How to Build Strength for the Handstand Push-Up | Tips from Ben Smith
Even for Crossfit Games athletes, the handstand push-up isn’t a piece of cake. In past years, the handstand push-up was a known weakness for Ben Smith. To turn his weak link around, Ben started utilizing exercises that focused on building his strength for the handstand push-up.
The first step is being able to complete a handstand push-up, which in itself requires a lot of strength and coordination. Once that’s accomplished, athletes can then work on building enough strength to complete multiple rounds and excel at the movement. Ben Smith shares his favorite exercise to build up strength for the handstand push-up.
Exercise to Build Strength for the Handstand Push-Up
Exercise to Build Strength for the Handstand Push-Up- Grab a barbell or a dumbbell for this exercise
- Start in an overhead position
- Keep midline tight
- Lower the weight down to your nose while keeping your elbows in front of you (just like they would be in a strict press)
- Once the weight reaches nose level, push back up and out of it.
- Repeat
This exercise will help build strength in the triceps and shoulders, which will translate really well over to the handstand push-up.
Building Strength through Better Muscle Recovery
Another technique to help your body get stronger is by incorporating Marc Pro into your training routine. Marc Pro is an EMS device that provides athletes with the ability to recover faster and recover fully. By improving the post-workout recovery process, muscle tissue is able to fully rebuild from the damage that was just done. Better recovery leads to numerous other benefits as well such as injury prevention and improved performance. Unlike other devices, Marc Pro uses a unique technology that won’t fatigue muscles or cause tissue breakdown. To learn more about how Marc Pro can help you, visit our “What is Marc Pro” page.