{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Freestanding Handstand",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "deltoid-anterior",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "serratus-anterior",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "trapezius-upper",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "triceps-brachii",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-abdominis",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "forearm-flexors",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "glenohumeral",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "scapulothoracic",
        "actions": [
          "elevation",
          "upward-rotation"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "elbow",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "wrist",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "lumbar-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "calisthenics",
      "balance",
      "strength"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "vertical-push",
      "anti-extension",
      "balance"
    ],
    "mechanics": "compound",
    "force": "static",
    "kinetic_chain": "closed",
    "laterality": "bilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal",
      "frontal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "isometric"
    ],
    "level": "advanced"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "optional": [
      "mat"
    ],
    "required": []
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1516"
  },
  "id": "oec:handstand",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor with your fingers spread wide and slightly turned out.",
      "Step one foot forward into a lunge position with your shoulders stacked directly above your wrists."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Kick up smoothly with the rear leg while pressing firmly through the floor with your hands until your hips align over your shoulders.",
      "Bring your legs together and point your toes toward the ceiling, creating a straight line from wrists to feet.",
      "Actively push the floor away through your shoulders, elevating the scapulae fully.",
      "Grip the ground with your fingers, modulating pressure between the fingertips and palms to micro-adjust balance.",
      "Hold the straight hollow-body position for the targeted duration, then step down with one leg in a controlled descent."
    ],
    "breathing": "Breathe smoothly and shallowly into your chest without releasing intra-abdominal tension or arching your lower back.",
    "cues": [
      "Push the floor away",
      "Squeeze your glutes and point your toes",
      "Grip with your fingertips"
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Banana-backing by hyperextending the lumbar spine.",
        "correction": "Tuck your pelvis into a slight posterior pelvic tilt and brace your abdominals to maintain a hollow-body shape."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Soft or bent elbows during the hold.",
        "correction": "Lock out the elbows completely before kicking up and maintain active extension throughout."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Depressed or relaxed shoulders sinking toward the ears.",
        "correction": "Shrug your shoulders upward toward your ears to maximize scapular elevation and shoulder flexion stability."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Master the pirouette or forward roll bail technique before attempting freestanding holds in open space.",
        "Ensure clear floor space in all directions free of obstacles or sharp objects."
      ],
      "spotter": "recommended"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "duration_counted": "total",
    "load": {
      "kind": "bodyweight"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "duration"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {}
  },
  "name": "Handstand",
  "provenance": {
    "generated": [
      "/name",
      "/summary",
      "/classification",
      "/anatomy",
      "/equipment",
      "/measurement",
      "/instructions",
      "/setup",
      "/relations"
    ],
    "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
    "review": {
      "status": "machine-generated",
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "at": "2026-10-31"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "wger: Handstand",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1516/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "Fittness69"
      }
    ]
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "type": "progression-of",
      "target": "oec:wall-handstand"
    },
    {
      "type": "progression-of",
      "target": "oec:pike-hold"
    },
    {
      "type": "regression-of",
      "target": "oec:handstand-push-up"
    }
  ],
  "setup": {
    "position": "inverted"
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "An inverted bodyweight isometric hold balancing entirely on the hands with the body aligned in a vertical column."
}