Calisteniapp / Press to Handstand
Press to Handstand: your step-by-step plan.
The handstand press movement, also known as the Olympic climb, involves starting from a hip flexion position with your hands and feet on the ground and coming up to a handstand position, keeping your back vertical and legs straight with your feet dotted. In this program we will work on the flexibility, technique and strength necessary to perform this movement.
Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.
Explore my path
Objective
Manage to climb a handstand press with good technique, developing the strength and mobility necessary to do so.
- Frequence
- See program guidance
- First session duration
- 26 min
- Program
- 19 estimated weeks
01 / Requirements
Required prerequisites
- 5" Handstand
Necessary equipment
For this program you will need Box.
02 / Program
Build your path.
Each phase prepares you for the next. Weeks are a guide: repeat a phase when you need more practice before moving on.
Week 1–2Conditioning
What you will practise
In this phase you will begin to build the foundation of the program: pushing strength, shoulder preparation, and the posterior chain mobility that you will later need to bring your torso closer to your legs without losing control. Pike push-ups and Decline push-ups will help you shift the load toward the shoulders, something essential for the future Press to handstand, while Rear chain stretching and Shoulder extension will begin to improve hip flexion and shoulder opening. Do not underestimate this part: the better your mobility is now, the easier it will be to keep your back vertical in later phases.
Week 3–5Shoulder strength
What you will practise
Here we take a clear step toward specific shoulder strength and adaptation to the inverted position. Assisted short handstand push-ups introduce a pattern much closer to vertical work, and Wall assisted handstand will allow you to start becoming familiar with inverted alignment, scapular activation, and loading through the hands and shoulders. We continue to maintain horizontal pushing work and mobility because Press to handstand does not depend on just one quality, but on the combination of strength, body control, and range of motion.
Week 6–8Handstand control
What you will practise
In this phase, the main goal is for you to start truly controlling the Handstand position while continuing to develop specific strength and mobility. Handstand and Wall assisted handstand are no longer just an introduction: now you should use them to improve balance, alignment, and body awareness. At the same time, Assisted handstand push-ups and their short variations reinforce the vertical pushing pattern, while Side split stretch and Pancake stretch on the floor take on a bigger role because compression and hip flexibility will be decisive for Press to handstand.
Week 9–11Handstand by strength
What you will practise
At this stage you will begin working on a key skill: getting up into a Handstand by strength. Frog to handstand introduces a very useful transition for learning to raise the center of mass with control, coordinating shoulder push, body lean, and stability on the hands. This pattern will bring you much closer to Press to handstand, although still through a more accessible progression. Maintaining the Handstand and the continued work of Assisted handstand push-ups keep reinforcing vertical strength, while Rear chain stretching and Pancake stretch on the floor remain essential for making compression easier.
Week 12–14Press con flexed arms
What you will practise
In this phase you will begin trying Press to handstand more directly, still with bent arms, as an intermediate step before aiming for the straight-arm version. The goal is for you to understand the path of the movement, learn to shift the weight toward the hands, and make use of your flexibility to keep the back as vertical as possible from the start. That is why the stretches appear at the beginning of the session: arriving with better hip opening and more compression will help you get onto your toes, bring the torso closer to the legs, and find a more favorable starting position.
Week 15–19Press to handstand
What you will practise
In this final phase you will work on Press to handstand with the goal of performing it with straight arms and increasingly solid technique. You should aim for a controlled entry, getting onto your toes and using your flexibility as much as possible to keep your back vertical and your legs straight during the ascent. Tucked press will help you continue developing compression, control of the center of mass, and specific strength in a very useful progression toward the full movement. In addition, Frog to handstand and Handstand push-ups will continue reinforcing vertical pushing and the ability to stabilize the inverted position.
Estimated end of the plan
Choose a valid date to preview your plan.
This date reflects the planned duration, not a guaranteed date for completing Press to Handstand. Your progress may take additional weeks.
03 / Calisteniapp
Your first session, step by step.
Here is the first session of the program, so you have a reference for how the sessions are structured.
Estimated duration of 26 min depending on the rest periods you choose. Sets and reps are a reference: adjust them to your level.
The exercises you will discover.
Every movement that appears at least once across the program.
Pike push-ups
Decline push-ups
Rear chain stretching
Shoulder extension
Rear chain stretching on the floor
Push-ups
Isometric push-ups
Plank
Knee push-ups
Pole shoulders stretching
Assisted short handstand push-ups
Wall assisted handstand
Incline push-ups
Isometric push-ups
Handstand
Assisted handstand push-ups
Side split stretch
Pancake stretch on the floor
Frog to handstand
Hindu push-ups
Press to handstand
Handstand push-ups
Tucked press
Understand the reason behind each step.
- The program is designed to be done twice a week, each phase includes an extra routine in case you want to do a third session.
- We will focus on strength and technique, so you can take long rests of between 1'30'' and 3', depending on how difficult the routine is for you, although in flexibility exercises you can shorten this rest without any problem.
- The duration of the routines is between 30 and 60 minutes.
- Each phase has a recommended duration, but the actual duration will be the one that marks your progress and the time you need to achieve the objectives.
They train with Calisteniapp.
App reviews already published on our website. These are not specific to this program.
The best. I've been on the pro plan for two years and have achieved excellent results. Resistance, strength, skill, and aesthetics, I've obtained it all thanks to the guidance of this app on this beautiful calisthenics journey.
If the free option is already great, the pro option has to be amazing. I'm super happy. I'm a beginner, a very beginner, and really everything is simple, the exercises can be done anywhere without equipment, and it's helping me a lot.
From “one day” to your first session.
Download Calisteniapp on your phone.
Find Press to Handstand and check its access options.
Review the terms shown in the app and start the first phase.
If the app offers you a 7-day trial, check the subsequent price, billing period, renewal and cancellation before activating it. Availability and terms are those shown in your account and store.
Before you start.
Is it mandatory to do the reinforcement routine?
No, only if you want to add an extra day of training or if you notice that you are stuck and need extra work.
What rest times to use?
We recommend using intermediate breaks of between 45" to 2'30". If in any phase you find it difficult to advance and you feel stuck, you can try using longer rest times to try to complete it.
What requirements must I meet to be able to do this program?
This program is designed for intermediate athletes who are able to do push-ups with ease and are able to stand in a handstand position, both freely and against the wall.
Every step counts.
Start with preparation. Follow the path. Give your progress time.
Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.