Thoughts on Handstand Pushups?

Thoughts on Handstand pushups?

Here’s a video of Klokov doing them :slight_smile:

So fucking boss.

I can Push Press 105 kg and Strict Military Press 85kg but am totally incapable of performing one full ROM handstand push-up… I can’t even get my head down to the floor… I simply don’t know how anyone does it!

Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.

Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

[quote]J Moose wrote:
Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]
[/quote]

Did you not see him sliding his feet on the wall? That’s why they’re “assisted”.

[quote]J Moose wrote:
Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]
[/quote]

They’re not legit 'cause he’s propping his feet against the wall for support.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]J Moose wrote:
Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]
[/quote]

Did you not see him sliding his feet on the wall? That’s why they’re “assisted”.[/quote]

That’s probably a gymnastic or bodyweight purist thing because 95% of the training world would call these handstand push-ups. Blame it on Crossfit or something but that is how this exercise is referred by most. A gymnast/purist arguing about the incorrectness of that term is kinda like an olympic lifter arguing that powerlifting should not be called “power” lifting since the actual power output of these lifts is pretty low (especially when compared to the olympic lifts).

I could see the exercise being called “wall handstand push-ups”, a term that I’ve seen from time to time.

@CT is the exercise any good in terms of hypertrophy?

[quote]nickj_777 wrote:
@CT is the exercise any good in terms of hypertrophy?[/quote]

Not better than push presses,strict presses and the likes. You know, Klokov has strict pressed about 400lbs, strict pressed behind the neck over 315 for reps and push pressed close to 500… I doubt that handstands are the true cause of his shoulder size and strength.

They’ll make you feel like your head is undergoing massive hypertrophy.

1 Like

Ahhhh, I see.

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:

[quote]J Moose wrote:
Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]
[/quote]

Did you not see him sliding his feet on the wall? That’s why they’re “assisted”.[/quote]

That’s probably a gymnastic or bodyweight purist thing because 95% of the training world would call these handstand push-ups. Blame it on Crossfit or something but that is how this exercise is referred by most. A gymnast/purist arguing about the incorrectness of that term is kinda like an olympic lifter arguing that powerlifting should not be called “power” lifting since the actual power output of these lifts is pretty low (especially when compared to the olympic lifts).

I could see the exercise being called “wall handstand push-ups”, a term that I’ve seen from time to time.
[/quote]

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

The handstand is assisted, but the pushup is certainly not. His legs are not providing any force to help him push up. Actually the legs touching the wall is making it even make it harder, since the wall has friction and the legs hitting the wall would prevent the movement to the push up direction, hence a bigger force is needed.

Fpushup=mg+Ffriction

[quote]J Moose wrote:
Actually, wouldnt these be considered deficit handstand pushups? Making them even harder then handstand pushups from the floor? I can to 8-10 handstand pushups off the floor. But trying to do them off of blocks that enable my head to go below my hands (like he does here) I can do exactly zero.

[/quote]

No they wouldn’t be called deficit handstand pushups, this is a handstand pushup. The floor version is a Headstand pushup but everyone calls it a handstand pushup anyway. The Headstand pushup is just a progression to the handstand pushup, nothing more.

On another note few things are as visually impressive to me as a big guy manhandling bodyweight exercises. Saw a 220 lbs. guy do one arm chinups, it was awesome.

[quote]NikH wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

The handstand is assisted, but the pushup is certainly not. His legs are not providing any force to help him push up. Actually the legs touching the wall is making it even make it harder, since the wall has friction and the legs hitting the wall would prevent the movement to the push up direction, hence a bigger force is needed.

Fpushup=mg+Ffriction[/quote]

doing them against the wall is 10 times easier. its nothing to do with friction, its the fact that the body is a hell of a lot more stable than in a ‘free’ hand stand.

lets say you can squat 200lbs for 5 reps… i’ll be damned if you can do that whilst standing on an upturned bosu ball!

just fyi friction is a coefficient and can’t be ‘added’ to force! :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]lboro21 wrote:

[quote]NikH wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

The handstand is assisted, but the pushup is certainly not. His legs are not providing any force to help him push up. Actually the legs touching the wall is making it even make it harder, since the wall has friction and the legs hitting the wall would prevent the movement to the push up direction, hence a bigger force is needed.

