Intermediate Handstand Shapes
The Keep Pushing program is designed to take you from a comfortable, straight two-arm handstand to finding, and sticking, the basic shapes of handbalancing: tuck, straddle and pike handstand. The aim of this program is to give you a solid foundation and understanding of the basic handbalancing shapes in order for you to then pass through them smoothly while in a handstand, plus advanced rebalancing drills and building endurance.
Achieve Freedom On Two Arms
This program teaches you the basic shapes of two-arm balancing: Tuck, Straddle and Pike. First, you will learn to find the shape and balance it at the wall, and then we move on to freestanding shapes, entering directly into the shape, as well as moving freely between them. The goals are to build more awareness and control on two arms by getting used to moving the legs as well as developing more endurance, strength and coordination. Apart from allowing you to express yourself freely and creatively on two arms, it will also be an important stepping stone for the more advanced skills.
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What People Think Of The Keep Pushing Program
PUSH & KEEP PUSHING PROGRAMS
Joyce
@cirquepath, San Fransisco, USAI am loving these programs! I couldn’t decide between Push and Keep Pushing, and am glad I got them both so I can tailor what I need and know what I’m working towards. It’s like being in school and having lecture, lab and study – between the podcast, training, and text. I’m learning so much from your stories where you offer tips on my training and also other people’s posts… really feels more personalized, “connected” and HUMAN than just buying a canned program that’s static.
KEEP PUSHING PROGRAM
Jonathan
West Virginia, USAThe Keep Pushing Program from Handstand Factory is exactly what I had been looking for to further my hand balance practice. I had a decent 10-20 second freestanding handstand and the theory, vocabulary, cues and videos, and the structured training templates really helped me to understand hand balance training much better. Keep Pushing is a great program as well because you can jump in wherever your skill level allows. I started in the middle and went through and have now restarted the program at the beginning and am finding new strength, control and alignment. Keep Pushing also starts to encourage creativity and individual freedom and interpretation of what you want your handstand practice to be, which really adds depth to the practice. I can’t wait to move on to more Handstand Factory programs and maybe make it to a retreat intensive!
Are You Ready For Leg Shapes?
Keep Pushing is a low-intermediate program for handbalancers who are seeking the next level after achieving the straight, freestanding handstand. As such, in order to get the most out of this program we recommend you meet these suggested benchmarks:
Recommended Benchmarks
Not Quite Ready for Keep Pushing?
Check out our other programs, which teach the pre-requisite skills we use in Keep Pushing.
Establishing Your Foundation For Advanced Handbalancing
The Keep Pushing program is designed to bridge the gap between Push and the more advanced programs Press and Push Harder. The wall work for the different handbalancing shapes will further develop your active shoulder flexibility and the endurance training will improve your hold times, conditioning your body for the demands of our other intermediate and advanced programs.
OUR APPROACH TO HANDBALANCING
Our programs teach handbalancing using a technique that is expansive – it leads to a structure that is efficient and elegant and can be used to develop towards the higher level skills such as different two arm handstand shapes, and later even the one arm handstand. There’s many different styles of handstands out there, but this program teaches the handstand shapes from a combination of traditional Russian handbalancing with alternative strategies of developing awareness and coordination upside down. Once this is accomplished, and you are experiencing the first bit of real freedom of movement upside down, the second component of this program comes into play: developing a sense of play and creativity on your two hands, and experimenting with the possibilities of your new skills.
OUR APPROACH TO HANDBALANCING
Our programs teach handbalancing using a technique that is expansive – it leads to a structure that is efficient and elegant and can be used to develop towards the higher level skills such as different two arm handstand shapes, and later even the one arm handstand. There are many different styles of handstands out there, some may balance in an arch, some may balance in more of a planche position – these are all valid in their respective contexts and usages. This program, however, teaches the straight handstand from a combination of traditional Russian handbalancing with alternative strategies of developing awareness and coordination upside down. Drop down to read more!
More in depth about the Keep Pushing program
HOW YOUR TRAINING WILL LOOK
The Keep Pushing program contains 25 instructional videos that thoroughly explain the theory and practice of all of the basic handbalancing shapes, and freedom of movement upside down. The videos are broken up into manageable sections that clearly build upon each other. The Keep Pushing program has an accompanying manual which you will be able to download as PDF, or view it in your browser. You will be able to use the manual to quickly read up on an exercise, or study it textbook style. There will be a 91 page manual accompanying the Keep Pushing program.
The website is designed so that you can watch and rewatch the videos on desktop, take notes, and fully immerse yourself in understanding the theory behind handbalancing training. At some point though, you're just going to have to scrap the theory and go do the thing - but don't worry, you can just take the videos and manuals with you and recheck things on the fly wherever you're training, the gym, the park, at the office... with the Handstand Factory mobile version, all you need is a floor and a wall!
HOW WE TEACH THE BASIC SHAPES OF HANDBALANCING
The Keep Pushing program is designed to take you from a rather comfortable, straight two arm handstand to finding, and sticking, the basic shapes of handbalancing: Tuck, Straddle and Pike handstand. We teach handbalancing using a technique that is expansive, it leads to a structure that is efficient and elegant and can be used to develop towards the higher level skills, for example the one arm handstand. The two arm handstand how it is taught in our Push program is the ideal basis for doing this Keep Pushing program, but if you feel stable in a straight handstand, this course is for you. The aim of this program is to give you a solid foundation and understanding of the basic handbalancing shapes in order for you to then pass through them smoothly while in a handstand. This type of work also covers advanced rebalancing and conditioning.
