press handstands! ahhhh!

[gymgirl_60]

i have been doing gymnastics for ten years now. and guess what? i have NEVER had a press.i can do one when i stand on a big box. but not even on a panel mat. i started working them at home and i m leaning more and i can get my toes off the ground about an inch, but thats it.:gloomy::cryingeyesout::sigh: does anyone have any tips? i really want a press, at least from standing.i just cant seem to press up. PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[Billy]

My DD has problems with them, too. I think her problem is balance. She always falls over. I have seen her get into a handstand when she starts in a standing straddle and kind of jumps a little. She also tries to lower herself back down but falls towards the end. She just can seem to hold her balance to do them slowly.

 

[gymgirl_60]

My DD has problems with them, too. I think her problem is balance. She always falls over. I have seen her get into a handstand when she starts in a standing straddle and kind of jumps a little. She also tries to lower herself back down but falls towards the end. She just can seem to hold her balance to do them slowly.

that is exactly my problem! when i do get my feet up, my arms collapse. i am going to try and strengthen my wrists cuz that may be part of my problem

 

[Billy]

Her arms don't collapse. She just falls over, usually backwards. And when she lowers back down, she kind of plops on her butt.

 

[gymgirl_60]

i used to be able to come down, but i wud also plop down on my butt. i dont even know if i can still go down. i think my arms collapse because a) i get scared from leaning, or b) i bend them. i am desperate to get this skill and its kinda silly cuz i was at the gym the other day and a bunch of 5-6 yo were doing press handstands from a sitting straddle

 

[gymdog]

I guess I would have to know more what the problem is, but you can try working them from a headstand too. You can see that around 0:30 in this video:

[YOUTUBE]cHZ8yncLYYY[/YOUTUBE]

I prefer the way the second girl shown has her full forearms resting on the floor around the head because it gives more support.

If your arms are bending/collapsing, it would probably be worth it to work regular HS hold with ideal form and try to work up to holding longer.

 

[dancing9118000]

trying to help

Hey, just to let you know, there is another forum on the site called something like "trying to get somewhere on the press to handstand" and there are a lot of replies with good tips there. I wrote this in the other forum too: "I spent almost seven years trying to get the press handstand. My big problem was that I am very tall for a gymnast, about 5'7", and in press handstands, height is evil!! Anyway, I finally got it last year. My problem was that from a standing straddle, I could lean and get my feet about two inches off the ground and then after that, I would stop and fall over. I felt as though my hips wouldn't continue raising and I would feel stuck. What my coach finally pointed out to me was that I was attempting to raise my feet up instead of rolling my hips first. What you want to do is roll your hips so that your hips are over your head and your back is straight FIRST before you pay much of any attention to your legs. So focus on your back and hips not your legs. Also it is a lot easier to get the press if you can easily do a straddle pancake stretch on the floor with your chest all the way down and think of holding your legs very close to your body until your back is straight."

 

[gymnast695]

Hey i can't do press handstands either, but i am really close. i can do them off a normal pannel mat. my problem is that my arms arent strong enough and niether are my legs/abs cause i have a hard time like pulling my legs up. so that could be your problem too... idk :] but good luck getting it!!

 

[gymgirl_60]

big improvement!

:rotfl: well, last night i did some off chairs at the pool and then came home and was finally able to do it off a five inch elevation! it is probably around the same height as a panel mat. i used my brothers toy holding bins.they arent to consistent, but a week ago i couldnt even do that! i wil also try the tips you all left! thnx so much!!

 

[GymTwinsMom]

:rotfl: well, last night i did some off chairs at the pool and then came home and was finally able to do it off a five inch elevation! it is probably around the same height as a panel mat. i used my brothers toy holding bins.they arent to consistent, but a week ago i couldnt even do that! i wil also try the tips you all left! thnx so much!!

That is a big improvement! Keep working at it.