Fpushup=mg+Ffriction[/quote]

doing them against the wall is 10 times easier. its nothing to do with friction, its the fact that the body is a hell of a lot more stable than in a ‘free’ hand stand.

lets say you can squat 200lbs for 5 reps… i’ll be damned if you can do that whilst standing on an upturned bosu ball! [/quote]

Doing a handstand pushup against the wall is not 10 times easier. Free standing is a bit harder than against the wall. But a person than can that easily do handstand pushups against the wall will have little problem learning the balance to do the same free standing.

Also your bosu ball example is just terrible. Against the wall vs free standing is akin to comparing dips on a bar to rings. Sure at first you can barely do them but in less than a few weeks time after you practice you can knock out as many as you do on bars. What is a lot harder is headstand pushups vs handstand pushups, the difference is huge.

A good example is a person who can do a freestanding headstand pushups (head goes to floor) is still ways away from doing freestanding handstand pushups (full range of motion), but a person easily knocking out feet against the wall handstand pushups (full range of motion) can learn to do freestanding in less than a couple of weeks if not days.

[quote]lboro21 wrote:

[quote]NikH wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

The handstand is assisted, but the pushup is certainly not. His legs are not providing any force to help him push up. Actually the legs touching the wall is making it even make it harder, since the wall has friction and the legs hitting the wall would prevent the movement to the push up direction, hence a bigger force is needed.

Fpushup=mg+Ffriction[/quote]

doing them against the wall is 10 times easier. its nothing to do with friction, its the fact that the body is a hell of a lot more stable than in a ‘free’ hand stand.

lets say you can squat 200lbs for 5 reps… i’ll be damned if you can do that whilst standing on an upturned bosu ball!

just fyi friction is a coefficient and can’t be ‘added’ to force! :P[/quote]

Ffriction= force friction which comes when u use the coefficient u times the force your legs are pushing the wall.

With “harder” you mean that the person needs to have more balancing skills, it is not the same however as the output on your shoulder muscles and triceps.

It’s like saying lifting a 100lbs dumbbell requires more force than a 100lbs barbell, which is not true.


Here (black arrow=direction of friction force pointing up when you go down, and pointing down when you push up)

[quote]NikH wrote:

[quote]lboro21 wrote:

[quote]NikH wrote:

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Not to be a stickler, but those aren’t handstand pushups. Those are assisted handstand pushups. Doesn’t seem like much, but the difference is huge. Also, if they ever remake Rocky 4 Klokov should play Drago.[/quote]

The handstand is assisted, but the pushup is certainly not. His legs are not providing any force to help him push up. Actually the legs touching the wall is making it even make it harder, since the wall has friction and the legs hitting the wall would prevent the movement to the push up direction, hence a bigger force is needed.

Fpushup=mg+Ffriction[/quote]

doing them against the wall is 10 times easier. its nothing to do with friction, its the fact that the body is a hell of a lot more stable than in a ‘free’ hand stand.

lets say you can squat 200lbs for 5 reps… i’ll be damned if you can do that whilst standing on an upturned bosu ball!

just fyi friction is a coefficient and can’t be ‘added’ to force! :P[/quote]

Ffriction= force friction which comes when u use the coefficient u times the force your legs are pushing the wall.

With “harder” you mean that the person needs to have more balancing skills, it is not the same however as the output on your shoulder muscles and triceps.

It’s like saying lifting a 100lbs dumbbell requires more force than a 100lbs barbell, which is not true.[/quote]

Dude, literally everyone else here has acknowledged that using the wall makes the exercise considerably easier. Let it go.

[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Dude, literally everyone else here has acknowledged that using the wall makes the exercise considerably easier. Let it go.
[/quote]