Blog
BACK
Turn your world upside down- Handstand Benefits
Exercise & Techniques, Physical Health |
I picked up the handstand holds and handstand push ups back in 2015 form a program by Jason Ferruggia, who channels the NYC jungle master Al Kavadlo (well worth looking him up), and have used it in my own workouts and my clients on and off ever since. Then a bit over a year ago, I had handstands pushed into my life again, through Keegan Smith and the Real Movement Project. This time it was free standing handstands and a whole new focus on quality.
There is a lot to like about the handstand. It is both physically and mentally challenging as well as being a powerful exercise to boost upper body strength, stability and core strength. Handstands can be done anywhere and you don’t need any equipment to practice. This makes them a versatile go to exercise for travelling or when short on time or space.
I hope after reading this, you include it in your staple exercises.
Have you ever watched young kids doing handstands, cartwheels and flips? Did you notice how easy it looks? Then you gave it another try right, and quickly discovered its no longer child’s play. If not done regularly, and compounded as we grow older and heavier, it becomes an imposing challenge to just flick your feet up and stand on your hands.
So why should we re-learn this movement? Firstly, it’s a great way to improve our health while at the same time challenge ourselves mentally, as most of us spend little time inverted (upside down), the shift in weight, blood rushing to your head and extra work your heart needs to do to pump blood through your body can create fear and discomfort. Second, it’s an excellent way to gain health and strength benefits with no equipment and no excuses not to do it every day.
I would recommend trying handstand holds by starting with your legs/feet on a box, bench or step and pike downwards to the floor before you practise against a wall or with a partner. (Come in and see us to learn the tips and tricks to rediscover your childhood).
The sequence of working through handstand progressions through to an advanced handstand push up is this:
Partial handstand from a pike position
Feet or knees on a box or bench (elevated surface) so you can support your weight and make getting your upper body into a handstand easier. Plant your hands about shoulder width or a touch wider, which ever feels more comfortable for you. Spread your fingers and plant your palms into the floor. Your aim is to create an upside-down L where your hips, shoulders and arms are all aligned with your backside sticking up in the air. This position is to help you get used to holding weight through your hands, shoulders and core.
Hold with feet against a wall
First find a solid (not plaster board) wall that you won’t kick holes in, or train with a partner. You can kick your feet up and land your heels against the wall (facing away from wall) if you’re confident, but make sure you don’t have your hands too far from the wall. The other option is to walk your feet up the wall, while at the same time walking your hands closer to the wall as your feet climb the wall, ending up with your nose to the wall. (CAUTION) if you aren’t confident with a sideways dismount, practice with a partner. Again, hands in the same position as above, aligning the shoulders over the hands, picture yourself pushing the floor away with your hands. Get yourself so that your body is held long and tall from tip of feet to the palms of your hands, pointing your toes and squeezing your glutes and core tight.
Aim to start off with 3 to 5 holds, working up your time to 30 seconds with 30-60 second rest between each. Once you can do all holds comfortably for 30 sec progress to working up to 60 second holds with a 5-minute time cap on total attempts. This will keep you challenged for a while so don’t push too hard too soon. You want strength and stability, not a shoulder or head injury!
Once you can hold consistent 60 plus second holds, work on hand balancing so that you can balance and keep your feet off the wall. Build these attempts up to 60 second holds and then progress to free standing away from a wall.
Give it a go!
From here you can try;
- TRX supported handstands.
- Single foot supported wall holds.
- Free standing handstands (start close to the wall then move out into open space).
- Handstand push-ups against the wall.
**Tech Tips**
The kick up – don’t let your arms bend at the elbows, this will result in you landing on your head! Practice kicking up with arms locked out against your ears, this is a stronger and more stable position to get into the handstand.
Lock the body in – Once in the handstand, lock yourself into a nice straight position by locking in your abdominals to get a rigid plank between the shoulders and hips, squeezing your glutes tight, pushing the floor away with your hands so you are pushing yourself up into the air, not collapsing onto your hands. This allows your skeletal system to do some of the work by aligning the bones over one another and providing support and rigidity.
