Table Of ContentThe 15-Second Handstand
A Beginner’s Guide
by Chris Salvato
Copyright © 2013 Chris Salvato
All rights reserved No pan of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in a form by means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopied, recorded, or otherwise without the poor written consent of the
publisher. The authors and publisher disclaim any responsibility for any adverse
effects or consequences from the misapplication or injudicious use of the
information presented in this text.
Swift Archer LLC
500 North Rainbow Boulevard, Suite 300A, Las Vegas, NV 89107, USA
Dedicated to Serena who encouraged me to finish each page, to my
enthusiastic readers who showed me I had knowledge worth sharing,
and to my teachers to whom I owe everything.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Serena Thomson, my future wife and best friend, who
encouraged me to finish every page.
This book would certainly not have happened without the support of
Steven Low, a true bodyweight fitness mentor who helped me achieve
nearly all of my fitness goals in an astoundingly short time.
The contributions of Steven, along with those from Jim Bathurst of
Beast Skills, Ido Portal and the CrossFit communities have pushed fitness
back in the right direction. Without a community focused on self-mastery,
this book would be wholly irrelevant.
A big thanks to my mother and father, who don’t always understand
what I am doing (or why), but continue to support my endeavors fully.
And, finally, a big thanks to the online gymnastics and bodyweight
fitness communities that have been reading my works for years, pushing
their limits, and becoming more useful and impressive. My goal is to help
bring more dedicated people among our ranks.
Disclaimer
By using Beginner's Handstand Guide (hereafter as referred to the
"Book"), you (hereafter referred to as the "User") signify your agreement to
these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to all of these Terms and
Conditions of use, do not use the Book!
The use of the Book and suggested workouts, exercise routines,
nutritional suggestions, or other suggestions is at your own risk. In no
event shall the Book, its authors, editors, illustrators, its suppliers, or any
third parties mentioned in the Book be liable for any damages in the future
including, but not limited to, heart attacks, muscle strains, pulls or tears,
neck, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, finger and/or hip injuries, and
other illness/disease, or injury/damage (mental, physical, financial),
however caused, occurring during or after altering any personal nutritional,
fitness, lifestyle habits or actions. The Book and author do not assume any
responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of
content available in the book. User understands that any and all advice/
programs concerning exercise is not done under supervision of a qualified
trainer and nutrition is for educational purposes only. User has been
advised to seek medical advice from a physician before altering their
nutritional daily diet or beginning an exercise program.
Foreword
I have been performing handstands for years and teaching anyone who
wanted to listen everything that I have learned along the way. When I
wrote a short article on my blog (http://www.eatmoveimprove.com) about
handstands, I was floored with the response. The internet and book shelves
across the globe are rife with materials about the handstand and hand
balancing. There seems to be an overabundance of information available.
So why are so many people interested in what I had to say?
In the 20th century, the western world has lost sight of simply moving
our bodies through space. A vast majority of gyms are filled with
machinery meant to work muscles, but not bodies. Fitness and health, like
so many other parts of our lives, has turned into a grind. Going to the gym
is seen as another horrible necessity that we must perform if we want to
avoid the tyranny of disease, ugliness and untimely death. How very grim.
The fitness world has seem to swung into habits to avoid despair.
These sorts of things, however, go in swings and roundabouts. Nature
has a way of correcting itself, and I believe that fitness trends are swinging
back in the right direction. We are moving towards enjoying our workouts
and their results. As more people learn to master themselves, their own
bodies, the fitness industry moves in the right direction. Conquering your
body and the physical world is impressive and rewarding, and as you do do,
moving weights attached to strings and pulleys loses its appeal.
There is no feeling quite as rewarding as that of mastering moving
yourself through space - whether it be in running, jumping, climbing or
hand balancing. Even more rewarding is when your new abilities unlocks a
whole world before you. Runners often experience this when they run their
first mile effortlessly, craving to run their first 5k, then their first marathon.
Similarly, the handstand unlocks an array of advanced and impressive feats
of strength and skill. It shatters the monotonous world of treadmills and
Smith machines, making it nearly impossible to go back. Yet, there is still a
struggle to get started.
When I first learned to handstand, it took me over one year to get my
first 15-second freestanding hold. It took me that long to put together all of
the pieces of the puzzle and learn what worked. I developed an addiction to
handstands. I was obsessed with getting it right. One year is far too long,
though. Eventually, I was able to get other people to their first handstand in
a fraction of the time.
When writing this book, my goal was to provide information and
insights about the handstand as it should be understood by beginners so
that you can attain your first handstand in weeks, not years. The intended
audience are the complete beginners, not those with years of hand balance
training. The intended audience needs a program they can start today
without understanding the details.
This book lays out a minimalistic program that will enable you to
perform your first handstand like many others before you. Perfect form is
not the goal for a beginner, and not the goal of this book. As a beginner,
your goal is to stand on your hands, and my goal is to get you there.
Over the better part of a decade, I have refined this material to enable
newcomers to get their first 15-second freestanding handstand within as
little at 40 days. My program attacks the difficulties in learning the
handstand as an adult, and boils it down into the simplest possible steps.
The rest of this book explains why these methods work so well, and will
broaden your understanding as you tackle advanced (and impressive)
handstand and bodyweight skills training.
I. Get Started. Right Now. 11
Two Step Method 12
28-day Commitment Log 13
Evaluate Your Current Ability 15
Challenge 1: 60-Sec Wall Plank 17
Challenge 2: 60-Sec Wall Handstand 21
Challenge 3: First Pirouette Bail 26
Challenge 4: 90-Sec Wall Handstand 34
Challenge 5: Backward/Forward Control 42
Challenge 6: The HDLU Kick-up 49
II.Handstands, Strength and Skills 55
Why the Handstand 56
Strength vs. Skill 57
Adult Handstand Difficulties 59
III.The Psychology of Progress 63
Conquering Fear 64
IV.The Physics of Balance 67
How Balance Works 68
Translating Basic Physics To The Body 70
Cambered Hand Technique 73
Optimizing Body Position 77
Advanced Body Position Discussion 87
Losing Control of Balance 102
V. The Physiology of Posture 109
The Brain’s Understanding 110
Teaching Your Primitive Brain 112
Physiologically Preparing for Handstands 118
Dynamic Control: The Kickup 123
VI.Appendix: Alternative Progression 127
Pre-Challenge 1: Downward Dog 128
