5 beginner handstand walk drills you *need* to try

Learning to walk on your hands requires a decent amount of shoulder strength, good handstand foundations, and the ability to shift your body weight from one side to another while maintaining the position of your core and body. These drills focus on learning to shift your body weight without losing shape.

Exercise Quick Navigation

Single Arm Lifts in Plank

What is it?

The friendliest and easiest first exposure to bringing some of your body weight into one hand. This is a good place to start since it’s less heavy than a pike position and is usually more familiar than a pike.

Technique

From a high plank, shift your body slightly to the side so you can lift one hand off the floor.

Common Mistakes

Letting your lower bag sag, or upper back drop down between the shoulder blades. Push tall into the floor with locked elbows!

Plank up downs

What You’ll Need

A box and a bumper plate

Technique

Starting in a high plank with your feet on the box and your hands either side of a bumper plate, step one hand up onto the plate, then the other. Then, step the first hand back down off the plate, and the second. Repeat for as many reps as is prescribed. Push into the floor to make space and let your shoulder blades glide forward instead of being pinned back

Common Mistakes

Make sure you stay tight in abs so your body is a straight line from shoulders to toes – don’t let your lower back sag! Also avoid the upper back sagging down into the shoulder blades – they shouldn’t be sticking up or squeezed back. Keep your elbows nearly locked the whole time and use this push from the sholuder blades to move the hands.

Plank walk over plate

What is it?

This is an entry-level drill to help you understand how to push into the ground to make space for the other hand to sweep through like you would in a handstand walk.

What You’ll Need

A bumper plate and a low box.

Technique

Setting up with your feet on the box and hands on one side of the bumper plate, walk both hands over the bumper plate. Repeat in the other direction and accumulate time on your hands like this.

Common Mistakes

Sagging through the low back, bending the elbows, or sinking into the shoulder blades.

Single arm alternating pike shift

What is it?

This shifting movement is a nice bridge from shifting hands in a plank movement to doing it in a more handstand-like pike movement.

Technique

Make a pike position on the floor. Shift your body weight enough to clear one hand from the floor, and tap your hip. Then switch sides.

Common Mistakes

Theres’ no need to extend the back heaps here – you can just stay long with the spine.

Lateral pike walk over plate

What is it?

Very much like the plank walk over the plate, but shifting into a more handstand-like position.

What You’ll Need

A 20″ x 24″ x 30″ and a bumper plate.

Technique

Walking into a pike (knees can be bent) with your hands on one side of the bumper plate, walk your hands over the plate until you’re on the other side. Count this as one rep, then walk back the other way.