Handstand to One Arm Elbow Lever

The handstand to one arm elbow lever is actually easier than the handstand to two arm elbow lever, in my opinion, due to minimal hand movement and the less restrictive nature of the OAEL on breathing. Of course you need a solid handstand, freestanding handstand pushup, and one arm elbow lever. But other than that, it’s cake!

In the handstand position you’ll want to bend your arms and start shifting your body weight over to whichever elbow you want to lever on. Your head stays off the ground, but it dips down pretty low. My arms bend to just above 90 degrees.

As your body comes in contact with your elbow, stab it in and get your body into position. Make sure your legs stay off the ground the whole time. It looks real ugly to have your legs slam into the ground. There may be a slight bit of hand turning on the ground as you get ready to lever. Your head will come up from between your hands as your legs come down. From there, it’s a simple matter of lifting up your other hand and you’re set!

Rather than posting up pictures of getting from the OAEL to handstand, you can pretty much look at the handstand to OAEL pictures in reverse. So first put your free hand on the ground. Next, get your head down and legs up so that your bodyweight starts to balance out more between your two hands. Start pressing with your base hand at this point to help shift your bodyweight further. As your body comes back to center, your arms should be pressing and straightening. In other words, you’re coming to the center and going up and the same time. Enough pressing and you’ll end right back up in a handstand.

�۬Good luck!