The elbow stand is a popular crossfit exercise that everyone who wants to practice this sport needs to master. The exercise not only develops the entire shoulder girdle and core muscles, but also serves as an introduction to some competitive movements, such as push-ups in a handstand.
What does the elbow stand exercise do?
In crossfit, this movement came from gymnastics, along with other basic elements. In the original, it is also called a headstand, but in crossfit, this movement has received a simpler and more understandable name (headstand refers to harmful elements due to compression of the vertebrae, so it is not considered as an option for this sport) . In yoga, this asana is called Pincha Mayurasana.
The peculiarity of the handstand is that this exercise combines dynamic and static load. It does not have an aggressive effect on the shoulder joints, but it perfectly strengthens them for subsequent heavy loads. Without it, the transition to other gymnastic movements, in which the position of the body is upside down, can become not only difficult, but also very traumatic.
Contraindications
There are no pronounced contraindications to learn how to do a stand. Among the cases when it is necessary to exclude or replace the exercise, there are:
Any problems with the shoulder joint.
Pain in the shoulders or neck.
Osteochondrosis, protrusions, hernias (in any part of the spine).
High blood pressure.
What muscles work
Despite the fact that the pose involves static tension, it gives a noticeable load on all the muscles of the upper body and torso.
When running, the racks work:
All three bundles are deltoid.
Cortical muscles.
Rectus and transverse muscles.
Back muscles.
Also, as stabilizers to maintain balance, the following components are included in the work:
Biceps of the thigh.
Quadriceps.
buttocks.
Calves.
Execution technique
The handstand technique is quite simple, but it is extremely important for athletes to learn how to perform each stage as correctly as possible. In some cases, the gradual and step-by-step development of the exercise will be very useful, especially for beginners. Step-by-step execution involves a gradual transition to each phase of the movement.
Technic:
First, you need to stand in a position with emphasis lying on the floor (emphasis on the elbows, knees and toes). The elbows should touch the floor at the level of the neck.
Put your head on the floor between your hands, try not to bend your neck too much, this can be traumatic.
Lift your knees off the floor, straighten your legs, and lift your pelvis up. The legs and body should be bent at a right angle (inverted V).
Straighten the body so that it is perpendicular to the floor (the back is straight). Pull your legs closer to you and rest on your toes.
Slightly bending your knees, push your toes off the floor, while bending your leg at the knee for grouping.
Straighten your legs and fix the position.
At the stage of mastering and strengthening the muscles, it is always better to do the movement against the wall. This will help to extinguish inertia and avoid falling back when pushing your feet off the floor.
Recommendations for implementation
If the main task is to do the stand correctly, then it is recommended to master the movement separately. That is, in the days of “working out the technique” or any other time.
If the rack is an intermediate link for mastering push-ups upside down, then it is logical to do it together with another “eyeliner”.
In general, this is a fairly simple movement that does not create a strong load on the muscle fibers. Therefore, you can even train daily, depending on how long you want to fully master the exercise.
What crossfit complexes include
In crossfit, the static rack is almost never used in complexes when it comes to water. This is a “development” exercise that is necessary to improve specific movements. In this case – push-ups upside down. Although considering how many muscles are involved in the rack, it will be useful for other exercises, from weightlifting movements, to going out with strength on the rings/horizontal bar. Learn more about going out by force on the horizontal bar →
Conclusion
In general, the elbow stand is a fairly simple exercise. It is useful not only in crossfit or other sports, but also to increase flexibility, strengthen almost all the muscles of the body, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable area – the shoulders. With the right approach, anyone can do the exercise, but with weak neck and shoulder muscles, it is important to approach the development of the movement in stages, so as not to increase the risk of injury.
