page_title: Handstand
section_title: Variations
hierarchical_section_title: Handstand / Variations
caption_attribution_description: English: One arm handstand. Gymnastics movement performed primarily in the the disciplines of acrosport and hand balancing. It used to be visible in artistic gymnastics, per example on the floor, parallel bars or beam, but is rarely ever performed in competitive gymnastics anymore. An other discipline where they are used is breakdancing
context_page_description: A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart and the legs together. There are many variations of handstands, all of which require the performer to possess adequate balance and upper body strength.
  Handstands are performed in many athletic activities, including acro dance, cheerleading, circus, yoga, calisthenics, and gymnastics. Some variation of a handstand is performed on every gymnastic apparatus, and many tumbling skills pass through a handstand position during their execution. Breakdancers incorporate handstands in freezes and kicks. Armstand dives—a category found in competitive platform diving—are dives that begin with a handstand. Swimmers perform underwater handstands as a game, with their heads, arms, and bodies underwater with their legs and feet extended above the surface, often having contests with the winner being the person who can remain in an underwater handstand the longest.
  Handstands are known by various other names.
context_section_description: Common handstand variations include:
  Straight legs held in a side or front split.
  Stag split, in which legs are front split with bent knees.
  Back extremely arched, with bent knees and toes touching the back of the head.
  Hollowback, with hyperextension of the back so that legs are held further back than the head.
  One-handed, in which only one hand contacts the ground.
  Handstand pushups, in which one raises and lowers the body while standing inverted on the hands.
  Straddle split handstand
caption: One-armed handstand with legs together
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