Advanced Handbalancing Intensive
Formerly known as the Push Harder Intensive, we’re excited to again offer in-person training in 2023! Taught by Emmet Louis and Mikael Kristiansen, the Advance Intensive is suited for advanced or professional handbalancing practitioners and coaches. Further “advance” your handstand practice, meet your fellow Handstand Factory students (and us) in person, and spend a week immersed in full training at a brand new training facility at TADAH Artist Habitat in Turkey.
Advanced Handbalancing Intensive
Formerly known as the Push Harder Intensive, we’re excited to again offer in-person training in 2023! Taught by Emmet Louis and Mikael Kristiansen, the Advance Intensive is suited for advanced or professional handbalancing practitioners and coaches. Further “advance” your handstand practice, meet your fellow Handstand Factory students (and us) in person, and spend a week immersed in full training at a brand new training facility at TADAH Artist Habitat in Turkey.
Level up your handbalancing
This week-long handbalancing and flexibility training intensive in Turkey is based on the Push Harder, Press and Bend online programs by Handstand Factory. Prior experience with one or more of these training programs is beneficial, but not a must.
In line with the Push Harder programs level, the focus of the training intensive will be on advanced practitioners in their handbalance training. The week will be centred around training for, achieving, or progressing your straddle one-arm handstand. If you have a solid straddle one-arm, there will be time and space to work on progressing to other one-arm forms, and switching smoothly between them. Additionally, we will work on achieving or refining your Stalder press skills, as well as the Mexican Handstand shapes. Along with the handbalance training, we will be spending a lot of time on learning about flexibility to aid you in your handbalancing practice.
If you would like to join us on this very special event, we would ask you to register as soon as you know you can make it as numbers are super limited! All details about the training intensive can be found below, along with details on how to register.
Entry Requirements
Training groups are kept small enough for individual adjustments of training to your specific level. If you are unsure about your level or which intensive to book, don’t hesitate to get in touch here. While training the Handstand Factory online programs is not a requirement, we do recommend it as it will prepare you to get the most out of the week learning from Emmet and Mikael.
“I will take a lot of knowledge about how to progress for myself, but as well for my students and for my clients.”
“I will take a lot of knowledge about how to progress for myself, but as well for my students and for my clients.”
MARGARET, WARSAW
Concepts and Skills Covered
APRIL
14-20
Logistics & Schedule
We are overjoyed to say the Advance Intensive will be back at the newly rebuilt TADAH Artist Habitat in Turkey from the 14th to the 20th of April 2023!
There will be two training sessions each day, led by Emmet and Mikael, along with some free training time. Overall, you can expect five to six hours of training a day. On one of the days, we’ll do only one session and do an excursion to the surrounding sights in the afternoon! A full schedule will be sent to participants closer to date.
Food and Transit
This training intensive is fully catered with 3 meals a day plus snacks. You will have the option to choose between a vegan, vegetarian and a meat including menu, as well as specifying any intolerances or dietary needs. Meals will be served buffet-style.
While you will need to arrange your own flights to Antalya airport, transfers between Antalya airport and the venue will be organised for you, and are included in the ticket. You will just need to make sure to let us know your arrival and departure details. Once you have signed up with the deposit, we will prompt you to send us all the information necessary through a form. When booking your flights, keep in mind that the transfer to our retreat centre takes one hour and forty-five minutes. We will be grouping participants of the intensives for the transfers, depending on arrival times.
Excursions
One afternoon trip to the beautiful local areas will be factored into the schedule for the week. We will be making our way to explore a ruin city, after which we’ll stop by a beautiful lake for a quick swim, followed by dinner.
Excursions
One afternoon trip to the beautiful local areas will be factored into the schedule for the week. We will be making our way to explore a ruin city, after which we’ll stop by a beautiful lake for a quick swim, followed by dinner.
Reviews of Past Intensives
PUSH INTENSIVE
Genevieve
Montreal, CanadaSo hi! My name is Genevieve Beaulieu, I’m coming from Montreal, Canada. I am a yoga teacher, so I’ve been doing yoga for maybe 6/7 years, but I’ve been kind of obsessed with handstands for about 2 years.
So, the training has been really amazing, it’s nice to come to a place where you can meet people, have the same passion, have the same fire as you. I’ve been training alone for a lot and people don’t really understand why I’m so obsessed with handstands and here everyone understands, they just want to train and be upside down and it’s really incredible to have this power, this energy.
I think I’m most proud of how quickly I can apply the tips I’ve been given, I haven’t been given a lot of tips recently because I’ve been training alone, so being given those tips to just do it on the spot has just really made me proud because I saw, on my self, the evolution that happened really quickly, so yeah, I’m pretty proud of what I can do.
I think my favourite thing about TADAH is the for sure the nature around here, I feel like I’m away from the city, I feel energised by this natural environment. The cold pool, natural pool is great, the food is great, it’s really relaxing, it’s really zen. I love it here.
What I’m taking back from here, what I think I’m bringing is a lot of energy, a lot of passion, a lot of fire. Even more than what I had! A lot of tips, a lot of excitement about handstands, which I used to have lots, but now it’s multiplied! I’m thinking, a lot of love from everyone around here, this energy and this community I think I’m taking with me.
