My Favorite Workout

I have a new favorite upper body/core workout, and if you follow me on Instagram you may already have an idea as to what that is. First there was this photo from last weekend on The Mall downtown.

it’s more fun to be upside down

Then there was this one that I posted on Friday afternoon.

This one is much prettier

Holding a handstand really does require an epic amount of upper body and core strength, specifically in your shoulders, but every muscle in your arm will get some work during this. Without fail, whenever I mention that I can still pretty easily kick up into a handstand at the ripe old age of 27.5, the number one question I get is, “How?” I find it pretty difficult to explain, mostly because it’s something I’ve been doing since age five, but I decided to make a video for y’all with some things that will make mastering the handstand easier for you.

1. warm-up, just with any workout regime you don’t want to go in cold. I usually run a few miles before tackling mine and then stretch out and warm up my wrists. Wrist flexibility and strength is also really important, so roll them around, flex them back and forward, better yet just watch this. 
2. You want to work up to a minute for the hollow body hold, in my gymnastics days we called it six inches because hint your body is only supposed to be six inches off the ground.
3. Honestly? I find the handstand facing the wall more difficult that kicking up into one facing away from the wall… something about having to walk your feet up.
4. I look like a giant nerd in the video, but the majority of it was filmed on Sunday in my living room so I had to make do with the space I had.
5. My ass jiggles, a lot, I’m not really happy about it.

Again, like with anything, practice makes perfect. I think the most difficult thing about doing a handstand is getting a feel for that magical center of balance. The strength and conditioning will only take you so far, it’s really about mastering the feel of balancing upside down. Also, by no means are my handstands perfect or nearly as pretty as they used to be. The walking happens because I lose my balance when trying to stay still.

If you have any questions, lay em on me, and don’t be afraid of falling. You most likely won’t, and if you do it doesn’t hurt that much :). Plus it only takes one or two falls out of a handstand before you master the art of the forward roll fall out. Outatkes of me falling out of my handstands.