Once this is accomplished, and you are experiencing the first bit of real freedom of movement upside down, the second component of this program comes into play: developing a sense of play and creativity on your two hands, and experimenting with the possibilities of your new skills. The program consists of 25 videos all the basic shapes and their entries, and you will learn to find and select suitable exercises out of these and the accompanying manual, covering skillwork, conditioning and balance drills.
The Keep Pushing program is designed to bridge the gap between Push and the more advanced programs Press and Push Harder. It has no separate flexibility component, but the wall work for the different handbalancing shapes will further develop your active shoulder flexibility.
STARTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE KEEP PUSHING PROGRAM
The Keep Pushing program is an intermediate level handbalancing course. It is the next in the Handstand Factory syllabus after the Push course, and thus the starting requirements are a fairly solid and consistent freestanding handstand at about 20, 30 seconds.
The two arm handstand how it is taught in our Push course is the ideal basis for doing this Keep Pushing program, but if you feel stable in a straight handstand, this course is for you. However, you do not need to fully graduate the Push program before beginning the Keep Pushing, all the shape work will further your balance and conditioning for the straight handstand as well. This program can also be done simultaneously with the Press program.
Apart from the physical prerequisites, this program also requires you to be able to train in an autonomous, self directed manner. We have included all the explanations, step by step programming as well as in depth information about all the progressions, but it is you putting in the work and showing up for the training that will help you gain full control on two arms.
STARTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE KEEP PUSHING PROGRAM
The Keep Pushing program is an intermediate level handbalancing course. It is the next in the Handstand Factory syllabus after the Push course, and thus the starting requirements are a fairly solid and consistent freestanding handstand at about 20, 30 seconds.
The two arm handstand how it is taught in our Push course is the ideal basis for doing this Keep Pushing program, but if you feel stable in a straight handstand, this course is for you. However, you do not need to fully graduate the Push program before beginning the Keep Pushing, all the shape work will further your balance and conditioning for the straight handstand as well. This program can also be done simultaneously with the Press program.
Apart from the physical prerequisites, this program also requires you to be able to train in an autonomous, self directed manner. We have included all the explanations, step by step programming as well as in depth information about all the progressions, but it is you putting in the work and showing up for the training that will help you gain full control on two arms.
"It’s like being in school and having lecture, lab and study - between the podcast, training, and text."
"It’s like being in school and having lecture, lab and study - between the podcast, training, and text."
JOYCE, SAN FRANCISCO
KEEP PUSHING
Your Handbalancing Instructors
Mikael Kristiansen and Emmet Louis are both international teachers of handbalancing and flexibility and have spent big chunks of their lives studying and understanding all aspects of these skills professionally both as performers and teachers. With Handstand Factory, they now want to demystify and simplify the process of learning handstands, and make it accessible to anyone wanting to learn to stand on their hands. To learn more about Handstand Factory, head over to our about page.
FAQ
How long can I use the Keep Pushing program?
The Keep Pushing program aims to bridge the gap between regular handstand training and beginning your journey towards wanting a one arm handstand. The content provided in Keep Pushing still remains relevant and can influence your training even as you directly train for one-arm handstand, so while you may put it down once you start training one arm, you can and should return to the Keep Pushing program for a long time.
I am strong but not flexible/I am flexible but not strong, is this program for me?
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, that being said the Keep Pushing program only requires that you have a solid handstand before beginning it. There is no flexibility work in the program as it intends to really focus and hone in on your ability to balance and control your handstand, so if that’s what you want then Keep Pushing is perfect for you!
I don't want to perform handstands, is the Keep Pushing program still relevant?
Exploring your freedom of movement on hands can be both – a method of self-expression, but also self-exploration. If you feel drawn to learning to move your legs smoothly in space, change shapes, and build overall better balancing on two arms, it doesn’t matter whether you want to work towards performing handstand, or whether you want to learn this skill for yourself.
Do I need a training partner to do the Keep Pushing program?
Nope, the way that the Keep Pushing program is designed means there is no need for a partner and that everything can be done independently. Saying that, training with others is fun, so by no means do it alone if you have the option!
Are the Handstand Factory programs follow along videos?
No, all of our online programs are educational in nature, they don’t contain videos in which you follow the training in real time like a class. The video library for each program contains explanation and demos for each exercise, with valuable cues and insights. These exercises are also explained in the manual, and lastly, programmed into comprehensive training templates that you can follow in your own time.
I am struggling with endurance in a straight handstand, should I still begin learning the shapes?
If you are satisfied that you meet the starting requirements for Keep Pushing (20 seconds freestanding handstand, good Kick-Up consistency), then yes, absolutely! Challenging your balance and control in different shapes will have good carry-over to your endurance, and the strengthening of the upper back will do the rest. This program also contains endurance programming you can add to your regular training.
“The theory, vocabulary, cues and videos, and the structured training templates really helped me to understand hand balance training much better.”
“The theory, vocabulary, cues and videos, and the structured training templates really helped me to understand hand balance training much better.”
JONATHAN, WEST VIRGINIA
KEEP PUSHING
What You get With Keep Pushing
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