Handstand Push Up

How to do it

1. Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width, about a hand's length from a wall.
2. Kick up into a handstand with your heels resting against the wall.
3. Lower your head toward the floor by bending the elbows, keeping them angled slightly forward.
4. Stop when your head lightly touches the mat, forming a tripod with the hands.
5. Press back up until the arms are fully straight.

Tips

• Put a folded mat under your head so the depth stays the same every rep.
• Keep your body tight so the legs do not swing off the wall.

Common mistakes

• Letting the elbows flare straight out to the sides.
• Dropping onto the head without control.
• Kicking the legs to get out of the bottom.

Muscles worked by the Handstand Push Up

• Front delts Primary29%
• Side delts Secondary15%
• Triceps (lateral head) Secondary13%
• Upper traps Secondary9%
• Triceps (long head) Secondary7%
• Triceps (medial head) Secondary5%
• Upper chest Minor5%
• Serratus anterior Minor5%
• Upper abs Stabilizer4%
• Spinal erectors (lower back) Stabilizer3%
• Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%
• Rear delts Stabilizer2%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Inverted pressing against body weight. Pressing overhead is shoulder flexion and abduction with elbow extension: the front delt leads, the lateral delt and triceps assist, and the upper traps and serratus rotate the shoulder blade up.

Handstand Push Up alternatives

Different equipment

• Overhead PressBarbell
• Barbell Z PressBarbell
• Z PressBarbell

Easier

• Pike Push UpBodyweight
• Band Shoulder PressResistance band
• Seated Barbell Overhead PressBarbell

Make it easier

• Pike Push UpBodyweight
• Overhead PressBarbell
• Seated Barbell Overhead PressBarbell
• Arnold PressDumbbell

Similar exercises

• Handstand HoldBodyweight
• Handstand WalkBodyweight

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Handstand Push Up work?

Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), upper traps, triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.

Is the Handstand Push Up good for beginners?

The Handstand Push Up is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Pike Push Up first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Handstand Push Up?

For example the Pike Push Up, Band Shoulder Press and Seated Barbell Overhead Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

• Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)

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