In the handstand, a much weaker base supports the body while simultaneously raising the body’s center of gravity a foot or more in a world turned upside down. Things don’t get more foreign. When standing, the hip is the focus of control and leverage. When in the handstand, the focus shifts to the shoulder. This shift not only helps develop “shoulders strong as hips” but also improves proprioception and core strength in ways that other protocols cannot.

Matt Lodin instructs a participant to maintain midline stabilization in the squat by minimizing hyperextension of the low back. “I just need you to sit down. That’s it,” he says.

Standing [and walking] on one’s hands dramatically alters the normal kinetic chain required for standing [and walking] on one’s feet. When standing, the hip is the focus of control and leverage. When in the handstand, the focus shifts to the shoulder. This shift not only helps develop “shoulders strong as hips” but also presents a set of unique demands on the body’s core. Hand walking and pressing to the handstand are gateway movements to much of the corpus of gymnastics movements, and gymnastics training, even of rudimentary movements, has no peer for core or neurological training.

To learn more about human movement and the CrossFit methodology, visit CrossFit Training.