HANDSTAND Course – Mike Aidala

Why learn handstand?

The number one reason for learning how to handstand is…. FUN!

Honestly, I built this course because I want everyone to feel the child-like joy of being upside down. I personally have so much fun everyday being inverted, it keeps me young, fresh, and curious.

Life can be so serious and although balancing upside down requires some risk, it’s calculated. Plus, conquering the fear is what makes it enjoyable and worthwhile.

If you’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed I can’t think of a better way to break out of that rut then by learning a new physical skill. It’s my favorite way to stay in shape and keep fitness FUN. So get off the boring treadmill, bench, or machines and come get inverted! I promise, you WONT REGRET IT!

The curriculum includes:

• Detailed video movements with split screen of detailed cues
• PDF file for each days workout
• 5 days of hard work per week 2 days of rest
• Videos and notes on how to safely bail away from the wall
• Video on how to get the most out of this program
• Video on flexibility and injury prevention
• Video on balancing
• Notes on visualization
• AND MORE!

OK OK OK this all sounds great but…

• I am too old
• Handstands are for gymnasts
• I am not strong enough
• I am too heavy
• What if I fall and break my face
• You can’t learn handstands or bodyweight skills as an adult
• I don’t have time

Blah. Blah. Blah.

Your biggest enemy during these 3 weeks…

Fear and Self Doubt

Now, I want to be clear, some fear can be good. It’s healthy to have a natural sense of fear however, this is not the type of fear I’m talking about.

I’m talking about the self-limiting, negative thinking, poor habit forming fear that stops us from doing what we want. It’s when you justify yourself by saying you’re being “realistic”. However, most of the time these are ALL false and fabricated stories you tell yourself that harm you and limit your potential. This limiting belief system needs to die.

How do you kill it?

Knowledge.

How do you gain knowledge?

You need to change the negative story into a positive one by proving to yourself that it’s possible. For new hand balancers, this means following a step by step program that covers the two main requirements for learning how to hold your first handstand.

• Strength, flexibility and focus
• Application of the above while learning

In my years of teaching, I have studied a multitude of practices for how to balance my handstand. Everything from gymnastics, circus, professional hand balancers, yoga, calisthenics, movement artists, etc. I have taken the best practices from all of these modalities and condensed them into this course so you can have the most success possible in the shortest amount of time.

Quick story about me:

This is a picture of me before I knew how to handstand, weighing over 230 lbs.

I would go to the gym, lift weights, do a few machines and then eat a lot of food because I was proud of myself. I had no direction, no real goal and worst of all… NO PLAN. Without a plan and direction I was lost trying to keep up in a world that made a lot of money telling me I wasn’t good enough. I was depressed, anxious, worried and felt bad about myself.

As I began to study bodyweight skills and specifically handstands, those negative feelings began to shift.

I began to form a new bond with myself and with my body.What it could DO.

How it FEELS. I forgot about striving for how it LOOKS because once I went for DO and FEELS, the “look” came naturally and was never a thought.

Who is it for?

YOU!

(If you really want to learn how to balance yourself in a handstand)

Also:

• The individual who can kick into a handstand at the wall but can’t seem to get away from the wall due to fear, not knowing what to do, lack of practice etc.
• The individual who lacks confidence in their approach to handstand and is afraid to kick up.
• The person who can kick up in the middle of the room but can never seem to “stick it”
• The athlete who wants to learn something new and exciting
• The average gym goer who is ready to build some serious total body strength and coordination.
• The cross fitter and/or weightlifter who wants to build rock solid shoulders and feel more comfortable with weight overhead.
• Anyone with an open mind, able body and desire to learn!

How often?

This course is devised into 6 different days 3 strength focused, 2 balance focused and 1 testing day. You will complete these days in the specific order they are outlined for 21 days.

Time:

• 5x week
• 45 minutes each workout
• 3 weeks total

(You have LIFETIME ACCESS to the course) The 21 days are a guideline, of course sometimes, life happens.

Level:

All Level / Intermediate

Equipment:

Minimal (2 resistance bands) bench, wall

Location:

Your home, the gym, a park, anywhere with a bench and wall.

When:

RIGHT NOW

There is no better time than the present

Have fun. Learn something new. Challenge yourself!