Forearm Stand

These notes combine advice from 77 reviewed passages across 27 workouts.

Overview

The movement can develop core awareness, shoulder and elbow strength, and familiarity with inverted balance. Those balance lessons may support handstand learning, although strength gained in the forearm stand does not always transfer directly to the handstand. [17] [36] [37] [38] [39] [42] [43] [59] [60]

Support and body position

Push upward through the shoulders and keep the body tight. Avoid sinking inward, and continue reaching upward if fatigue allows the head to drop toward the floor. [1] [4] [5] [9] [18] [46] [48]

Set the elbows relatively close, parallel, and high. A triangle-shaped support base is acceptable, and either demonstrated support variation can be used according to comfort. Excessive elbow flare tends to lower the body and make control harder. [3] [22] [41] [56]

A perfectly straight line is not required at the beginning. A slight curve can be acceptable. Open legs usually offer easier control, while closed legs create a more vertical line; open, closed, and slightly bent positions can all be used for timed practice. [14] [23] [31]

Gaze, breathing, and balance

Direct the gaze into the support area. Look between the hands or toward the point between the elbow and hand at roughly a 45-degree angle. Keep backward-looking variations for a later stage of balance development. [5] [7] [12] [18] [21]

Keep the hands planted during the rise. If the weight shifts backward, use pressure through the palms, hands, or fingers to return toward the balance point. Once centered, remain still instead of adding unnecessary corrective pushes. [6] [19] [53] [56] [58]

Coach’s claim

Looking directly at the fingers or hands may increase neck tension or make breathing feel restricted. A gaze point between the elbow and hand may feel easier on the neck. [13] [20]

Coach’s claim

A pronounced lower-back arch may make the position harder and was described as potentially dangerous. Reducing the arch may allow a more comfortable and sustained hold. [11]

Entry and wall progression

For a kick-up entry, use enough energy to rise and then slow the leg swing as it approaches the balance line. The aim is to turn the moving entry into a static hold. A slower rise is another option when there is enough support strength. [25] [27] [55] [59]

Use a ten-second wall-supported hold when confidence needs rebuilding. As balance improves, keep the wall behind the body as a backup while trying to rise without touching it. At the no-touch stage, descend and reset after wall contact. [8] [24] [26] [45] [51]

In one athlete’s session, rising, holding for fifteen seconds without wall contact, and descending under control was treated as evidence of independent control. That result was an individual assessment rather than a general milestone for everyone. [30] [32]

Hold development and programming

Increase hold targets gradually. Examples moved through eight, ten, twenty, thirty, and forty seconds, or from ten to fifteen seconds, with time for the arms to recover between efforts. [24] [31] [57]

Forearm stands and handstands can be arranged in different orders. Some sessions established the handstand first, while others used the forearm stand to teach core and balance awareness. Another approach alternated hand and elbow versions within a regular ten-minute skill block. [17] [36] [37] [38] [39]

Consistent access may affect performance. In one report, reduced access to bars coincided with elbow-balance time falling from about thirty seconds to twenty seconds. [2]

A one-elbow-and-hand variation was progressed to improve mechanics, posture, and control. The hand offered better control in the demonstrated version, while the body’s bend made even a three-to-four-second hold feel less comfortable. [28] [29]

Comfort, recovery, and practice surfaces

Coach’s claim

A cushion was kept behind the athlete for a period of early practice with small falls and was expected to become unnecessary later. Suggested exits included recovering toward the other side, rolling, or using a circular handstand-style bailout. [33] [52] [54]

Coach’s claim

Training substitutions varied with the source of fatigue. One shoulder-depleted session replaced handstand work with forearm work. Other sessions used the forearm version after prolonged wrist loading or when a regular handstand was unavailable, with the stated aim of reducing wrist or joint loading. [16] [35] [40]

Coach’s claim

Heavy shoulder work led to postponing forearm practice for a day or two in one session. Another session required no additional preparation because the shoulders were already warm. Brief arm recovery was also used between attempts. [34] [44] [57]

Coach’s claim

Substantial fatigue may lower the head and reduce hold performance. Record assessment was moved to a fresher session when the athlete had already tired the body considerably. [46] [49]

Coach’s claim

Backward shoulder stretching, wall-supported shoulder stretching, and general joint stretching were used after forearm-stand work or fatigue. A wall or chair setup with supported elbows and the chest moving toward the support was also demonstrated. [10] [15] [48] [50]

