it i'm doing a chinstand on the bar

Don't bend your arms. Push.

My guess would be that your shoulders are way forward of the bar and you cannot open your shoulder as your body gets vertical. Arms bend = chinstand.

 

[iwannacoach]

get to handstand but as soon as i do my arms bend & before i know it i'm doing a chinstand on the bar

Sometimes I'll find that happens to kids who have their hands to far back on the bar. Ending up in a chin stand shows you are balance over the bar reasonably well, so it could be as BlairBob says or it could be your hands are back on the rail and your wrists are at their maximum bend way before a handstand....... kinda like trying to do a beam handstand with only your fingers supporting your weight while the rest of your hand sags down and away from your fingers.

 

[livelifetumble8dx]

Lol. One of my coaches did say that i was leaning my shoulders far over the bar .. But i thought thats what you wanted to do? Is there a point where it's "too much" ?

 

[BlairBob]

When you are not strong enough to push out of it.

I remember telling a few girls way back when the same thing. To be honest though, they weren't very strong. Decent, but not strong enough given their size.