Many CrossFit athletes are rushing to handstand walks without building the skills they actually need—and many coaches are letting them. But according to gymnastics specialist and CrossFit coach Anna Wishnowsky, there’s a more effective way to approach inverted training that skips arbitrary benchmarks and focuses on true competency.
“You don’t need to hold a handstand for 30 seconds to start walking,” says Wishnowsky. “You just need to demonstrate control in the three areas that matter most.”
Those three areas? Balancing body mass over the middle of the hands, maintaining enough body tension to control position, and using the shoulders to push and create movement. If an athlete can consistently show these, Wishnowsky says they’re more than ready to begin walking on their hands—no matter how long they can hold.
Here’s how she coaches it—and why her method is already delivering stronger, safer results in gyms.
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Why athletes (and coaches) skip handstand holds
Most CrossFitters want to walk before they can balance—and many coaches allow it. Wishnowsky sees two main reasons why.
“First, some coaches don’t have a confident handstand hold themselves, so they don’t trust the progressions,” she says. “Second, a lot of people don’t understand that handstand holds and handstand walks follow different learning paths.”
While gymnastic purists might insist on a strict standard—like holding for 10 to 30 seconds before walking—Wishnowsky takes a different route.
“There’s no magic number,” she says. “Instead, I look for skill proficiency in three specific areas. Once I see that, we move on to walking.”
Let’s break down those three components.
1. Balance through the hands, not around them
“Handstands don’t balance themselves,” Wishnowsky says. “Your fingertips do the real work.”
Most athletes rely on the outer edges of their palms, but balance lives in the fingertips. That forward pressure allows for real-time adjustments—like standing on tiptoe with the ankle firing to keep you upright.
Drill: Crow Pose (from yoga)
This entry-level drill introduces hand pressure without needing to go upside down. Knees rest on triceps as athletes lean forward until their feet lift off the ground—no kicking, just a slow tip into balance.
Look for:
- Fingertips whitening
- Knuckles lifting
- Gentle “fall” into hands, not a shove
Wishnowsky recommends giving members about 60 seconds of playtime to explore weight distribution and start building fingertip strength.
Drill: Box-to-Wall Float
In this progression, athletes straddle a box next to a wall and slowly lift one leg to shift into a floating handstand.
“The word ‘float’ matters,” Wishnowsky emphasizes. “There’s no push. The goal is to arrive in your hands—not slam into the wall.”
To succeed:
- Box height should match athlete’s flexibility and height
- Elbows must stay locked
- Feet should float, not kick, to the wall
She suggests programming this in sets and reps (e.g., 5 sets to hit one clean float per set) or using a time cap (5 minutes to find 3 good floats).
Drill: Wall-Facing Float
This drill builds on the same float concept—except the wall supports the toes instead of the back. Athletes slowly shift their hips and shoulders over the hands until the feet peel off.
To increase difficulty:
- Cross legs to prevent cheating
- Cue athletes to drift rather than push
- Focus on the sensation in the fingers
Again, start with time-based play or progress to reps with quality standards.
Drill: Heel Pull
In a back-to-wall handstand, athletes use fingertip pressure to slowly pull their heels off the wall.
“This one’s great for strength,” Wishnowsky notes. “It also helps reinforce that middle-of-the-hand balance point.”
Start close to the wall for easier access. Then increase distance slightly to boost fingertip activation.
2. Create a body line—without over-crunching
“CrossFit talks a lot about body line,” says Wishnowsky. “But it’s only part of the puzzle—and a lot of people misunderstand what we’re looking for.”
The ideal handstand line isn’t a full hollow-body crunch. Instead, it’s a balanced mix of:
- Shoulder shrug
- Slight rib cage retraction
- Mild pelvic tuck
- Long, engaged legs
“You need enough tension to hold your shape, but not so much that you can’t breathe or move,” she adds.
Drill: Plate and Roller Line Hold
Athletes place their hands on a bumper plate and feet on a foam roller. The elevated legs mimic handstand mechanics while the raised plate reinforces shoulder push.
Cue:
- Shrug hard into the plate
- Tuck pelvis gently
- Avoid flared ribs
Drill: Plank-to-Wall Plank
From a high plank one arm’s length from the wall, athletes alternate pressing each hand into the wall. It’s only possible with strong shoulder elevation and tight core control.
“This one forces people to engage the whole line,” Wishnowsky says. “If they’re floppy, they can’t make the transfer.”
Start with 20 reps (both hands to wall = 1 rep) before advancing.
Drill: 45° Handstand Hold
Halfway up a wall walk, athletes pause at a 45-degree angle and check their body line. Are the ribs pulled in? Are the glutes and quads squeezed?
Use this for:
- Static holds
- Lateral walks
- Controlled reps into vertical holds
Encourage athletes to feel the difference between a tight, supportive shape and a floppy, unstacked one.
3. Shoulders make the walk possible
To transition from holds to walking, athletes need a powerful shoulder push—not bent elbows.
“This is where we get easy mode vs. hard mode,” says Wishnowsky. “With enough shoulder elevation, the handstand walk gets light and stable. Without it, you’re just monkeying around on bent arms.”
Drill: Pike Walk Over Plate (Box Drill)
Athletes walk their feet onto a box and their hands over a plate, mimicking the sweeping motion needed during a handstand walk.
Keys to success:
- Big shrug before every step
- Straight elbows
- Press and “sweep” the arm forward
Wishnowsky calls it the “Mr. Miyagi” drill—wax on, wax off, but upside down.
Drill: Lateral Handstand Walk Over Plate
In a heels-to-wall handstand, athletes walk side-to-side over a plate. Use 1 plate for narrow stance; 2 for bigger athletes.
“This really highlights who’s pushing through the shoulders and who’s just flailing,” she says.
Prescribe sets and reps—like 3 sets of 6 plate crosses—then build up to longer walking sets or obstacle-style progressions.
Drill: Wall-Facing Walk with Float Start
This advanced drill combines the heel pull with handstand walking. Athletes start in a wall-facing handstand, shift their center of mass into the fingertips, and begin walking forward with straight arms and elevated shoulders.
“This is the ultimate test,” Wishnowsky says. “If you can float off the wall and walk with control, you’re there.”
Programming it for progress (and safety)
Wishnowsky’s method is grounded in progression—not perfection.
“Coaches don’t need everyone to be upside down for 30 seconds,” she says. “You need them to demonstrate balance, body awareness, and shoulder movement. That’s it.”
Her tips:
- Use play time early on to explore sensations in the hands
- Progress to sets, reps, and timed holds as skills improve
- Adjust box height, wall distance, and plate spacing based on individual needs
- Always cue locked elbows and shoulder elevation to prevent injury
Bottom line: Competency beats arbitrary standards
Wishnowsky’s handstand framework is already delivering lightbulb moments across her gym. Members are developing real confidence and control—not just ticking off 30-second holds or rushing to walks before they’re ready.
“If you can balance in your hands, hold your shape, and move through your shoulders—you’re ready to walk,” she says. “And once you’re confident doing it, you’ll be a much better coach at teaching it too.”
Her method is gaining traction as part of her affiliate gymnastics programming—and for good reason. It’s accessible, scalable, and built on the foundations that actually matter.
If you’re a coach or gym owner looking to improve handstand progressions, the full programming is available through Wishnowsky’s affiliate subscriptions. More importantly, her approach reminds CrossFitters of something vital: skill matters more than seconds.
