Depending on what we’re starting with and our level of experience, our training and approach should look different. A beginner for example we probably shouldn’t study anatomy textbooks thinking he will find the magic recipe to holding a handstand, the only way you can learn to balance is by PRACTICING.  Not to mention, we should also take into consideration all our previous movement background, body type, mobility, motivation, neural plasticity, passion, drive, past injuries, fear tolerance, expectations, strength etc. Which is why this process will look completely different for everyone, WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT. For some people it clicks right away and for others it may take even years, THERE IS NO MAGIC COOKIE YOU CAN EAT to learn how to do it overnight sorry to break it to you.  This is a skill that takes consistent practice and learning how to take satisfaction from all those small wins because trust me there will be hours upon hours of falls and fails that seem like are going nowhere(but in all actuality this is when we actually learn the most, I’l explain the science later). It takes dedication and a #growthmindset (Carol Dweck- Growth MIndset)period dot.

Think of it this way, when we are toddlers learning to walk it doesn’t happen over night. We have to fall many times until we learn to take those first steps, only then our anatomy and physics are more on our side. Our bodies are way more equipped to walk on feet than hands, however this analogy helps quite a lot when learning how to balance (also thinking of the shoulders as the hips). Not to mention during the first 25 or so years of our life our brains act just like a big sponge, soaking up everything we see and experience (good and bad) however this extraordinary neuroplasticity we have at young age makes learning a lot easier. The older we get unfortunately we have to try a lot harder and repeat things WAY more often to create those new neural pathways in order to turn whatever it is we’re learning into something reflexive(like second nature).

In a full handstand for example our WHOLE body is working and every body part is doing something different. That is a lot of information for our nervous system to take in all at once, especially if we were to start checking them all  off the list: point toes, thighs together, active glutes and so on etc. SO if we are just starting out, it will be probably really hard to be able to concentrate on doing all those things PLUS focus on the most important part of the handstand – balancing with our HANDS.  It would probably make sense,if we were at the beginning of our handstand journey, to not bombard our minds with a million and one alignment cues when in all reality we are actually hanging on for dear life, trying to hold that handstand for a split second or two.

Plus, as I just learned the other day from one of my favorite scientists Professor Andrew Huberman Huberman Lab learning inversions and other balances increases the neural plasticity of our brains AND it’s not the “perfect” straight handstand that does this, only all the errors and fails we make while learning that send signals to our CNS(central nervous system) the something is wrong and that it needs to fix it, it needs to change something! When everything is all fine and dandy there’s no need to change(just as in life), our CNS works in a similar way,  but our mistakes ARE our greatest teachers propelling us to change!

The banana back

A banana back handstand, or in other words a curved handstand, gets a really bad rep in the hand balancing community as it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as a straight handstand, but it’s actually where a lot of people start because it’s a more natural position for the body. Ask any person who’s never held a handstand to try and kick up and see what shape they make with their body chances are it will be curved! This is actually how my freestanding handstands looked for a LONG time when I started learning, like a little baby taking it’s first steps all over again only this time on my hands! Even though it wasn’t pretty, the curved shape made it easier for me to stay up on longer on my hands and learn those subtle rocking movements like a pendulum, this my friend is the art of  BALANCING.

And actually, old school hand balancers performed all their handstands with curves in their back! Like the godfather of hand balancing himself, Professor Paulinetti who basically invented the one arm handstand (and the one arm Planche) and he actually did this with a curved back! 

There is a myth that doing curved handstands can hurt your back, but I think it’s just like anything else in life, if you’re smart about it and don’t go past your load capacity you should be safe. Let’s remember that the spine isn’t straight and naturally has CURVES, so as long as we don’t do too much too soon, push past our limit and  remember to keep the deep core (TVA muscle) engaged, with practice we will build up the necessary strength and flexibility(if anatomy allows) to move on to more demanding shapes and alignment. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you won’t learn to handstand in a day either, no one starts off doing handstands with “perfect” alignement, its really subjective takes time and so we really gotta try to take in all those small wins and learn to enjoy that journey because  the refinement process can last our whole life!

