Holding a handstand longer

[LiveLoveTumble]

I would like to know how to hold my handstand longer. I can hold it for about 2-3 seconds while standing still (4-5 if I am lucky, but that's just a fluke), but I can walk all the way across the floor on my hands. How can I consistently hold it longer? I have tried spreading my fingers apart, which doesn't really seem to help that much. I can hold it longer if I bend my knees with my feet over my head, but it looks really sloppy. Do you have any tips on how to hold a (nice looking) handstand for longer?

 

[livelifetumble8dx]

when i wanted to hold my handstands longer i use to do them on the wall, holding for 1-2 minutes and tried to hold them on my own for as long as i could with nice form and pointed toes. Theres no magic secret to holding a handstand longer. Just practice handstands with good form in your spare time and eventually you'll be able to hold them longer. Don't practice them messy just because you hold them longer, i find a even a handstand held for five seconds alot more impressive then a handstand held for twice as long with bent knees, legs flying everywhere, banana back etc! Hard work pays off!!

 

[iwannacoach]

You'll learn it the quickest if you make a rule to only do them with straight arms, tight legs, pointed toes, and a slight hollow. That will give you a consistent puzzle to solve, and the solution will be the same every time. At least to the point that you only have to correct by lifting or pressing with your fingers. When people arch, stick out their head, bend their knees.....they change the way their body balances, and it's usually a little different each time, as one effort may have bent legs, and the next an arched back, and the next, and the next, and the next until they've tried it with 20 different combinations of shapes. So do it the easy way by learning it once with one (proper) body shape.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Okay, I won't do it with bent knees anymore!

 

[Kiwi]

Make sure your shoulders are pushed up to your ears, and don't stick your head out. Get your weight further forward over your hands and fingers so you can use them to adjust your balance. Try next to a wall then lift your feet off the wall, if you overbalance you just touch your feet gently to the wall, stay off the wall as long as you can. I have the same problem, when I started practising them a lot I really improved, but when I didn't I lost the improvement, so you have to keep at it.

 

[SignHere]

Start facing a wall do that you can touch the wall with your toes flexed, then point your toes. Your entire body should be tight and you should be balancing on your heels of your hands and your fingers. You want to think about "gripping" the floor. You need to think about correcting your balance by making small shifts in your hands. Practice every day and you will get there! My DD increased from less than 10 sec to over a minute in 6 weeks but we practiced every day she wasn't in the gym. (4 days a week). For about an hour a day.

 

[SignHere]

I meant grip the floor with your fingers!

 

[GetaGrip]

Personally it's easier to hold a handstand for me when I kick up enough, and then balance myself by pressing into the ground with my fingers.

And again, like everyone else said, being tight makes it SO much easier

 

[JRose]

I practice against a wall everyday but I have an arch in my back.. How do I fix that? It's not exactly a banana back but I think it's a significant arch.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

face your stomach to the wall. ^^^

 

[JRose]

face your stomach to the wall. ^^^

So should I walk my feet up the wall or kick my feet up?

 

[iwannacoach]

Cartwheel about 1&1/2 foot away from the wall with your stomach facing the wall, then walk your hands back towards the wall. As your cartwheel gets better, you can start closer in to the wall.

 

[Valentin]

Strong shapes, strong wrists and finger strength if you want the short version. Do lots of handstand holds facing wall (palms about a hand span away from wall) with feet flexed so your center of mass is in this way directly above hands, and fingers are having to work extra hard to keep you from falling off the wall.. 99% of times i see people do handstand at wall their weight is on the heel of their hands.. Works the shoulder but fails to strengthen the wrists or fingers. Also! it is not the ideal position.

The long version
read.
The Handstand a Four Stage Training Model