Invictus Blog

Getting Strong and Comfortable BEFORE Going Upside Down
Written by Melissa Hurley

We all want to run before we walk, walk before we can stand and stand before we can crawl. It’s great to aim high and reach big, but too often we miss the steps. We jump ahead and forget that the progressions are needed to build complete strength and long term success. It can be a challenge to step back and start at the beginning when we desire to have a skill. However, in every skill there are crucial points of performance that need to happen and then the rest is style and flare. The same holds true in regards to handstands, handstand push-ups, and handstand walking. The first and most important in any gymnastics movement is the hollow body. The hollow body is a hard position to hold standing up or lying down, let alone being upside down; hollow body, butt tight, belly tight, rib cage down. The second is active shoulders and the awareness of pushing. Gymnasts demonstrate active shoulders by pushing up which creates more midline stability by bringing everything in together.

The Hollow Body

• Most neutral body position

• Arms straight reaching behind ears

• Toes pointed

• Legs straight

• Lower back is on the ground

• Belly and butt nice and tight

Active Shoulders

• Arms pushing up but shoulders pulled down and back

• Biceps next to ears

• Lats engaged and tight

• Elbows locked out

Do you have a solid hollow body and can you roll with it? Do you practice and put in the time to create a solid foundation for the rest of your gymnastic movements? Can you keep your shoulders active for a long period of time? Dig in now with these points of performance so you can progress faster and stronger in the next progressions.