Coach’s experience

In his own training, the coach uses the forearm stand more often than the handstand during warm-ups because he finds it more difficult and feels that it warms him more. [47]

Sources

1. 2024-02-19, 4836.5-4868.9s

Workout: workout:2024-02-19

Passage: passage:2024-02-19:001798-001811

2. 2024-04-03, 2925.3-2963.7s

Workout: workout:2024-04-03

Passage: passage:2024-04-03:000886-000898

3. 2024-05-25, 3214.1-3225.4s

Workout: workout:2024-05-25

Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001041-001047

4. 2024-05-25, 3248.0-3272.8s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001061-001072

5. 2024-05-25, 3362.6-3372.3s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001112-001117

6. 2024-05-25, 3393.5-3414.0s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001129-001138

7. 2024-05-25, 3442.1-3449.8s

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8. 2024-05-25, 3482.9-3485.3s

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9. 2024-05-25, 3524.4-3548.0s

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10. 2024-05-25, 3575.6-3591.8s

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11. 2024-05-25, 3692.2-3714.6s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001246-001254

12. 2024-05-25, 3715.5-3726.2s

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13. 2024-05-25, 3730.3-3751.5s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001259-001267

14. 2024-05-25, 3789.0-3809.9s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-25:001284-001292

15. 2024-05-25, 4020.5-4045.6s

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16. 2024-05-28, 5235.5-5250.4s

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Passage: passage:2024-05-28:001808-001814

17. 2024-05-28, 5318.1-5326.6s

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18. 2024-05-28, 5654.9-5661.8s

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19. 2024-05-28, 5723.7-5737.8s

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20. 2024-05-28, 5738.3-5752.2s

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21. 2024-05-28, 5764.3-5784.7s

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22. 2024-05-28, 5811.8-5835.8s

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23. 2024-06-22, 2243.5-2267.7s

Workout: workout:2024-06-22

Passage: passage:2024-06-22:000860-000868

24. 2024-06-22, 2294.8-2322.0s

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Passage: passage:2024-06-22:000878-000887

25. 2024-06-22, 2328.8-2367.6s

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26. 2024-06-22, 2371.8-2385.5s

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27. 2024-06-22, 2395.5-2401.2s

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Passage: passage:2024-06-22:000916-000918

28. 2024-06-22, 3654.4-3684.5s

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29. 2024-06-22, 3708.3-3718.7s

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30. 2024-06-27, 4367.1-4379.8s

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31. 2024-06-27, 4392.5-4400.3s

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32. 2024-06-27, 4411.0-4419.2s

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33. 2024-06-27, 4421.1-4433.1s

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34. 2024-06-30, 3546.5-3568.0s

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35. 2024-09-15, 2738.0-2757.8s

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36. 2024-09-17, 657.5-663.4s

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37. 2024-10-11, 3053.6-3060.0s

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38. 2024-10-11, 3064.9-3080.5s

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39. 2024-10-11, 3082.5-3099.1s

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40. 2024-10-15, 2110.1-2134.2s

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41. 2024-11-13, 1742.0-1755.2s

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42. 2024-11-21, 4421.8-4425.1s

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43. 2024-11-21, 4465.6-4489.5s

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44. 2024-12-10, 4911.0-4916.6s

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45. 2024-12-10, 4920.8-4927.9s

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46. 2024-12-10, 5012.1-5025.2s

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47. 2024-12-31, 3669.1-3675.9s

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Passage: passage:2024-12-31:001280-001283

48. 2025-02-09, 3462.7-3485.5s

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Passage: passage:2025-02-09:001039-001044

49. 2025-02-09, 3556.1-3569.8s

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Passage: passage:2025-02-09:001063-001065

50. 2025-12-31, 2220.6-2236.2s

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Passage: passage:2025-12-31:000657-000661

51. 2026-01-13, 1618.6-1628.6s

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52. 2026-07-24, 4680.1-4692.2s

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53. 2026-07-24, 4759.5-4774.5s

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54. 2026-07-24, 4878.3-4897.7s

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55. 2026-07-28, 3259.0-3272.5s

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56. 2026-07-28, 3315.8-3343.1s

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57. 2026-07-30, 3683.3-3700.0s

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58. 2026-07-30, 3869.8-3874.6s

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59. 2026-07-30, 3891.0-3898.1s

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60. 2026-07-30, 4053.7-4058.3s

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