PUSH INTENSIVE
Katie
Oregon, USAHi. My name is Katie. I come from Portland, Oregon and I started handstanding about a year ago, so in August of 2018. I’d done a little bit in yoga, before I started training full time, full time handstanding!
I like the training here at the push harder retreat, mainly because I feel like connecting with the community of other handbalancers has been the biggest benefit for me. I train alone a lot, so having the people around to kind of poke at you and show you things, like you may be training the same drills that you train at home but once you have people actually kind of hands on and working with you, then it just makes so much more sense and, yeah.
Not only that but I feel like I’ve been able to kind of push myself physically to limits that I wouldn’t normally be able to do, while training by myself.
So far, it’s only half way through the training, but what I’m most proud of, I would say, has been in some of my mobility gains, not thinking I’m the most mobile or flexible person and getting into the deepest form of my pancake or even into the backbending things like that, is what I’ve been most proud of.
My favourite thing about TADAH and the surrounding areas is that just the serenity, the beauty and the greenery, it’s beautiful natural lighting here. Uh, yeah it just feels like a community and kind of like a home.
What I’m taking home with me from this training? I think is mainly friendships and community and people I’ll always have connections with and obviously a ton of new skills and drills and things to train on my own and kind of hopefully work on throughout the next year and come back next year and nail it! (laughter)
PUSH & PUSH HARDER INTENSIVES
Kai
GermanyHello, my name is Kai, I’m from Germany, I did gymnastics as a kid and I went to martial arts for a long long time and I found yoga for me and of course in yoga the most impressive asana is the handstand. So I found handstanding for me and since 2015, I’m on this journey and I like it.
So, I’m in a really lucky situation because I did first the push and the push harder retreat now and so far it’s amazing. In both groups there were amazing people so far and we had a super time!
I’m super proud to be here, to have made it, to get past all these ideas of that I’m not good enough for it through and to just went here and met creative people and do the things we love to do: stand on the hands and enjoy the journey, don’t think about “after the two weeks my one arm will be there, because I paid for it” now it’s just about having a good time, having new ideas for your program for the next 6 months, 6 years, who knows?
So I really like to be here at TADAH, because it’s more like a family place, like a circus place. Where it’s more about the humans and not so much the other stuff.
So from this retreat I take home, the reminder that life is too short and it’s not about getting all the stuff, it’s about enjoying the journey, have a good time, yeah… Surround yourself with a good community and that’s it! That’s what it’s all about!
PUSH & PUSH HARDER INTENSIVES
Sara
Colorado, USAI have been doing handstands for almost four years, and I have been doing both the retreats so far (push and push harder) , almost through the second one and I’m from the US.
I have been loving the training here every day! Two classes a day plus eating and learning all the things and getting bendy and I’m much better at handstands.
What am I most proud of in training so far? Um… oooh.. Being able to not get mad at myself, for the times that I fail. I have not really been that frustrated with myself when I’m here, but when I do get frustrated I get the whole “it’s okay”, so that’s been nice.
My favourite thing about TADAH and their surroundings? Mm.. probably the people. I really like the people here and being around the nature and all the upcycling and everything and the chicken, even though his voice is just terrible. I still like him (laughter) he’s cool.
What am I going to take back from this retreat in training? Self confidence and self love (laughter), and uh, a lot more like things to work on and understanding where people are and how to communicate these things. So yeah…
Pricing
The price for this Handstand Factory training intensive is €2,400 total. This includes transfers from and to the venue, accommodation, food, and all excursions and training. The spaces are very limited, and are given on a first come first served basis.
If paying in full is a limitation, please contact us here to inquire about payment plan options.
Intensive FAQ
- Arrival and Departure
- Food and Accommodation
- General
- Intensive Level and Prerequisites
- Pricing and Payment
- Training
Yes, there will be access to a WiFi network in the common areas of TADAH. However, with many people logged on at the same time, we recommend you purchase a sim card with data at the airport, especially if it is very important to you to have a good internet connection.
Yes, we have a few extraordinary circumstances where discounts apply. For one, we have the repeater discount for those that have previously attended one of our Handstand Factory intensives – to avail of this, please contact us and we will provide you with the repeater discount or coordinate with you regarding other circumstances.
Yes, you can book both Handstand Factory Intensives together for a discount. This option is only suitable for advanced practitioners and/or coaches looking to refine and solidify their basics and gain a deeper understanding of teaching beginners and intermediate handbalancers in the first week, as well as working on their own technique and towards one-arm handstands, Stalder presses and other advanced balancing in the second week.
If you are interested in booking both intensives together, please get in touch here and we’ll coordinate with you.
Yes of course, we have a few different options for payment plans. Please contact us and we will work with you to find the appropriate payment plan for your situation.
As the Handstand Factory intensives are designed to go deeper into the material of the programs, ideally you’d already have trained at least one of them. However, if you want to join us at the intensive and are only starting your chosen online program now, we are happy to give you a discount on a program after you’ve signed up to the intensive. Just contact us and we’ll take it from there!
