Forearmstands for Beginners
Forearmstands for Beginners
Been eyeing those bendy yogis and circus folk on Instagram effortlessly balancing on their hands? Lucky for you forearmstands aren’t reserved for the realm of contortionists, anybody can get started with some beginner-friendly handbalancing with a wall-supported forearmstand!
This legs-up-the-wall entrance is my favorite way to introduce them to new students, it leaves you totally in control and able to get used to feeling the weight in your forearms, without having to quite worry about the balance.
This is a bit of a shoulder-y pose, so make sure you’ve done at least a brief shoulder warm up before getting upside down.
How to Do a Wall-Supported Forearmstand
Start sitting in pike on the floor, with your legs extended and feet flat against the wall - we’re measuring out how long your legs are - plant one hand right at your butt. This is where you’ll want your elbow to plant in your forearmstand (our goal is to have a shape where our hips and shoulder stack in a straight line on top of your elbows.
Keeping your hand planted on the floor to “mark” your spot, flip over and plant your elbows down where your butt was just sitting, keeping forearms parallel to each other.
Start to walk your legs up the wall behind you, stopping when you get to hip height (you may need to film yourself or use a mirror, it’s really easy to walk them too high and not realize it). And that’s it, you’re doing a forearmstand!
Mistakes to Avoid
The main thing to focus on is trying to get that “L” shape, it will be harder and less comfortable to hold your forearmstand if you can’t find that proper hip stack (hips stacked over shoulders, shoulders stacked over elbows). Common mistakes include:
Elbows too far away from wall (top left) - while a deep shoulder stretch, this is pretty muscle-y to hold, and you won’t be able to work on your balance.
Elbows too close to the wall (top right) - if you start with elbows too close to the wall, when you start to straighten your legs your butt starts to stick out past your shoulders, and it might cause you to fall to the floor (ouch!). When straightening your legs, straighten them slowly. If it’s starting to feel like your butt is going to pull you to the floor, check your arm placement, you’re probably a little too close to the wall.
Feet too high up the wall (bottom left) - this is the most common mistake for beginners. Thankfully it’s a safe mistake to make! There’s actually nothing inherently “wrong” with this position, but it’s a good habit to try and aim to keep feet at hip height (bottom right) to give you a stable foundation in your wall support.
Give these tips a try and see how it goes - doing your first forearmstand may be a lot easier than you think ;) And if you’re an Instagram-y type, tag me in your pic (@dani.winks), I’d love to see!
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