Handstand

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor with fingers spread wide and index fingers pointing forward or slightly out.
2. Start in a crouched position with your dominant leg forward and your gaze fixed on a point between your thumbs.
3. Engage your core and protract your shoulder blades by pushing the floor away to create a stable, active base.

How to do it

1. Kick up with your dominant leg while simultaneously pushing off the floor with the other, aiming to stack your hips directly over your shoulders.
2. Bring your legs together and point your toes toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes and quads to maintain a straight vertical line.
3. Maintain a steady, shallow breathing pattern while keeping maximum tension throughout your core and upper body.
4. To exit, lower one leg at a time back to the floor with control, avoiding a heavy landing.

Form checklist

• Keep elbows fully locked out and shoulders pushed 'into your ears' to maximize stability.
• Maintain a hollow body position by tucking your ribs and avoiding an arched 'banana' back.
• Grip the floor with your fingertips to act as brakes and adjust your balance.
• Keep your head in a neutral or slightly extended position, looking at the space between your hands.

Pro tips

• Think about 'screwing' your hands into the floor to create external rotation and more stability in the shoulder joints.
• Focus on shifting your weight toward your fingertips if you feel yourself falling forward, and toward the palms if falling backward.

Make it harder

• Perform Handstand Push-Ups by lowering your head toward the floor and pressing back up to the start.
• Practice 'Shape Shifts' by moving your legs into straddle, tuck, or diamond positions while maintaining a perfectly vertical torso.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the handstand work?

The handstand primarily targets the biceps, deltoids, forearms, and triceps, and also works the abs, lats, obliques, serratus anterior, and trapezius as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the handstand?

The handstand requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the handstand good for beginners?

The handstand is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Snatch High PullAdvanced · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, forearms, glutes, grip muscles, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius
• Barbell Snatch PullAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, trapezius, and triceps
• Cable Twisting Overhead PressIntermediate · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, and lats
• Dumbbell BurpeeIntermediate · deltoids, glutes, hamstrings, pectorals, quadriceps, and triceps