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…
Dowiedz się więcej