Handstand pushup
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The handstand push-up - also called the vertical push-up or the inversed push-up - is a type of push-up exercise where the body is positioned in a handstand. The feet are either placed against a wall for support or, if the exercise is performed free-standing, held in the air. Handstand pushups require significant strength, and also balance and control if performed free-standing.
The movement can be considered a bodyweight parallel to the military press, while the regular pushup would be a parallel to the bench press.
Handstand pushups increase the load on the triceps brachii muscles significantly over regular pushups, with the arms having to hold almost 100% of the body's weight rather than an average of 60% during normal pushups. Load is also shifted from the Pectoralis major muscle to the Anterior deltoids and Lateral deltoids due to the shoulders exerting in adduction while externally rotated, rather than transverse flexion. The upper fibres of the trapezius are also involved in elevating the shoulders.
In free-standing handstand pushups, the core muscles and hand muscles are both used to keep the body balanced, from falling over back, forward, or to either side, and to maintain posture. This makes it a much stronger exercise for the wrist flexors, core and legs compared to regular pushups.
Due to the difficulty of the exercise, it is common to begin training with simpler, related movements, such as holding a static handstand position, performing the movement with a reduced range of motion, and performing only the eccentric portion of the movement.
The range of motion of a handstand pushup can be increased by placing the hands on objects elevated from the floor, such as chairs. This allows the head to be lowered below the level of the palms, greatly increasing the difficulty of the movement. Difficulty can also be increased by adding further resistance, either in the form of weights attached to the torso or legs, or resistance bands.
