Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

Handstand

oec:handstand

An inverted bodyweight isometric hold balancing entirely on the hands with the body aligned in a vertical column.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Freestanding Handstand

How to do it

Setup

  1. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor with your fingers spread wide and slightly turned out.
  2. Step one foot forward into a lunge position with your shoulders stacked directly above your wrists.

Movement

  1. Kick up smoothly with the rear leg while pressing firmly through the floor with your hands until your hips align over your shoulders.
  2. Bring your legs together and point your toes toward the ceiling, creating a straight line from wrists to feet.
  3. Actively push the floor away through your shoulders, elevating the scapulae fully.
  4. Grip the ground with your fingers, modulating pressure between the fingertips and palms to micro-adjust balance.
  5. 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

Banana-backing by hyperextending the lumbar spine.
Tuck your pelvis into a slight posterior pelvic tilt and brace your abdominals to maintain a hollow-body shape.
Soft or bent elbows during the hold.
Lock out the elbows completely before kicking up and maintain active extension throughout.
Depressed or relaxed shoulders sinking toward the ears.
Shrug your shoulders upward toward your ears to maximize scapular elevation and shoulder flexion stability.

Safety

  • 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.

Muscles

  • Front deltoid prime mover
  • Serratus anterior prime mover
  • Upper trapezius prime mover
  • Triceps brachii synergist
  • Rectus abdominis stabilizer
  • Gluteus maximus stabilizer
  • Wrist and finger flexors stabilizer

Joints

  • Shoulder: Isometric stabilization
  • Shoulder blade: Elevation, Upward rotation
  • Elbow: Isometric stabilization
  • Wrist: Isometric stabilization
  • Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement
Vertical push, Anti-extension, Balance
Modality
Calisthenics, Balance, Strength
Mechanics
compound
Force
static
Laterality
bilateral
Kinetic chain
closed
Level
advanced
Equipment
None
Record
Duration
Load
bodyweight

Related

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

handstand.json