Handstand Half Kick-up Drill

Handstand kick-ups are a skill that requires a lot of practice to master. Being mindful of the kick-up technique can speed up the learning process. It's not a matter of simply doing the repetitions, it's about doing them correctly.

The half kick-up handstand drill teaches the fundamental technique required to kick-up into a handstand. Start in a standing position and take a nice big lunge forward. Reach the arms to the floor are place them shoulder-width apart with the index fingers point forward. The index finger and middle finger are bent with the second knuckle off the floor, which allows for better grip and gives us more control in the handstand.

Next, make sure the shoulders are stacked vertically above the wrists or slightly forward of the wrists, do not start the kick-up with the shoulders behind the wrist. Next, we want to lock the elbows by twisting the hands into the floor towards the pinky fingers. This creates shoulder external rotation and helps to keep the elbows locked. Notice that the eye of the elbow pits will be facing inwards towards the ears or slightly forward.

From here, we want to pull the ribcage down and suck the belly button in towards the spine. This will round the back and set the spine to be slightly flexed. Notice how the head is not forward of the hands; the ears are touching the shoulders.

The leading leg must remain straight, at no point in the kick-up should the knee bend. Contract the quad and point the toe of the leading leg to help keep it straight. Contract the glute of the lead leg and keep it contracted as you perform the half kick-ups.

The front leg is the kicking leg; it does all of the work in the kick-up. Bend the front knee and use it to lift the hips up and forward, think about trying to stack the hips above the shoulders. As the front knee and ankle extends, the lead leg will lift off the floor and move up with the hips. The height of the lead leg will depend on hamstring mobility. The tighter your hamstrings, the harder it will be to straighten the front knee and lift the lead leg.

Continue to push through the front foot and rise up onto the ball of the foot. Keep the front foot on the floor and hold the top of half-kick-up for a split second before bending the font knee and bringing the leed foot back to the floor.

Notice that the elbows do not bend, the head stays tucked between the arms, and the spine stays flexed as we perform the prescribed number of repetitions.