Click over to Facebook to see a larger version of this photo.
Acrobatic Gymnasts will be competing in Florida at Worlds next week.
Thanks Marceline.
tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports …
April 15th, 2012 — acrobatic gymnastics, Circus, handstands
Click over to Facebook to see a larger version of this photo.
Acrobatic Gymnasts will be competing in Florida at Worlds next week.
Thanks Marceline.
April 12th, 2012 — Circus, handstands
I can’t think of any more difficult handstands than those done on a swaying slack rope.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
… Is this guy now in Cirque du Soleil’s OVO?
(via Niclaes Jerkeholt on Facebook)
March 18th, 2012 — handstands, humour
March 17th, 2012 — Gymnastics, handstands
A follow up to yesterday’s handstand post. Many more drills for “line” to consider adding to your program.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (8min)
From Gymnastics Planet.
March 16th, 2012 — bars, Gymnastics, handstands, horizontal bar, physical preparation
Arriving at a new gym, the very FIRST thing I did was put a handstand complex into the warm-up.
I’d say this is the most valuable 4-6min during our workout.
Tumbling Drills has a nice instructional on how to introduce wall handstand to beginners.
My go to source for physical preparation is Gymnastic Bodies. Coach Sommer literally wrote the book on the topic:
Wall handstands are your most valuable tool for learning a correct handstand. I recommend staying with them for a substantial period of time. …
To transition from wall handstands to free standing handstands, try the following drill: Perform a wall handstand with stomach to the wall. Place your wrists approximately 4-6? from the base of the wall. Keep one foot on the wall while pulling the other foot off the wall and extending that leg directly over your hips. At this time, your wrists, shoulders, hips and leg that is off the wall should be in one vertical line. Once you feel that you have achieved a strong stable position, slowly pull your supporting foot off the wall. When you lose your balance, simply catch yourself by replacing the foot on the wall and then continue on with the drill. …
Free of the wall, my favourite drill is 1) Handstand, 2) look at the toes, 3) slow pike down to stand.
Having the head “buried” is a good mistake, for 99% of the gymnasts I coach.
Advanced kids start on Floor Bar. Best practice is to dedicate time to this station every workout.
Leave a comment if you are a wall handstand fanatic.
March 14th, 2012 — Gymnastics, handstands, psychology
A very detailed and original discussion on this important topic.
… the role human head position plays in Artistic Gymnastics Performance.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (10min)
Nick Blanton‘s is the definitive word on head position. Leave a comment if you know of any other resource similar.
What would change if humans had eyes in the back of their heads? Or on top?
UPDATE from Nick:
I started my “research” on head position after I went to the UEG Clinic in 2008 in Tirrenia, Italy. One of the coaches, Valentin Potapenko, was the former Soviet Union’s acrobatics coach – the “brains” behind the triple back.
Valentin was a big advocate of positioning of the head during tumbling and acrobatics. Ever since his lectures I have become fascinated with the positioning of the head and its effects. That video was an initial project into the venture – I am sure at some point I will update another video, or paper, highlighting further information…
February 26th, 2012 — Gymnastics, handstands
I can’t coach without wall space. Every day, every gymnast needs to do my wall complex just after warm-ups. If you’ve got problems with handstand, you’ve got problems with gymnastics.
At Eastside Gymnastics Academy in Woodinville, WA, they’ve got an ideal wall with floor bars at the ready.

Photo – Diana Hughes from Tumbl Trak. And thanks to coach Ben Carson for inviting us.
February 20th, 2012 — handstands, physical preparation
Can your gymnast do this?
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Looks real. Leave a comment if you know FACTS about this young man. Here’s a reversed .GIF from the same session.
(via John Howard on Facebook)
January 30th, 2012 — Circus, handstands
Yuval Ayalon from Israel is a circus performer in Vegas.
This short training vid just passed 100,000 hits.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Thanks Dana.
January 8th, 2012 — acrobatic gymnastics, handstands
From Anna Ivaseva’s YouTube channel. An impressive Russian Pair.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
She’s exquisite. I like best the “Diamodov” to 1-arm handstand at 2min 30sec.
(via Matt Sparks on Facebook)
December 26th, 2011 — Circus, handstands
September 17th, 2011 — handstands
USAG’s Amanda Robinson by email:
… 20,478 gymnasts and fans from more than 100 gymnastics clubs nationwide joined together today to break the world record for most handstands performed simultaneously …
Here are Mary Wright’s kids spelling out the name of their club – Olympus.
… more photos from different clubs
September 17th, 2011 — Gymnastics, handstands
Each year, USA Gymnastics celebrates National Gymnastics Day to raise exposure of our sport. Since 2001, gymnastics clubs across the country have raised more than $1.4 million for Children’s Miracle Network. This year, on Sept. 17, 2011, gym clubs across the country will take part in a nationwide handstand world-record attempt to celebrate …

John Geddert on Facebook:
Twistars USA is hosting a FREE Open House on National Gymnastics Day – Saturday, September 17th, from 12:30pm to 3:30pm at the Summit Location!
At 1pm (Eastern Time) sharp – anyone and everyone who can, will need to have their “feet off the ground” in an attempt at a Guinness World Record! This will be conducted in conjunction with USA Gymnastics and will be recorded.
Will YOU be doing a handstand on the 17th?
_____
It’s Sports Day in Canada, too. Karen Cockburn, Jason Burnett, and Rosie MacLennan, to celebrate, perform in Toronto.