Are Proportions Preventing Me From Pressing Into A Handstand?

Hey everybody! Welcome to this month’s question of the month. I’m David Keil. I answer questions every month, as you know. If you’ve got one, go to yoganatomy.com/myquestion. This month’s question comes from Susan, and it’s about the effect of proportions on pressing into a handstand.

The Question:

I am wondering how specific body proportions (relative arm, torso, and leg length) affect the ability to do a press handstand. I have relatively long arms and legs (long femurs) and a very short torso. My lower ribs touch the top of my pelvis when I flex at the waist, so my lumbar flexion is mechanically limited. I am only 5 feet 2 inches tall, but have the same inseam as my 5-foot-10-inch husband. [DK: That’s impressive!] It seems that long legs relative to the rest of the body are a major detriment that cannot be overcome with flexibility alone.

The Answer:

Well, the quick answer is that proportions do matter in postures, both in terms of how they look as well as in terms of how they might function. So, it could be the issue here. There are a couple of things here. One is, you know, your ribs touching your pelvis when you flex at the waist, or when you say your lumbar flexion is mechanically limited, which I believe. But, I’d be surprised if that’s the issue.

Proportions and handstand

I’m going to follow along with you. Let’s say that proportions are the issue with your handstand. If proportions are the issue, what’s the issue? When you have really long legs—let’s think of the legs like a long lever arm, which they are. When you try to go upside down, you’re trying to move that long lever arm from your pelvis tilting, and from the hip joints moving. So you’re at the very end of the lever arm trying to move it. That’s like me taking a very long stick at the very end, and holding it in my hand and lifting it up. Ok, that’s opposed to sliding up halfway up it.

So that is a potential problem for long lever arms and for proportions. People with long legs have a tendency to struggle to do things with straight legs. It’s not 100% of the time. But, you can see it’s a little harder to control, maybe.

Technique and handstand

There are two other important parts here for a press handstand. One is, just remember that if you’re going to get your feet off the floor, it means that 100% of your body weight is going to be in your hands. So, let’s assume Susan, that you are putting 100% of your body weight into your hands before you try to lift your feet up. Or, if you put 100% of your body weight into your hands, your feet will not be touching the floor anymore. That’s another way to say it.

Where are you moving from?

That then gets mixed in with movement. Where are you moving from? That is the other question. I wish I could see you. Adding the ability for people to send a video or images for some of these questions would be helpful. I guess I could email you and ask you for one, too. Anyway, movement is the next part, which is also very important. So, for a press handstand, you have to rotate your pelvis. Now, if you can’t do it with your legs straight, that could be because your hamstrings are tight. That could account for what you refer to as lumbar flexion that is mechanically limited, meaning your forward bend. Again, I don’t know for sure because I can’t see it, but it’s one or the other.

Cultivate necessary patterns

What you might do is bend your knees and see if you can lift up, and if you’re tilting your pelvis enough to do that. And that way, you get the feeling. You make sure the muscles that you are going to use when your legs are straight are used. You know you build up pieces of a pattern. If you ask me, I’m always a pattern guy. Where does the pattern start? Where are you missing out on it? Ask the questions. You need to find pieces of the pattern that allow you to do it. Whether you can do a handstand with straight legs from the beginning is a separate question. Most people are not going to do it with straight legs first. Grab onto a piece of the pattern that you can do. Start with that. Build it up. And then, start straightening your legs. That’s my recommendation.

Could it be proportions affecting your handstand? It could be proportions. Should you be locked into thinking that’s the real issue? I’m going to go with technique as the more likely culprit, and proportions don’t help. They make it harder. Alright?

Great! Anybody else, if you’ve got a question, go to yoganatomy.com/myquestion.