A handstand is a form in which you balance upside down on your hands. This skill is not only widely used in calisthenics, but also in gymnastics, acrobatics, artistic gymnastics, etc. The handstand comes in many different forms, such as the tuck, straddle, hollowback and many more.

In calisthenics, the handstand is a skill in itself and forms the basis for other advanced skills such as "Handstand Push Ups", "Handstand to Planche", "Press to Handstand" and "One Arm Handstand".

Take a look at our handstand class. Our trainers will introduce you to the handstand safely and with exercises that are suitable for you. Not only the structured structure with sensible exercises, but also helpful and constructive feedback promise you rapid success in the handstand in our class.

Otherwise, start slowly and build up your strength, body awareness and confidence. Work a lot with the wall and consolidate your exit from the handstand. The better you are on the wall and the more you understand the handstand, the better you will be outdoors.

The handstand is a full-body exercise. However, it mainly works the shoulder muscles, trapezius and forearm flexors. The core, legs and buttocks are also tensed and the arms are stretched.

Almost daily. This is a skill that benefits greatly from lots of practice and doesn't put as much strain on the body and muscles as other calisthenics skills. You can therefore train it almost every day. However, start with 3 times a week at first, as the wrists in particular need to get used to this strain. As soon as 3 times a week works well, you can slowly increase the frequency. Always listen to your body and give it enough time to regenerate.

From every level! Whether you've never done a handstand before or you can already stand outside for 30 seconds, there's something for every level to learn in our handstand class. Our trainers tailor the exercises to you personally and the group so that everyone can learn something new.

As the name suggests, the focus of the handstand class is on handstands. After a general and specific warm-up, a lot of time is spent in the handstand. We also look at various forms and exercises to improve and consolidate the handstand and the respective form. Finally, there is a handstand-specific strengthening workout. Mobility is also addressed and is not neglected here.

In our handstand class, we will guide you specifically to the handstand and also get to know different forms. Various factors play a role in a successful handstand, such as mobility, body awareness, strength, coordination and balance. In our handstand class, we will cover all these aspects and give you specific feedback to help you achieve your handstand as quickly as possible. However, the individual points are described in more detail here so that you can practise at home.

• Mobility: shoulder and wrist mobility are particularly important here. The shoulder should allow 180° of flexion and the wrists should allow at least 70° of extension (90° is better). This is important in order to achieve a nice straight line in the handstand. Therefore, shoulder openers and exercises that stretch shoulder flexion and wrist extension are worth your time.
• Body awareness: in a handstand, you have to understand the position of your joints in a new way, because everything above your head is different from what you are used to. In order to balance a handstand, all joints must be stacked vertically on top of each other, i.e. feet over knees over hips over shoulders over hands. Learning to do this requires one thing above all: lots of practice! Targeted feedback can also speed up this process considerably.
• Strength: shoulder and forearm strength is particularly important here. The shoulders should be as tight as possible (pinch the ears between the shoulders) and support the entire body weight. The forearms are needed to move the wrist, which is essential for balance. Handstand holds, scapula shrugs in the handstand/pike stand and wrist flexion exercises are ideal here.
• Coordination: in handstand, the arms should be stretched, the shoulders elevated, the stomach pulled in and the pelvis tilted back (posterior pelvic tilt, PPT), as well as the buttocks, legs and calves tensed. All these different movements and isometric contractions together, and then upside down, seem impossible at first. But body coordination will improve, it just takes practice and a little patience.
• Balance: Lastly, it is important to understand how to balance yourself in a handstand. There are various ways to do this. The simplest is to use your hands. When you fall towards your back, you need to press your fingers into the floor. Then it's a constant squeeze and release with your fingers to stay balanced in the handstand. The shoulders and hips can also be used, but this takes a little more practice.

Start in the pike hold. Try to support yourself for at least 30s with your arms straight and your shoulders fully pushed out. Then raise your feet more and more. As soon as you can do 30s with your feet raised, you can go into a handstand with your back to the wall. The aim here is also to hold for 30s. Then also with your stomach to the wall. These are mainly strengthening exercises; wall walks, hollow body holds, hollow body holds on the wall (stretch your arms and hold them high up), Y-raises and handstand shoulder taps (advanced) also help here.

Before you come away from the wall, first practise how to get out of a handstand if you fall towards your back. Once you feel confident in this, you can move on to kick ups. At the same time, the wall exercises remain important! You can also do balance exercises on the wall, such as alternating toe/heel taps (with your stomach or back to the wall) or simply try to balance on the wall without touching it. The headstand can also be useful to improve your balance and body awareness upside down.