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... ...

Supporting your weight on your hands is easy: manipulating your body into the various positions (handstand, planche, one-arm etc) however needs a great deal of practice, with advice from those who have already achieved it... and it also needs good core strength to hold decent shapes, and reasonable shoulder and upper-body strength.  There is one 'core' principle: in any hand balance, your centre of gravity has to be directly above the supporting hand(s). You may well need help from your coaches or friends to get the 'feel' of that, and to keep it steady (that's where the core strength comes in). Expect many failed attempts. So: some examples to enthuse you. Some drills demonstrated by young gymnasts: (Moral: if at first you don't succeed... ... have another go!) Back with the young gymnasts:    ...and don't let the weather get in the way of your training... The crucial points for perfect handstand shape (on two hands) are 'open' shoulders, tight glut...

 What do  you  get up to on the beach (apart from showing off that beach bod you've worked so hard for!) Today's post is a miscellany of beach, pool, river, sea and generally wet guys enjoying themselves. Includdes some good - and not so good - acrobatics.