25/08/2026
A simple progression to start building your Handstand foundations 🤸🏼♀️
These are 5 drills I’d absolutely recommend before focusing on kicking up (I wish I did them earlier and more often) :
1. Wrist stretch with extended arm: prepare the wrists for weight & improve their mobility.
2. Scapular push-ups: learn to actively push the floor away & control your shoulder blades which is essential when supporting your weight upside down.
3. Pike knee extension lifts: build shoulder strength, core compression & get comfortable shifting more weight into your hands.
4. Headstand with pike to knee tuck to extension: practice placing your hips over your shoulders and understand where your pelvis needs to be when you’re upside down…. without worrying about balancing on your hands yet.
5. Cat-cows + wrist shakes: use these in between rounds to reset your spine, shoulders, and wrists before going again. 🤸🏼♂️
You don’t need to spend your whole Handstand practice kicking up. Building wrist preparation, shoulder strength, compression, and upside-down body awareness first can make the balancing part much more approachable.
Move slowly, stay active, and let control come before momentum.
Save this for your next Handstand practice 🤸🏼♂️