Handstand Push-Ups in Competition

Handstand push ups first made their debut in the 2015 CrossFit Open. The early years of their inclusion in competition focused primarily on the kipping version, but in 2019 the strict variation appeared in the Open for the first time. As the sport has matured, the standards and judging criteria have evolved, plus new variations have been added to the movement list such as strict wall facing and deficit kipping variations. The 2022 CrossFit Games featured a version of deficit wall facing handstand push ups. Whether in their strict, kipping, or deficit variations, handstand push ups require a blend of technique, stamina, and mental toughness. In the competitive setting, they often appear as part of complex, high-intensity workouts that challenge athletes to perform these demanding movements efficiently and with precision.

Programming & Progressions

Programming

When guiding athletes towards mastering Handstand Push-Ups (HSPU) in CrossFit, we can identify three major areas that need the most attention. 

1. Upper Body Strength – Adequate shoulder, tricep, and upper back strength are essential to be able to support the body in an inverted position and press off of the floor
2. Technique and Balance – efficient execution demands optimal body position, core stability, and coordinated movements including the ability to stack joints from the wrist to shoulders to hips well
3. Mobility and Movement Economy – if someone lacks the overhead position to move efficiently, it will greatly impact their ability to build capacity in the movement and even meet the range of motion standards. 

Some essential considerations when programming HSPU: 

(1) Shoulder health – HSPU places substantial stress on the shoulder joint and cervical spine in an inverted position. Be mindful of the total volume of overhead movements in your program to prevent overload. Screen for optimal ranges of shoulder flexion and wrist extension and include mobility and stability exercises as needed to support overall shoulder health

(2) Upper Body Strength – Athletes will demonstrate varying levels of pressing strength that may or may not have carryover into handstand push-ups. Assessing specific limiters can help determine the sticking points in the movement. For example, strength deficits such as: core strength, tricep strength, handstand hold strength, or single arm pressing strength can all contribute to changes in capacity. 

(3) Technique – Coordinating proper timing of the kipping handstand push-ups is a skill that requires proper technique to stay balanced and efficient. Those with tremendous pressing strength may still struggle to move and breathe fluidly in an inverted position. On the other hand, those who are less strong, but have great body awareness and anthropometrics can utilize an efficient kipping technique to their advantage. In either example, technique matters and we will mention various drills below in our sample programs. 

Example Training Sessions: 

Skill based sample session (From our Got None HSPU program) 

A. 20 second Tripod Headstand x 3, rest as needed

B. 10 Tripod Position Alternating Single Leg Extensions x 3, rest as needed

C. 10 Tripod Position Double Leg Kip Position Extensions  x 3, rest as needed

D1. 30 second Double Dumbbell Overhead Hold in Press x 3, rest as needed

D2. Max Pike Position Handstand Pushup to Deficits x 3, rest as needed

*Choose a deficit that allows for minimum of 5 reps per set

E. Max reps Half-Kneeling Single Arm Dumbbell Press @ 3131 tempo x 3 sets, rest as needed

Bridge / Capacity sample session

A1. 45 second Overhead Lat Stretch on Wall x 3, rest 5 seconds

*hold near end range for 10 seconds while contracting against the stretch. Then rest 5 seconds and work into the stretch deeper. Repeat this cycle 3x

A2. 1 minute Freestanding Headstand Hold x 3, rest as needed

*If you cannot do 1 minute unbroken, break this up into smaller chunks but try to accumulate the time in as few sets as possible with a tight body line. Use a band or partner if you cannot do freestanding. Hands must stay within a 2×2 box

A3. 5-10 Eccentric Handstand Push-ups x 3, rest as needed

*Accumulate 5-10 slow controlled reps to max controllable depth (up to 8”). 

* If you are unable to go to full depth, then elevate a pad on plates and descend to partial range where your head will hit the mat ABOVE your hands.

B1. Max Band Assisted Handstand Push-Ups x 2 sets, rest 1 minute

B2. Max Pike Position Single Leg Elevated Handstand Push Ups x 2 sets, rest as needed

Sport Specific sample session

2023-2024 Wodapalooza Online Qualifier Workout 4

For Time

Break it up however you want.

