what is the next step?

[kareina]

My gymnastics trainer asked us to list our main goal for the training, and then sub goals we will use to get there. I replied:

"Jag har mitt huvudmål: Att kunna stå på händerna hur länge som helst, och att kom till den hållningen med att lifta båda benen (rakt och långsamt). Men jag har ingen aning vilka delmål kan ta mig från nu till målet, och inte heller vilka månader skulle ha vilket delmål. Kan ni hjälpa till med suggestioner till delmålen?"

But it occurs to me that I may have friends in other places who can help with suggestions, too. What sub-goals would you suggest for someone who wants to be able to stand on their hands for a long time, and to get there by lifting both legs at once, slowly and straight? What is a reasonable amount of time between the sub goals?

• I can already do the slow, controlled, straight legs lift into a headstand (and when in the head stand have no problems with moving my legs into splits in various directions and bringing them back up again).
• I have no problems standing on my hands for quite a while against a wall, or with a spotter lightly holding one foot.
• I can do partial hand-stand push-ups when my feet are against the wall.
• If I have a very thick mat that is tall enough to put my head on while my arms are straight and my hands are on the floor, I can do a slow, controlled roll up with bent legs to the headstand with straight arms.
• I have no problems going (kicking up, one leg at a time) into a handstand in the middle of the room and rolling out of it onto my back promptly (though I prefer to only do that on a mat), and once in a while the pause before I need to roll is actually measurable in seconds (though not so many of them).

What is the next step to achieve the right combination of strength, balance, and coordination to simply stop in the handstand and hold it?

Comments

[writeswithpain]

Things to do to help you build strength and balance to hold a handstand:

1. Handstands against a wall, both back to wall and face to wall. Focus on keeping your shoulder muscles activated/pushing up/out. Also focus on keeping your torso "hollow" or tight, with your lower back rounding and your hips activated. (No arching.)

As you practice these, try to use the wall only for balance, not to bear weight. As your strength and stability increase, you'll find yourself starting to "float" away from the wall. Let that happen--it's what you're going for.

2. Do lots and lots and lots and lots of free-standing handstands. Same as with wall-based handstands, focus on the activation of the muscles of your shoulders and hips, and your "hollow" body position.

As you're practicing your handstands, keep an eye on how your wrists are handling the stress. If you find you're starting to feel pain, get yourself a set of good gymnastics-oriented wrist braces ASAP. The best are the kind that provide thick, semi-rigid support on the outside of the wrists.

Btw...I was a competitive gymnast from 11-18, and taught/coached gymnastics until I was 22. Gymnastics rocks!