It’s Technique Tuesday where we talk about a movement we’re doing tomorrow, WHY we’re doing it, and other fun facts and tips about it!
Movement: Pike Handstand Push-up
Description: Start in a downdog position. Lower the crown of the head to the floor out in front of the hands and then press back up to downdog.
Primary Movement Pattern:
Physical Skills Developed:
Tips, Tricks, and Fun Facts: The pike handstand push-up is a scaled version of the handstand push-up and an important early to intermediate strength progression to increase overhead pressing strength and stability. Tomorrow we’re doing handstand push ups and many of us will be scaling to the pike handstand push-up!
The pike handstand push-up develops strength, flexibility, and balance in the shoulders and triceps as well as the technique that will later be used in the handstand push-up. It’s pretty easy to set up and get in and out of once you know a couple key points:
- Keep your torso as vertical as possible by walking your feet toward your hands and getting up on toes
- Aim for your head to contact the ground out in front of your hands, forming a triangle shape; not in between your hands
- As you press back up, immediately drive your head towards your feet
Newer athletes can scale down to the dumbbell shoulder press to develop strength and stability to unlock a technically sound pike handstand push-up – and it’s totally fine to have some dumbbells ready as a back-up during the workout in case your pike handstand push-ups go to failure!
The next level after the pike handstand push-up is to use the same technique but with your feet elevated on a box for added difficulty.
Setup:
– Start in downward dog position and walk your feet closer to your hands to achieve a pike position with the torso as vertical as possible.
Initiation:
– Lower the crown of the head to touch the ground out in front of your hands, forming a roughly equal triangle with your two hands and the crown of the head. Maintain the pike and vertical torso.
– Drive your head toward your feet as you press back up into the starting position.
Common faults:
– Head landing straight in between hands, instead of out front in a triangle shape
– Torso not vertical, resulting in a stinkbug push-up
Check out our social media for the slow motion video with commentary and have one of our coaches check your technique tomorrow!
Dean