45 Deadlifts (225, 155lb)

45 HSPU

7min Time-cap

Or

“Diane”

For time

21-15-9

Deadlifts (225, 155lb)

HSPU

Strength Limiters

Strength limitations in handstand push-ups can be grouped into three main categories:

1. Pressing Strength – strong pressing strength and endurance in movements such as barbell shoulder presses and dumbbell presses can increase overall capacity. Carryover into the handstand-push up is also dependent on other variables such as mobility and the ability to feel comfortable inverted. Additionally, there are other considerations to develop pressing strength when training to improve hspu.
   1. Upper Back Strength – development of the upper back especially musculature surrounding the scapula and rotator cuff are extremely important to both improving upper body pressing and keeping the shoulders balanced and healthy
   2. Variety in Hand Positions – Hand placement can change the feel of where weight is distributed. Meeting the standard in sport is the main priority, but athletes may also feel comfortable with hands narrower vs wider or stronger or weaker on specific implements. Training different hand placements such as fingers forward, external rotation, deficits, parallettes, and wall facing can change the stimulus and will create variety in the training program.
2. Inversion/Overhead Stamina – aside from pressing strength, the ability to support your full bodyweight under fatigue or heavy breathing also needs to be trained. Integrating hand balancing training such as wall walks, pike push ups ,and negative HSPUs can help refine technique and build stamina
3. Neck Strength – If someone is lacking muscular strength when performing kipping or strict handstand push-ups, there may be a point where a significant amount of force is displaced to the head and neck in order to either deload in the bottom position or create the powerful upward movement required to press out. The result is sometimes compression of the small bones and muscles of your neck, and could potentially result in compression of the nerves that exit the spine on their way to your arms. If you have ever tweaked your neck doing handstand push-ups, you may have experienced a sensation of numbness/tingling, or pain that radiates down your arm. Athletes can mitigate a lot of these issues by proper strength development and structured progression. Additional support from isometric exercises such as tripod headstands and tripod position alternating single leg extensions where the athlete is training the ability to tolerate load in the bottom position can also help avoid potential tweaks. These exercises are highlighted in the sample programs below.

Technical Limiters

Athletes who express the requisite strength to perform kipping handstand push ups may be limited by their ability to time the kip efficiently. Coordinating kipping handstand push-ups requires you to develop a leg-first drive out of the bottom position to avoid falling off the wall. You can practice timing and coordination by drilling movements such as leg kip pattern traces in a tripod position, and bottom to top kipping handstand push-ups. These examples are highlighted in the sample skill program from TTT Compete below. 

Below are three technical tips that we find useful when helping athletes develop timing and coordination of a basic kipping handstand push-up. 

HSPU Technical Tips

(1) Chest Through: When locking out your hspu drive your chest through to finish the rep. This gets you in an open shoulder position which meets the CrossFit standard and is a more stable position. 

(2) Kick Up, Not Back: Drive your feet straight up and then let gravity bring you to the wall. This is a more powerful kip and allows you to lock your arms out quickly. A common fault for beginner athletes is kicking back into the wall which stops your momentum and requires you to press out to reach full extension.

(3) Head Drop, Knee Drop: As you descend, work on letting your legs drop at the same time as you lower your head to the mat. This speeds up the rep and doesn’t require a long and inefficient pause in the bottom of each rep. 

Movement and Mobility Limiters

Accessory Work 

Below you will find some drills and accessory exercises from the TTT Skill Programs that you can use to upgrade your Handstand Push-ups. 

Tripod Headstand – can be performed freestanding or with your hips on the wall to mimic the bottom position of a HSPU. 

Tripod Position Alternating Single Leg Extensions – build control and body awareness inverted

Tripod Position Double Leg Kip Position Extensions – practicing the pattern of the legs during a kip

Overhead Lat Stretch on Wall – Overhead opener to prep the handstand position

Handstand Push-Up Negative – build strength and motor control in the lowering phase of the handstand

TTT Programs

Sign up link: https://trainingthinktank.com/training-program/ttt-compete/