What is and how to do hspu in your cross training box

When practicing crossfit, It is usual to find names of certain exercises or routines that may sound to Chinese. Do not worry, it is normal, and to solve it in this post we will explain an exercise of crossfit Regular in Calisthenics training, which you can find in many Wods. We will see what is HSPU to do in crossfit or also known as Handstand push ups.

What are Handstand Push Ups?

As the name implies, HSPU are hand flexions, although they are better known as pine flexions, vertical flexions either Inverted flexions. All these denominations refer to an exercise whose basic execution is to support the hands on the ground to later place the feet on the wall as if we were doing the lifelong pine, to finally go up and down flexing the arms. Although it may seem like a simple exercise, it is a Advanced exercise which requires some strength and balance to be able to do it, in addition to technique. We recommend that You consult your coach To help you and prepare you to be able to do the HSPU correctly.

Existing types of HSPU in crossfit

As in most exercises that use body weight, There are many variations and different types of executions, which allow focusing work on some muscles or others (such as normal flexions). Although there is countless ways to execute handstand push ups, the best known are strict hspu and the HSPU with Kipping. In addition, there are other variants that are made with weighted vests to gain weight, with discs to gain depth, and even with rings.

Strict hspu

They are the most common and those that have a higher level of difficulty. Its execution is slower and are made with greater contact with the wall. With this exercise, only the upper train is worked.

HSPU with Kipping

They are usually easier to perform and differ from the strict ones in which at the end of the execution they include an “impulse” that will help you complete the return to the starting position, which makes you not use only by upper train, but rather that Other muscle groups are involved in execution.

Moment in which the impulse is made to return to the initial position

In the following video you can appreciate the differences with the previous exercise:

How to do Handstand Push Ups step by step

First of all is to look for an adequate place that allows you to have good support and space for its execution. Be careful to do it on irregular surfaces or do not hold your weight. Steps to follow:

Place the Hands about 15-20cm from the wall, maintaining a separation between them with a width slightly higher than that of your shoulders.
With the palms of the hands and fingers supported on the ground, lift one leg and pégala to the wall and once placed, do the same with the other (especially if it is the first time you try).
Once you rest your legs against the wall, you have to keep the buttocks and abdominals contracted while keeping your back straight. The arms have to be stretched.
With the body in tension, Down down so that the head moves back in the direction of the wall, making sure to keep your elbows in an angle of 30-45 degrees. Go down until you touch the ground.
Go up again while keeping your hands in place and you reach the Start position With completely extended arms.

What muscles are working and what benefits this exercise provides?

Depending on the type of HSPU, the following muscles will be worked with greater or lesser intensity.

Shoulders
Deltoid
Triceps
Forearm
Trapezios
Pectoral
Abdominals

In short, it is a movement in which they are involved large number of muscles, in addition to test your balance.

How to prepare to face the Handstand Push Up

As we have mentioned above, It is not an exercise for beginners, since it requires a good physical form and the appropriate technique. Do not be discouraged, since there are other exercises that will allow you to go gradually strengthening the muscles that intervene in the HSPU and once dominates, you can surely face the pine or hspu flexions. Let's look at some of them.

Flexions

The first step to prepare for the Handstand Push Up is to start with the basic flexions of a lifetime, to strengthen the upper train and learn to keep your back straight. To vary these exercises a bit, you can try the Diamond Push Ups, and the Pike push up, different variations of the lifelong flexions with which you will improve balance and acquire more strength. Here you can see how to run the pike push up.

In the following video you will learn to do the diamond push up correctly:

Seated Dumbbell Press

To perform this exercise, it will be necessary to have A pair of dumbbells by hand and a bank. It is an exercise with which you can strengthen the shoulders and other muscles that will act when you start with the HPSU. Simply align the dumbbells at the height of your shoulders and take them up until they completely extend the arms enduring a couple of seconds to slowly lower to the starting position. In this video you can see how to execute this movement. Do not forget to keep the body in tension in the same way described above.

Box Handstand Push Ups

A very useful exercise to prepare the HSPU without having to worry about balance. Ideal for a first contact. You simply need a drawer of crossfit To support the knees and exercise the upper train imitating the movement you would do if you use the wall.

Do not forget to consult with your coach any questions, and if you are a beginner, see exercises little by little until you are able to make your first HSPU. This type of exercise is very common in the wods, and is even one of those that has fallen in the quarterfinals of the Open Crossfit Games of 2021 If you are going to make any variation of this exercise, we recommend that you take a look at 👉 Our fabric dolls that will give you that extra fellow to make one more repetition.