Headstand Basics

Headstand Basics :

This book is a great starting place to gain an understanding of how to perform a headstand. It is designed for use in the gym or at home, and for coaches, parents, and gymnasts. The headstand is one of the easier gymnastics skills that you can learn. There are no skills to master before starting learning to do a headstand. The exercises in this book are ordered so you steadily progress toward doing a freestanding headstand. Let’s begin your journey into learning about headstands and the basic skills re- quired to execute them.

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Hollow Body :

The hollow body position is one of the most important positions to understand and master. It is also one of the hardest to do correctly. Here are the steps to pro- duce a hollow body position:

•Tilt your pelvis forward.

•Suck in your belly button.

•Tighten your gluteus.

•Tilt your shoulders slightly forward.

•Allow only your lower back to touch the floor.

In the illustration, the hollow body position is exaggerated. In a headstand, your

HandsYour fingers should be spread out as much as possible; this will help stabilize our headstand.

Your hands should be flat on the floor with palms down and fingers pointing toward you.

WARNING: Do not lift your hands at any time. Some exercises ask you to clap your hands while standing on your head. Do not do this kind of exercise. You risk having head fall to the side and injuring your neck Head

Head

head Your head should be in front of your hands. When executing the headstand, the

top of your head should be on the floor.

Tripod

tripod Your hands and head should form a tripod on the floor. This tripod form will

greatly help you stabilize your headstand.

A common mistake new gymnast’s make is to have their hands in a line with their head. This almost always results in the gymnast falling down.

Sometimes it can help to draw a triangle on the floor.

Straight Legs :

Your legs will usually be straight when you are in the headstand. There are a couple of exercises in this book, however, where your legs will not be straight, like the tuck position. If you have problems keeping your legs straight while doing a headstand, practice the exercises that include a wall. Have a spotter help you. It can be difficult to know if your legs are straight or bent. Sometimes they might feel like they are straight even when they are bent.

Pointed Toes

The rule of thumb is always to point your toes when your feet are not on the floor. A common beginner’s mistake is to begin pointing the toes when you are in the middle of your headstand. You must point your toes as soon as you lift your feet from the floor. Pointed toes are used for aesthetic purposes and have no effect on your headstand.

Balance Support with Mat

Placing your hands, with palms down, under the mat and your head on top of the mat will help you create a more stable headstand. Your mat must be semi-hard or else it will not work.

Head on Top of Mat