Can you hold a handstand for 10 seconds? Aparently, only one person in 100 can do that. Of course, if you have an interest in gymnastics or acrobatics, you will have trained handstands quite intensively. When it comes to balance on ONE hand... that requires a lot of training alongside the careful physical conditioning that is essential to hold that position in any sort of decent shape. And that's where the ordinary gym comes in - to train those core muscles and ensure that your shoulders are sufficiently flexible to get into a decent shape. So we feature handstands in this blog from time to time: not all the attempts shown here are the ideal shape at al, but we do support anyone who gives it a go. And, of course, the guys who chose acrobatic gymnastics as their #1 sport are the ones that go on to do it professionally, as some featured in this post have done. Hopefully, they all inspire you to get fit. As a gymnastics coach, I also say "the more time you spend on your hands... ...

A long while back we found a webpage called "The Lost Art of the Handstand" - it no longer exists, so don't bother looking! Every gymnast and many circus performers need handstands, which come in many forms: one two hands, on one arm only, high on top of another performer... count the ways! In this bonus post - and don't miss today's EARLIER ONE - we include training tips as well as artistic hand-balance examples (and sometmes less artistic one but good tries!). All in the interests of promoting the fitness and training needed to perform them properly. New resolution to get stuck in for 2024?  We cover many positions in these examples including planche - anything where all the weight is mantained on the hands in balance and during movements. Let's go. But wait: some training tips: Yes, shape matters a lot. More... When you are skilled in acrobatic gymnastics, all things are possible and there is fun to be had too: Obviously muscle strength is required as well...