Women Leg rotation in press handstand and toe shoot

[HopefulGymnast]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a little discovery and success story. I suddenly figured out something that made my press handstand like twice as easy.

So I've had trouble with my press handstand and my toe shoot both. When I try to straddle my legs by the side, I always end up making an actual breast stroke tuck kick movement.

I also have a very limited middle split, despite almost having a front split. I can split my legs far when I'm leaning forwards with my torso between them, but otherwise I always felt like bone is pinching against bone. So I kind of figured, what if that's just actually happening (I have way wide hip bone structure). I looked up some stuff, and I found out that if I rotate my knees more outwards I can get a lot further before getting that block.

The thing is, in a press handstand I can straddle fine when I'm bent forwards, but just like in that split when I lift my legs opening my hip angle, it doesn't work anymore. But turns out it does when I rotate my legs so the knees point outwards!

I tried the leg movement of the press handstand while lying down, focusing on straddling my legs while rotating them out to allow the movement. As in allowing my knees to point outwards rather than forwards as I lift them up. And suddenly, just like that, straight(ish) legs! No more breaststroke. And it feels sooo much lighter! Before, I could only do 1 at a time on a good day. Now I managed 3 at once.

I'm hoping this is going to help me in my toe shoots too, and eventually my cast handstands (here's hoping I'll get there one day). I'd also love to be able to press to handstand from straddle sit one day, but that goal feels far, far away right now.

Anyway, just wanted to share that little success.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Do you have a video of the motion you're describing? I'm curious....

 

[HopefulGymnast]

Do you have a video of the motion you're describing? I'm curious....

I'll see if I can figure something out with my video editing skills, or find something similar online. I generally don't like putting videos of myself online, especially in this age of AI problems.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I'll see if I can figure something out with my video editing skills, or find something similar online. I generally don't like putting videos of myself online, especially in this age of AI problems.

That's fair

 

[gymfan1]

i totally get what your saying this is so cool!

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Is this basically the same as leg turn out (from hip) for kicks/leaps to keep the hips aligned while getting the leg higher?

 

[HopefulGymnast]

Is this basically the same as leg turn out (from hip) for kicks/leaps to keep the hips aligned while getting the leg higher?

I think so, yes. i didn't realise that was a thing, but that was part of what i discovered. if i do a sideways kick, i can only do it properly with my kicking leg turned out. if i don't turn out my leg, my hip moves a lot to accomodate lifting my leg.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

i didn't realise that was a thing,

I think you will love and learn a lot from ballet! Even if it's just youtube follow along.

 

[HopefulGymnast]

I think you will love and learn a lot from ballet! Even if it's just youtube follow along.

I tried a ballet class nearby, but the issue was it was very "just let the adults try stuff out", rather than working hard to systematically build up skills. I find it way more fun to work systematically on skills. Unfortunately, that is the only ballet class I have access to atm.

I did know about turn out from just general ballet knowledge, I just
1. thought this was the 'wrong' way to do splits in gymnastics
2. didn't realize it'd help me in my straddle movements, circling from like a piked straddle to a stretched out position.

It'd definitely be interesting to sometimes follow ballet classes online though. If you have any to recommend I'd love to hear. I've tried in the past but most I found were a bit tooo beginner for me, assuming you have just 0 athleticism.