Episode 3

This is week 3 from 'The Ultimate 7 week handstand course' from Natalie Reckert

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/handbalancing

The purple numbers are minutes : seconds in the video on vimeo

Natalie's tip for open up the shoulders/arms:

• In between every exercise: With slightly bend knees chest to wall handstand, control of ribs pulled in, then push the floor away to lengthen up out of the shoulders while at the same time using the body weight (slightly diagonal with the upper body) to open up the shoulder line more. 20 sec hold

• Next step getting closer to the wall, same lenghtening up by pushing the shoulders up, now with the legs straighter against the wall, chin pulled to the chest, again using body weight to getting more opening in the shoulders, 20 sec hold

Wrist activation

1. 1. Squeezing tennisballs with straight arms stretched out to the front, 40 x

   2. Sqeezing bloks on the floor, 40 x

   3. Holding a stick with straight arms in front of you, roling the stick downwards, 20 x

   4. The same with the stick, now roling it upwards, 20 x, 3+4 2 sets

   5. Hold the arms as if holding a big ball in front of you, (or fingers like Indian dancer thumb and middlefinger together, or just all fingers together, with wrist make semicircles and folds:

      1. palms to the back (so you can see your palms), fingers pointing to each other

      2. fold hands lateral (on a horizontal plane) so the fingers are pointing outwards

      3. make a semicircel downwards, now the palms are facing inwards, fingers pointing to each other

      4. fold hands lateral on a horizontal plane, so the fingers pointing lateral

      5. make a semicircel upwards, now you're again in the begin position, palms to back, fingers pointing to each other

      6. repeat and also change direction and way to hold the fingers

   6. Plank position on flat hands, push up on to fingers right, left, hold for 1 second, down again right, left, 10 x

      1. Same beginning with left, 10 x

   7. Plank position on flat hands, push up on to the fist right, left, hold for 1 sec, down again right, left, 5 x

      1. Same beginning with left, 5 x

Hip activation (6:28)

1. Laying on the back, pull one knee up to your chest, let it fall to the side and sliding it back down again, other leg, as relaxed as possible, 5 x

   1. Same change direction (beginning sliding to the side and up), other leg, 5 x

   2. Then begin with the first direction, followed immediately by the second direction, changing legs in between, quick 10 x

2. Pull your knee in to your chest and hold, let it fall to the side pull it in towards you and gently push it to the floor, hold, other side

3. Standing (use something to hold on), same movement: pull knee up and to the side and down again (but not letting the foot stand), both legs, both directions and also with kalf pointing to the back (45º at the knee) and circling maximally to all the possible directions

4. 11:00 Sit in straddled position, keep a straight back, lean forward onto one hand, the other hand reaches outstretched to one foot sweeping out as much as possible and over to the other foot, back and fore 5 x, change hand, 5 x

5. Same circle sweeping now with outstretched hands with interlaced fingers, reaching to the feet

6. Walk your hands forward as far as possible, try to touch the floor with the belly, so straight back, hold a few seconds

7. Lean on the right ellbow, now placed behind the right leg, sweep with the left hand to the back, the left hip comes of the floor, keep the left leg straight, it forms a diagonal with the left arm

8. Sweep with the left arm in a semicircel to the front till your ellbow is on the floor behind the left leg, stretching the right arm and right leg in a diagonal line, the foot can come off the floor

9. 7 and 8 repeat couple of times, make it to a smooth movement that doesn't stop, 10 x

10. 15:15 Begin in the straddle, reach back with the ellbows (now both ellbows), bend the legs and role into a plank, push up again while stretching the legs to the straddle (going through the diagonal stretch and threw semicircel to the front), 8 x

Core stability 17:15

1. This exercise is also in episode 1. Plank position, place hip onto the ground left and right, arms as straight as possible, grabbing the floor with the fingers, 20 x, 2 sets

2. Plank position on ellbows, place hips to the ground left and right, 20 x, 2 sets

3. 21:00 This exercise is also in episode 2. Use a physio ball or a chair. Plank with the feet on the ball/chair, scapula push ups + moving back and forth + pulling knees diagonally to the ellbows 20 x, 2 sets

4. 24:12 Side plank with straight arm, dips with hip on the floor, both sides 20 x, 2 sets

5. 26:40 Lay with the belly on the floor, nose a few centimeter off the ground, stretch out the arms to the front, without break:

   1. lifting off the right arm with the left leg, 20 x

   2. then other side, 20 x

   3. then both arms and legs together, 20 x

   4. moving arms in semicircel front to legs while legs are on the floor, 20 x

   5. arms to the front ellbow to the side and paralell to the floor lifting up one ellbow from the shoulder, 20 x

   6. other ellbow, 20 x

   7. short brake in child position

   8. Repeat only 4 to 6

Handstand preparation

1. Same as in episode 2 'tuck jumps' (bunny hops), but not to the front and up, but now from side to side, during the jump the legs are straight, hips above the ellbows, 20 x, 2 sets

2. 34: 20 Kick ups, wall begind you but not touching

   1. don't stick you head out,

   2. curve the back,

   3. kick up hard with the bend leg, get your hip up first, not the straight leg,

   4. close the second leg to the first,

   5. don't bend the second leg, because it'll make your back bend in a banana

   6. continous movement

   7. you can do right, left or half the amount right, then the other half left, 10 x, 2 sets

3. 40:25 Same as in episode 2, L-shape, push up and away actively, hold 20 sec, 3 sets

4. 43:30 L-shape, lift one leg up, put more weight onto the hands, feeling balance then getting the foot that's still on the wall lighter, you may push a little with this foot, other side, 3 x

5. Same, but now holding in between changing sides, 10 sec, 3 sets

Stretch 48:00

1. Standing, legs hip width apart, one arm up, bending to one side, arm above the ear, reaching actively towards the side, the other arm on the leg, hold 10 sec

2. Hold a stick, hands a little bit wider than shoulder width apart, arms with straight ellobws up and stretch back, don't stick the chest or head out, stretch should be in the shoulders, hold 15 sec, 2 sets

3. Use a gym ball or the edge of a couch/bed. Lay over the ball, stretch the arms over your head, feel the upper back curve and stretch, 3 min

4. 52:40 Interlock the hands behind the back or use a towel, push shoulders down, keep head and spine straight, both sides, hold for 1 min