Work your way up to handstand pushups

Hand stand push ups are one of the best shoulder building exercises you can do with or without weights, but many don’t know how to get themselves strong enough to do handstand push ups.  So I’ve put together some progressions to get anyone ready for the handstand push up.

Push ups – start by building up your push up strength.  When you can get 30 reps non stop then you are ready for the next progression.

Pike Push ups – For this one get into a downward dog position and lower your head to the ground and push back up while staying in that pike position. work for 10+ reps and your ready for the next progression.

Feet elevated push ups – Just like the pike push ups but you elevate your feet on something like a couch or a bed.  Try for 10+ reps.

Hand stand against a wall – For this exercise you will get into the handstand position and kick your feet up and use the wall to keep your balance.  If you can hold the position for 30 seconds or more then you can move on to the next progression.

partial hand stand push up – Now get into the handstand position against the wall and lower yourself part of the way maybe a few inches.  Work up to about 15 partials 1/4 of the way down, then half way, then full.

Negatives – Are a tool to use to practice for any move where you go down very slow.  It should take at least 5 seconds and use strict control.  This is a good way to practice an exercise that you can’t quite do yet.  Useful for pull ups too.

Quick High Volume bodyweight workout

This is a workout to go with the high volume post I just posted. I’m going to start something similar to this at least a couple times per week.  Here goes

 

Day 1

Pull ups 10 x 5 (That’s 10 sets 4 reps)

Bulgarian splits or jump switching lunges 10 x 5

Day 2

Dips or Handstand Push ups 10 x 5

Jump Squats 10 x 10

You can probably go 4 days if your feeling really ballzy.  I myself have a hyper dog that I run a couple miles almost everyday so my legs may not hold up to that punishment on a regular basis, but I’ll probably still end up trying it. lol!  Just not regularly.  Just listen to your body and after a few weeks take a light week and only do 2 days that week with half the work load so you don’t get over trained so you can come back strong the week after.

 

Volume Training with Bodyweight Exercises

     Often I see the question asked, “Can you build muscle from just bodyweight exercise?”  Volume training is good for exercises like pull ups, push ups, handstand push ups, dips, jump squats, Bulgarian split squats, and jumping lunges.  I’ve researched some information about volume training applied to Bodyweight movements and I think that there is some pretty good information, but I disagree with a couple of things.  Coaches bodybuilders, and powerlifters recommend doing a lot of multiple movements for 20 – 40 sets of about 3.  I think the rep range should be between 4 – 10 reps.  Some people tend to think that 4 sets is all you need and for just starting out that would be a good place to start.  Also you should try to work up to 20 sets in a workout.  Superset 2 exercise, and I would only use 2 exercises per day for example pull ups and jump squats.

So if you can do 15 reps of pull ups try doing 4- 5 per set with 10 seconds rest and when you are no longer able to recover with 10 seconds go to 20 seconds and so on.  This will help put on some mass and add raw strength.  As you get better at the movements try adding a rep or 2 per set.  another way you could design the workout is to shoot for a specific number per workout so for example 50 pull ups.  The important thing is to start a workout and stick with it. Also with volume training you want to take an easy week after the 4th week.  You’ll just be doing half the workload that week and letting your body recover.  That recovery week will be when you notice some results, and you’ll come back stronger that next week.  So get out there and start getting jacked!