Espi Yayyy love to hear that you were able to really engage the upper back muscles when you were trying it- good stuff babe!! thanks for sharing this update :))

Vanessa 😂😂😂😂😂 omg girl you are always cracking me up!!!

Krista https://youtu.be/xX0SHIqo-aA https://youtu.be/xX0SHIqo-aA

Krista glad you asked these questions! Next time you do handstand conditioning and you want to film some videos, feel free to share some videos here in the community feed, so I can help you towards a stronger handstand too! Check out the great handstand workshops & follow along sequences here in the app to help you along! 

This kick up entry to brass monkey (similar to handstand training) will feel stronger with the more engagement you can find in these crucial points:

Core always! (not just the frontal abs, but the entire "corset" of muscles that wrap around our torso. I will attach a couple YouTube videos that I think might help with this!

Inside arm! It has to to work a ton to keep hips from tipping away from the pole. It's squeezing the pole as hard as possible into our side body and our bicep is engaged as well 

Inside oblique! It has to also help us from tipping away from the pole, so it'll be engaged far more than the outside oblique. 

inside hamstring! Squeeze that heel to your butt!

Espi & Elena Martelli I tagged you both in a Community post that I just made to address this! Elena Martelli you are definitely not alone! Actually you are very much in the majority!!

Espi so we can think of this one like a brass monkey pencil (does that make sense when I say that?) Arms in the brass monkey hold, legs together pointing straight up to the ceiling like in a handstand, core tight, butt squeezed, everything lol that way our arms understand the assignment (ie they are holding our entire weight so our legs are free to do whatever). that bottom arm is pushing down into the pole similar to how it would push into the floor for a handstand, the inside arm is squeezing the pole into your side body as much as possible and your inside oblique is probably working double time to keep your hips as close to the pole as possible!

Vanessa actually I'm not going to fight you at all 🤣 I agree with you!! I made a post in the Community Feed about this and tagged youuuu :)

@

Elena Martelli 2nd clip- very very good! 1st clip- looking back, I should have put this entry in the intermediate or advanced section, because the torso rotation (twisy in the low back) is significant. Did you try hanging onto the right ankle while you lay back- I will put a video in the community of what I’m referring to ❤️

Elena Martelli me too!! Love to see everyone learning so much from them!