The handstand push-up is an excellent bodyweight exercise for developing shoulder strength. It can be performed as an alternative to the barbell shoulder press. I often do handstand push-ups when I don’t have time to go to the gym. You can find more shoulder exercises in the weight training main section.
Get into a handstand position (see the gymnastic handstand lesson) and place your hands close to a wall. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart, with your elbows fully extended. You can perform handstand push-ups with your hands directly on the floor or use push-up bars. Be cautious with push-up bars—make sure they are stable and can’t tip over. In gymnastics, there are special bars designed for this purpose. The benefit of using bars is that they allow a greater range of motion, which engages more of the shoulder muscles.
Lower yourself down until your head lightly touches the floor while inhaling. Keep your back straight and avoid resting your weight on your head. The downward motion should be slightly slower than the upward motion.
Then, push yourself back up and exhale.