Hand balance – when pushing the floor away with your hands, you should have fingers spread, feeling the shifts of weight into each of your fingers. This is where you adjust your balance when freestanding.
Point the toes – aim to point the toes once you get to free balancing.
Head position – work on keeping your head neutral. This will keep your ears next to your arms. If you tend to look at the floor, which arches your neck and shifts your weight away from centre, your feet and hips need to counter balance. This is when you see the crescent shape that many people hold when doing handstands. This can result in injury if not used to mobilising your spine. Work to keep the head neutral and the body in alignment.
Biggest benefits from learning to handstand
Aside from it looks cool when you can pop a solid handstand anywhere from the beach, to the kid’s playground.
Strength
You are pressing your entire body weight! ALL of it! This is pure strength and must be achieved with total body control. Handstands engage every major muscle group in your body. During a handstand, the muscles in your arms, shoulders and chest support your body weight, while core muscles in your back and abdomen provide stability. Your glutes and leg muscles self-support to take pressure off your chest and core. In addition to creating support and lift, your muscles are constantly adjusting and bracing to maintain balance which trains fast twitch contraction and relaxation of the muscles which relays to protect the body from injury not to mention improves shoulder and spinal health.
Stability, Balance and Awareness
Handstands require you to look at the world upside down, which is disorienting for most people and scrambles our sensory system. After a few attempts to do a handstand, your brain becomes used to seeing from a different perspective, which greatly improves your spatial awareness and balance. The high degree of athleticism necessary to hold your body in an upside-down position also helps increase your balance and ability to control your whole body.
Circulation, Bone Density, Heart Health, Improved Mood
By flipping your body upside down, handstands invert normal blood flow. This increases circulation to your upper body while relieving pressure on your stomach, feet and legs. Handstands benefit your spine, brain and pituitary gland. The flood of blood to your brain is energising and calming at the same time, which has shown to aid in relieving minor depression and improving mood. A properly executed back bend during a handstand also invigorates your nervous system (once you are able to). The handstand position also allows gravity to act on the skeletal system from the opposite direction aiding in the maintenance of bone density and countering osteoporosis.
I hope I have convinced you to add this powerful tool to your arsenal of weekly exercises. Remember not to rush through the progressions and watch your form. Go get strong and healthy!
Until next time…. Coach Vaughan
Author: Vaughan Carder
Master Coach
Posted by admin
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭𝟯
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹 🍳
Skipping breakfast doesn’t save you — it costs you energy, focus, and control later.
When your body wakes, it’s ready to refuel. Denying it doesn’t make you disciplined — it just sets you up to crash.
Start your day with purpose and a nutritionally solid breakfast that includes:
🥚 Healthy protein
🍞 Quality carbohydrates
🥑 Nourishing fats
Keep it simple if you must.
Eggs, Greek yogurt, or a quick shake with protein powder, give your body the stability it needs to perform. Add fibre — oats, berries, or whole-grain toast — and you’ll naturally eat about 200 fewer calories by day’s end without even trying.
For most adults aiming to build strength, maintain muscle, or lose fat sustainably, a daily protein target of 1.6–2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight hits the sweet spot.
That’s enough to stabilise hunger, support recovery, and protect lean muscle — especially as we age.
It’s not starvation that trims fat; it’s stability.
When you fuel your body early, it rewards you with clarity, control, and consistency.
💛 Fuel first, focus follows.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Replace sugary cereal with two boiled eggs and whole-grain toast — save around 200 calories and stay full for hours.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Start your morning with a 20-minute brisk walk before breakfast, or do 3 rounds of 15 squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 sit-ups to fire up your metabolism.
🌿 #ProteinPower #SmartStarts #200CalorieSacrifice #TrainingForWarriors #TFWCoffsCoast #DisciplineOverComfort #WarriorNutrition #TFWStrong #Warrior20
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭𝟮
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 🚗
🏠 Discipline doesn’t start in the gym — it starts in your driveway.
That moment when you pull into the driveway after work decides how your night unfolds.
You can choose the couch and a snack — or you can choose movement and momentum.
One decision changes everything: your energy, your cravings, and your results.