Shoulders & Alignment

I won’t lie, holding a straight handstand is HARD. The muscle activation required is significantly more difficult than in a curved handstand, not to mention it demands at least 180 degree overhead shoulder flexion, in other words straightening of the arms all the way overhead and locking them in place with the help of the scapula. This lets us stack our bones up on top of each other making the straight line more or a “resting pose”, when we find that sweet spot in the middle and feel almost weightless. On the other hand, if we’re lacking the necessary shoulder flexibility the shoulders tend to start leaning a bit forward (in a Planche type shape). This puts too much unnecessary strain on the shoulders in the long run as well as throws off alignment for the rest of the body. Proper alignment in full handstand has a lot to do with how our pelvis and shoulders line up with each other, so if one of these is lacking necessary mobility it’s going to negatively impact  the others position. Closed shoulders are usually the culprit behind the infamous “banana handstand”, but relax it’s not the end of the world.

You can test your shoulder flexion easily by putting your back against a wall and raising your arms over head. If you are able to do this without your ribs flaring out and/or your lumbar spine(low back) curving and peeling off the wall, then you have pretty open shoulders and achieving the straight line will probably be easier for you. If not, you most likely will compensate for the limited ROM(range of motion) by throwing some other body part out of alignment.You can choose to work on opening the shoulders more with different exercises and mobility drills but this doesn’t happen over night and sometimes there are things in our anatomy that we just can’t change (like bone or joint shape). I don’t think however, that that should be a reason not to handstand. You may have to work a little harder, but with practice and good body awareness anything is possible!

Wall work

A great way to get get acquainted with what it feels like to be upside down and at the same time get stronger is working with a prop like the wall. Walls  are great because they’re  free, we usually have at least one at home, they’re pretty strong and reliable! In the beginning when we are learning how to kick up to handstand freestanding and fighting with gravity for our lives, thinking of alignment is the last thing on our minds. 

Training with a prop like the wall gives us the added stability, support and builds confidence so the fear of falling is dramatically reduced and in return it’ll be easier for us  to implement the correct technique as well as all the detailed alignment cues necessary to eventually get that straight handstand (or whatever other shape we may be drilling). This in effect helps us to freely create new neural pathways in our brains as well as the necessary neuromuscular patterns in our bodies so that with time it will become a natural reflex, and we won’t have to think of all the millions of things we have to do with our body they will happen on their own!(Just like walking or driving a car!!!) It’s a process and takes time, it will be different for everyone.

I spent a good year and a half practicing with “Paul the Wall” (what he’s called on Instagram). I would get 2/3 seconds holds here and there and I felt like it was never going to click for me. But I didn’t give up, I kept practicing regularly and turned all those small wins into motivation to keep going #growthmidset .

Today I know all those countless hours of falling and “failing” were necessary steps in the process, building me up internally and physically. Until one day were I finally mustered up enough courage to and kick up to freestanding handstand and that’s when I started to actually feel what it was like to balance on my hands. Sometimes props can also be a crutch so we have to know when to step away from them.

So if you want to learn to balance on your hands stop making excuses and just DO IT!! Even if you have a Banana back at first who cares!/ We gotta start somewhere! We are all different and our journey will also look different but one thing I know for certain, if I could teach myself at the age of 33 with no prior experience practicing while I was undergoing treatment for cancer, ANYONE can do it! We are so much stronger than we know and mindset is everything, all we have to do is start believing it can be done. So what are you waiting for?? Let’s be balanced!!

If you are interested in private online handstand sessions with me I am available for coaching, just shoot me a message! Also, make sure to subscribe and check out my album BeBalanced! on YouTube, I just added a new video on how to start your handstand journey!

Starting your handstand journey:

Some tips on straightening out your handstand :