Alcohol is not included in the catering for this intensive. However, there is a snack fridge in the living room which you can raid in exchange for an honesty payment system, which includes wine, beer and lots of chocolate and other snacks.
The plugs at TADAH are the 2 round pin style ones like in Europe, so make sure you have the right adaptor with you to use the electricity plugs around TADAH.
There are limited private accommodations at the Handstand Factory intensives. The property has two private pod rooms with a single bed and private bath. There are also two private rooms with a queen bed and private bath – these private rooms can be booked by a couple. These are €250 extra, and are arranged through our event manager after you purchase your standard ticket.
Otherwise, attendees will be divided up into rooms with two twin beds that have shared bathrooms.
If you have additional accommodations questions, or want to know about single-room availability prior to booking please email us at info@handstandfactory.com.
While the main focus of the intensives is, of course, our handbalancing and flexibility training, we also make sure that the week is well balanced in all ways! We organise an excursion during the week in order to make sure that your wrists and shoulders get a rest, but also so that you don’t leave without seeing the beauty of the countryside around TADAH. Our organising hosts from @tadahartisthabitat always look after us, and make sure we have the best experience possible!
Yes, our chefs at TADAH are able to accommodate most dietary needs. You will have the option to choose between a vegan, vegetarian and a meat including menu, as well as specifying any intolerances or dietary needs. For this, we send out a quick survey before the intensives which gives you the opportunity to let us know about any food requirements or allergies you might have. At the event itself, the food will be clearly labeled.
After you have made your way to Antalya airport, we will be taking care of anything after that! This means that transfers from and to Antalya airport will be organised for you, and you will be picked up in groups. You will just need to make sure to let us know your arrival and departure details via the survey we will send to you upon your signing up. We will then set the transfer times according to everyone’s travel times. The pick up schedule will be sent out before your arrival, and will include all the necessary information and contact numbers to make your trip as smooth as possible. The transfer time from Antalya airport to our home for the week is about one hour and forty-five minutes.
The first and last dates of the intensives are arrival/departure days, on which we will be organising transfers between Antalya Airport and TADAH Artist Habitat. As a rough guide, we will have a first little get together around 6.30pm, and dinner afterwards on the arrival day, as well as a final breakfast together at 9am on the departure day. Keep in mind that transfers to and from the airport take about one hour and forty-five minutes.
Yes, the training hall at TADAH is open 24/7. Apart from the regular jamming in the evenings, where attendees either revise the days input, catch up on their own training, or try new things such as juggling or aerial, you can also dip in for some quiet practice before breakfast or in between sessions. The jams have turned out to be some of the favourite parts of the week, as we tend to gather quite a diverse group of practitioners from different backgrounds and disciplines.
Over the last years, we have perfected the amount of handstand and flexibility training and input we dispense over the week. Each day is different, and as such we couple the physically more challenging days with excursions and down time to make sure the information can be optimally digested. However, since the group can be diverse in terms of training capacity, there is always room for extra training and guidance in the evening sessions, just as there is the freedom for newer people to respect their bodies limits and sit back to take notes if training gets too intense.
Yes, they do. The Balance intensive is for beginner and intermediate handbalancers, and so is for those training the Push, Keep Pushing and Press programs. As such, it will cover, and expand upon, the material of those three programs.
The Advance intensive for advanced handbalancers, the corresponding program is the Push Harder program for the one-arm handstand. Practitioners will also be likely to be working on the Stalder section of the Press program, and begin looking at the Mexican Handstand through Bend.
The easiest would be to see which program you are training, and then choose the relevant intensive based on that (see question above). You are very unlikely to get bored or overwhelmed at our intensives, as the groups are small and tutoring is very individual. But making sure you are in the right group ensures you get the most out of the week of training. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact us via the reddit forum, and include some recent clips of your training.
The Handstand Factory intensives are an opportunity for those training the online programs to dive deeper into the material, but having trained the programs extensively is not a prerequisite. The fact that you will have already learned a lot from the respective online programs means that we can take the training a lot further than would be possible if you had no prior exposure to Emmet and Mikael’s teaching styles. However, if you want to sign up to the intensive, there is usually enough time to study the correlating online program before the intensive starts. If you are unsure which program to train, have a look here.
This is super personal. Most of our attendees over the last years did not have English as their first language, and it has never posed a problem. Both the learning and the socialising aspects can be adapted to accommodate mild language barriers, and it is never a problem to ask further questions.
We take a maximum of 14 sign ups per intensive, which means that with staff and our two teachers, there are, at most, 20 people in the space during training. This ensures quality of teaching as well as enough space in the common areas and bungalows to fit everyone comfortably. We run a waiting list for spots on the intensives as soon as they are fully booked, so if you have not been able to get a spot please get in touch to be put on the waiting list in case something frees up for you!
Please note that this FAQ is to be read as guidance only. A full overview of terms and conditions can be found in our terms and conditions.
Any Unanswered Questions?
If you have any questions that are not covered in our FAQ section above, please do not hesitate to get in touch! We will get back to you as soon as possible.
ADVANCE
ADVANCE
The Advance Intensive
€2,400Add to cart