Ten minutes of action before walking inside clears your head, lowers stress, and resets your mindset.
That short window is the gap between “I’ll do it tomorrow” and “I already did it.”
You don’t need to be perfect — just consistent enough to own that moment each night.
What we do know from decades of combined experience, is that once someone steps out of their car and into their house after a long day, they are far less likely to make the fantastic decision to step out again and exercise. To do so, makes you a true Warrior!
The driveway is your line in the sand. Step over it like the warrior you are.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Skip the post-work snack or reduce dinner carbs by half; have a glass of water before you eat.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Before going inside, take a 10-minute brisk walk or do 3 quick circuits of 15 squats, 3 Squat Jumps, 10 push-ups, and 10 lunge Jumps per leg.
🔥 #DrivewayDecision #DisciplineOverComfort #BusyButBetter #FitOver40 #TFWCoffsCoast #tfw #GetComfortableBeingUncomfortable #TFW #200CalorieSacrifice #TrainingForWarriors #LiftHeavyAndSprint
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭𝟭
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 🍷
⚖️ Balance isn’t luck — it’s leadership.
Weekends don’t have to derail your discipline — they’re just another opportunity to prove you’re in control.
You don’t need to skip the things you enjoy; you just need to lead yourself through them with awareness.
Plan your weekends like a warrior.
If you know you’ll have drinks or a big meal, earn them first.
Burn 200 calories earlier in the day — a morning walk, a lift session, or yard work at pace — so the scale stays balanced and your momentum intact.
Remember: your choices add up either way.
Decide which direction they’ll take you.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Alternate each alcoholic drink with sparkling water and lime. Swap the beer for a top-shelf, white spirit. Share a meal or starter instead of ordering your own.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: 25-minute morning walk or a 20-minute strength mini-circuit (push, pull, carry).
💛 #WeekendWarrior #BalanceNotExcuses #TFWCoffsCoast #200CalorieSacrifice #TrainingForWarriors #tfw #warrior20
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭𝟬
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 🍿
🔎 Most people don’t over-eat at meals — they leak calories (into their mouths) between them.
🚩Do a one-day audit.
Write down every nibble, bite, and sip.
Chances are, you’ll find 200 calories you didn’t even enjoy — mindless habits that slip under the radar.
🚩Once you see them, you can swap them.
Trade crackers for carrots, wine for water, or mindless munching for movement.
Awareness creates control — and control creates results.
If you can control the small leaks, the bigger results take care of themselves.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Track your snacks for one full day. Replace one high-calorie bite (like biscuits or cheese cubes) with fruit, veggie sticks, or herbal tea.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Add a brisk 15-minute walk after lunch or 20 minutes of fast-paced housework at “warrior” speed — you’ll burn 200 while resetting your focus.
💪 #SnackAudit #AwarenessFirst #200CalorieSacrifice #TFWCoffsCoast #SmallChoicesBigChange #TrainingForWarriors #TFW #Warrior20
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟵
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮% 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘 🕑
💪 A 30-minute workout is only 2% of your day — but it can transform the other 98%.
You don’t need more time — you need focus.
That half hour you keep thinking you don’t have is the same half hour that could reset your body, mind, and energy for the rest of the day.
The real question isn’t “Do I have time?”🤔
It’s “Will I use my 2% well?”
Give 2% effort with 100% intention.
Your fitness doesn’t demand your whole life — just the part you’ve been wasting on hesitation, distraction, or doubt.
Warriors in their 40s don’t win by doing more — they win by doing what matters most, deliberately and consistently.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Skip your afternoon pastry or large sugary drink; replace it with water or black coffee.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: 30 minutes of resistance training — push, pull, squat, carry.
If time’s tight, complete a 15-minute bodyweight circuit: tempo squats, planks, push-ups.
⚔️ #TwoPercentRule #FocusNotTime #PerspectiveIsEverything #PositiveAttitude #TFWCoffsCoast #TrainingForWarriors #200CalorieSacrifice #DisciplineEqualsFreedom #TFW #BestGymInCoffs
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟴
💡 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 — 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗽.
That large takeaway latte with full-cream milk? Around 250 calories.
