Handstand Push-Up
Primary muscles: Deltoids · Triceps · Upper trapezius · Core
Overview
The handstand push-up (HSPU) is one of the most demanding upper-body movements in CrossFit — a pressing movement performed while upside down. It requires a combination of shoulder strength, balance, core stability, and body awareness.
In the wall-facing HSPU, you face the wall with the hands about 15–20 cm (6–8 in) away from it. The feet rest on the wall and the body is held vertical in the start position. Placing the hands so they form a triangle with the head helps distribute load efficiently across the shoulders and triceps.
The standard range of motion is lowering until the head touches the floor, then driving explosively back up until the arms are fully extended — that is one rep. On the way down the elbows should point forward or slightly outward; if they flare out too far, a serious shoulder injury can result.
In competition settings such as the CrossFit Open, the standards are stricter, and an AbMat is sometimes placed under the head, which must touch it. This rule ensures a consistent range of motion.
The HSPU is a core skill in disciplines like military training, gymnastics, and parkour, and builds functional overhead strength. Without proper preparation it can injure the wrists, shoulders, and neck, so progressive scaling is very important.
Step-by-step
Handstand kick-up
Place the hands on the floor about 15–20 cm from the wall and kick the feet up into a handstand.
Align the body
Brace the abs and align the body vertically.
Lower down
Bend the elbows and lower until the head touches the floor (or AbMat).
Touch the head
Pause briefly as the head touches the floor and prepare to drive up explosively.
Press up
Push the floor away hard with the palms until the arms are fully extended.
Technical Standards
Start in a handstand with the arms fully extended
Hands about 15–20 cm from the wall, in a triangle position with the head
Lower until the head (or AbMat) touches the floor
Keep the elbows at 30–45 degrees (no excessive flaring)
Brace the abs firmly to prevent over-arching the lower back
Press until the arms are locked out at the top
Common Faults
Excessive lumbar extension: the lower back arches too much and compresses the spine
Excessive elbow flare: elbows splay out like chicken wings, risking shoulder injury
Incomplete range of motion: the head does not touch the floor or the arms do not fully extend
Landing on the neck: when the arms fatigue, the neck touches first, risking cervical injury
Scaling
Pike push-up — in a face-down position, lift the hips high to form an inverted V and lower the head toward the floor. This trains the same muscle groups as the HSPU using a portion of bodyweight.
Box HSPU — place the feet on a box so the hips are bent at 90 degrees. The higher the box, the closer it gets to a full HSPU.
Strict HSPU — perform it as a free-standing handstand without the wall, or strictly (no kipping) for even higher intensity.
WODs featuring this movement
Mary
20-minute AMRAP - 10+ rounds (Elite), 6+ rounds (Competitive)
Diane
Sub-4 min (Elite), Under 8 min (Competitive), Under 15 min (Recreational)
JT
Sub-8 min (Elite), Under 15 min (Competitive)
Holleyman
Under 40 min (Elite), Under 55 min (Competitive)
22.4
For Time (20-min cap)
18.4
For Time (9-min cap)
17.4
For Time (13-min cap)