9 Reasons I Could Be A Great Handstand Coach For You!

This started out as a post for social media. 

I wanted to try to communicate what makes how and what I teach unique. With the constant increase of coaches appearing online, it’s super important to know what sets you apart. Equally, it’s good to know this so that you know who you’re not suited to work with too.  

I decided I wanted to elaborate on it all in more detail, and luckily, I have my blog to be able to do that. So here we go… these are the 9 reasons I could be a great handstand coach for you!

1. I DID NOT learn how to balance on my hands as a child. I learnt as an adult which means I can relate to and empathise with your struggles as you learn as an adult

It may be tempting to go for a coach with the highest skill level and most number of years training the thing you want to learn. And while there are many great coaches who have trained handstands all their life, the one thing that means is that they’ll never truly empathise with where you’re at on your journey if you’re learning as an adult.

I remember NOT being able to handstand. I remember barely being able to kick up to a wall. And I remember every step of the way where I was unable to do something, and then finally had a break through. 

This massively works to my advantage, because I can understand where a client is at at any stage. And I often know the tools needed to break through and make progress.

2. I made tons of mistakes early in my handstand journey, which means I can help you to avoid those, and make more efficient progress

I was self taught for a number of years before I started getting proper help and coaching. Therefore I trained things badly, and picked up undesirable techniques and habits. The upside to this is that I’m very aware of what to avoid, and how to help my students skip over the mistakes that I made. 

3. I have had coaching from a wide variety of handstand practitioners from circus artists to gymnasts, and have taken the bits I find most helpful for my students

Over the years I’ve learned from so many different handstand practitioners. Each one has their own technique and way of teaching. Because the people I work with are often adults without a background in circus or gymnastics, not everything I’ve learnt is useful for them. 

I’ve worked hard to take the things that I feel are most beneficial for the majority of adults, and combined them together. As a result he way I teach has become more and more accessible to more and more people.

4. I’ve been teaching handstands in person for 12 years, and online for 10 years, and have worked with a range of abilities - experience counts for a lot

Experience really does count for a lot. If I’m looking for help with something I want someone who’s been doing the thing I want to do for at least 5 years, if not longer. 

When someone’s really been getting the reps in and they have proof that what they do works, it’s much easier to trust them and know you’ve a good chance of getting those results too.

5. I genuinely believe that with good tools, progressions and coaching anyone can work towards their handstand goals, and I am on a genuine mission of making what I teach as accessible as possible

I’ve spoken to people who think something like a handstand is totally out of their reach. And while things can be an advantage, like already being fit and strong, with the right support I do believe anyone can learn.

Because I’ve worked with so many people over the years, I know how to adapt and scale training to individual needs. It’s about finding the right formula for each individual.

6. I am obsessed with programming, and love to problem solve the best ways for an individual to train and work towards their goals

This follows on from the previous point. The right programming, and the right personalisation does absolute wonders for a client. Certain things might be more of a struggle for some people, so you address the limitations and build from there. 

7. I never had fear of handstands until I started training on canes and then had MASSIVE fear, so I can seriously empathise and help you with that struggle

This comes back to being able to relate to what your client is going through. I never had issues with fear until training on canes. And I’m grateful for that experience because it means I can empathise more than ever with people who have fear.

Creating a space of safety for my clients is so important, and something I’m constantly working to do. 

8. My background in personal training, weightlifting and adult gymnastics helps me to really understand what’s happening in a persons body and identify what additional things they might need outside of handstands to help them reach their goals 

I believe this is a big advantage. Some disciplines really benefit from additional forms of training to make better progress. For example, if you’re struggling to kick up to handstand, it may be about needing more leg strength. Working on something like lunges or squats would be important to include in training, and not necessarily thought of as something helpful for handstands.

There’s a million different things where adding weight or adding some movements from a different discipline could help, and it’s super useful to have a coach who’s aware of this.

9. I get super excited every time a client makes even a small amount of progress, and often dance around to celebrate (I have tons of video evidence to support this)

Fact. I dance around in excitement when my clients do well. This might not be what you’re looking for in a coach, and that’s totally fair, but I know my clients appreciate it. 

If you want to finally nail your handstand, alongside building strength for aerial, book a call to chat about one to one online coaching. 💖