A long black with a dash of milk? 40 calories.
Same caffeine, smarter choice.
Flavoured coffees and chai lattes can be even sneakier — many reach 300–400 calories before breakfast has even started.
You could be drinking an entire meal’s worth of energy without realising it.
Coffee can fuel your focus or quietly stall your goals. The difference is awareness.
Once you see where your calories hide, you reclaim control — and that awareness becomes your superpower.
No one’s saying give it up — just own your choices.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Choose a small long black, piccolo, or oat flat white instead of a large milk-based or syrup-flavoured coffee. Skip sugar and syrups — your energy and clarity will thank you.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Take a 20-minute power walk during your coffee break or do 10 minutes of step-ups on a low bench (20 reps per leg × 3 sets).
💪 #AwarenessFirst #SmartSacrifice #TFWCoffsCoast #200CalorieChallenge #DisciplineEqualsFreedom #TrainingForWarriors #TFW #thedojo #warrior20
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟳
𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦 🧱
💪 The secret to progress isn’t intensity — it’s consistency.
You don’t need perfection; you need stacking.
Save 100 calories from food and burn 100 through movement — that’s your 200, and it adds up to massive results over time.
Skip the “all or nothing” mindset.
One better meal, one extra round, one less excuse — every tiny choice builds your fortress of strength.
The win isn’t in being perfect — it’s in proving you’re persistent.
"𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡!"
The warriors who keep showing up, even on the average days, are the ones who rewrite their story.
Stack your sacrifices, one by one, until discipline becomes effortless.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Skip creamy salad dressings or the second slice of bread; swap heavy sauces for olive oil and lemon.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Add a 15-minute circuit at home — 20 squats, 10 burpees, 20 lunges per leg. Rest 1 minute, repeat 3×.
🔥 #StackTheSacrifice #ConsistencyOverPerfection #TFWStrong #TFW #TFWCoffscoast #200CalorieSacrifice #DisciplineEqualsFreedom #TrainingForWarriors
💛 𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟲
𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟲 – 𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥 🥗
💪 Your lunch break isn’t a luxury — it’s leverage.
Most people waste it scrolling or sitting.
You can use those same 15 minutes to move, recharge, and reset.
Take a quick walk, climb the stairs, or do a body-weight circuit beside your desk.
You’ll come back sharper, less stressed, and already 200 calories closer to your goal.
Discipline isn’t about more time — it’s about using the time you already have.
Every step, every rep, every choice to move instead of scroll — that’s how the modern warrior wins the day.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Skip the lunchtime soft drink or creamy dressing; choose sparkling water and vinaigrette instead.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Take a 15-minute brisk walk around the block, or complete three quick rounds of 10 push-ups, 15 squats, 20 mountain climbers during your break.
💛 #LunchBreakWarrior #200CalorieSacrifice #TFWCoffsCoast #TheDojo #DisciplineOverComfort #SmallStepsBigResults #TrainingForWarriors
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗗𝗚𝗘 🌙
𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 – 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟱
💛 Win the evening, and you’ll win your results.
Evenings make or break progress.
You’ve eaten well all day — then 200 calories sneak in through wine, snacks, or grazing while cooking dinner.
This week, claim those 200 calories back and build momentum one quiet victory at a time:
🚶 Walk after dinner (20 min)- this will lower you blood glucose levels, dulling your insulin response
💧 Drink water before pouring wine
🍇 Choose fruit over sweets - especially low G.I. berries!
Those are the battles that build the warrior mindset — the small, unseen choices no one claps for, but your results always will.
You’ll sleep better, recover faster, and wake sharper.
Sacrifice comfort now; earn clarity tomorrow.
⚔️ 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟬-𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗧: Swap a glass of wine for sparkling water, or replace half your pasta with veggies.
𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗧: Take a 25-minute walk with purpose or do a light circuit — 3 rounds of 20 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 lunges per leg.
💛 #EveningDiscipline #200CalorieSacrifice #TFWCoffsCoast #TFW #SmallChoicesBigChange #DisciplineOverComfort #WarriorMindset #TrainingForWarriors #TrainAndLearn #Warrior20
