Women's Health - UK (2019-07)

12

MAKE A STAND

Perform these moves 2-3 times a week to boost

upper body strength and lumbo-pelvic control

ast your mind back
to the glory days of
school breaktime,
when your only
reservation about
doing a handstand
was the boys getting a glimpse of your
knickers. Then, you’d throw your
legs above your head with abandon,
but fast-forward to adulthood and
the move seems a lot more difficult

• not to mention daunting.
  I’ll level with you: acquiring the
  strength required to do a handstand
  is a slow process that requires
  patience. It’s a complicated move
  that demands shoulder stability,
  lumbo-pelvic (lumbar spine, pelvic
  girdle and hip joint) control and
  upper body strength, so build up to
  it with a few weeks of accessory
  exercises to increase your strength
  and the control needed to hold the
  position. I like to focus on moves
  that have good positional crossover
  with handstands, like hollow rocks,
  overhead presses and wall walks.
  Accessory moves nailed? Now
  it’s time to get comfortable being
  upside down and supporting your
  body weight with your hands. So try
  a handstand against a wall before
  going the whole hog. I’d always
  advise practising somewhere with
  plenty of space and cushioning in
  case you do fall – because, let’s be
  real, it’ll happen. Or rope in a friend
  to stabilise you and give you
  pointers. If you’re practising alone,
  film it – knowing what you’re doing
  right or wrong when you’re upside
  down is tricky. Incorporate these
  four moves into your strength
  training two or three times a week
  and you’ll have a brand new party
  trick to show off in no time.

HOLLOW ROCK

Targets: Core, obliques

Do: 3 sets of 8-10 rocks

(a) Lie on your back with

your legs extended and

your arms stretched

above your head.

(b) Imagine pressing your

lower back into the floor so

there’s no gap, squeezing

your glutes as you lift your

feet and arms off the

floor to create a shallow

dish position. Keeping your

abs tight, slowly rock

backwards and forwards.

MILITARY PRESS

Targets: Shoulders,

back, arms, core

Do: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps

(a) Set a barbell at

shoulder-height on a rack,

then lift the bar so that

it sits gently on the front

of your shoulders.

(b) Squeeze your glutes

and, without using your

legs for momentum, brace

your abs as you drive the

barbell up overhead, then

slowly return it to the

starting positon.

C

ASK ALICE^

Alice Liveing, WH columnist and PT at Third Space,

on how to get upside down and stay there

HOW DO I ACE A

HANDSTAND?

WALL WALK

Targets: Shoulders,

back, arms

Do: 3 sets of 6 reps

(a) With your back to a

wall, put your hands on the

floor and place one foot

then the other on to the

wall so your hands are

bearing your body weight.

(b) Slowly walk your feet

as far up the wall as feels

comfortable until you’re

in a slanted handstand

position, then reverse back

to the starting position.

3

WALL STAND

Targets: Shoulders,

arms, core

Do: 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps

(a) Stand facing a wall.

Transfer your weight on

to your hands and kick

your legs up against the

wall into a supported

handstand. Keeping your

core engaged, press down

through your palms and

fingers, and squeeze

your inner thighs together

to achieve full body

tension and control.

4

22 | JULY 2019

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Photography | IAN HARRISON