Shoulders
Handstand Walk
The Handstand Walk is a strength exercise with no equipment for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: front delts 29%, side delts 15% and triceps (lateral head) 13%.
How to do it
- Clear a flat stretch of floor and place your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Kick up into a free handstand with the body in one line.
- Let your weight tip very slightly forward toward the fingers.
- Take small steps with the hands, shifting your weight from one hand to the other.
- Keep walking for 10 to 30 seconds while breathing steadily, then step down with control.
Tips
- Keep the steps short, about a hand's length, and the shoulders pushed tall.
- Tighten the glutes and point the toes to keep the legs still.
Common mistakes
- Taking large lunging steps that tip you over.
- Bending the elbows while stepping.
- Letting the legs split and swing.
Muscles worked by the Handstand Walk
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 Walk alternatives
Same equipment
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Handstand Walk work?
Mainly the front delts. The side delts, triceps (lateral head), upper traps, triceps (long head) and triceps (medial head) assist.
Is the Handstand Walk good for beginners?
The Handstand Walk is rated advanced. Learn the technique with a light weight first.
What is a good alternative to the Handstand Walk?
For example the Handstand Hold. They train mostly the same muscles.
Sources
- Saeterbakken and Fimland 2013, JSCR 27(7):1824-1831 (standing, seated, barbell, dumbbell)
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