Category: handstands

Acrobats in Kenya

Veronique Sprenger spent 10 weeks training with this troupe in a slum called Kangemi in Nairobi.

She’s doing a Masters in International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam on these athletes.

Watch all the way through. It’s impressive what they’ve accomplished with very little equipment. Tumbling on hard wood floor, for example.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

reverse planche strength

Gymnasts do not need to be THIS strong at that range of motion, but many are not as strong as they should be for Artistic Gymnastics. Condition it specifically and progressively.

I include it with handstand training.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

Bar handstand drills

Tom Strange from DeVeaus takes the High Performance camp athletes through a bars complex that works the handstand lines and pirouette shapes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Handstand progressions

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I’m working my way back through the excellent Kleuren Turnen videos on YouTube.

mittens between the ears for alignment

Or sponges.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I like these drills for beginners. Once they can be trusted to keep line, begin tilting the head slightly for more visual information.

(I’m not convinced every gymnast needs see thumbs, however.)