Wall Split Handstand Back Leg Pulses
Flexopedia > Hamstrings & Hip Flexors
Wall Split Handstand Back Leg Pulses
Muscle Group Stretched: Hip Flexors, Hamstrings
Muscle Group Strengthened: Glutes
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: Advanced
Suggested Prerequisites: Flat front split & comfortable handstand at the wall
This is one of several drills I like to work on active split flexibility for aerial splits when we’re upside down (and no longer have gravity help open our legs, but rather have to use our leg muscles to widen our split. Specifically, this drill works on strengthening the glutes for our back leg in our split to pull it lower to the ground. Pair this with Wall Split Handstand Front Leg Pulses to hit both legs!
While this drill is written for students working on their splits in a handstand, you could also do this in a forearm stand (not recommended for headstands).
How To
Note: This is an advanced drill that assumes you already know proper core/shoulder engagement and handbalancing technique for handstands. That technique is not covered in this how-to.
Step 1
Start sitting in a pike on the floor with your feet touching the wall (to measure how long your legs are). Plant your hand by the side of your butt to “mark” where your butt is on the floor, then flip over and plant your hands where you were just sitting on your butt.
Step 2
Keeping your hands planted, walk your feet up the wall to hip height. Keeping one foot firmly planted on the wall, extend the other leg away overhead, as far as you can, kicking it out into a split. Try to keep both legs straight. Don’t let the foot on the wall slip! That foot will be our anchor, if you let it slip, this may turn into an unintentional walkover… (I suggest doing this in sneakers or barefoot, socks can be a bit slippery)
Step 3
Keep reaching your free leg as far away from the wall as you can (without letting the knee bend!) - this should feel like a strong squeeze in your glutes trying to pull that leg toward the floor.
Slowly pulse that leg 8-12 times, trying to pulse to your maximum end range each time. Then switch legs.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Slightly bend the knee of the leg that’s on the wall to lessen the hamstring stretch.
Come onto the ball of the foot of the foot on the wall instead of keeping the foot flexed (only if you can keep strong contact with the foot on the wall and it doesn’t slip!). This will lessen the calf stretch.
Want to make it harder?
Try it using different shoulder/handstand positions (ex. open vs closed shoulders).
