Victor Forge
Handstands are a great exercise for improving strength, balance, and focus. They work multiple muscle groups, including the arms, shoulders, core, and legs. The ability to hold a handstand requires good balance, concentration, and flexibility. It is important to master the beginning steps and build strength in the primary muscle groups before attempting a handstand. This includes improving shoulder strength and wrist mobility, as well as practicing preparatory exercises to improve the range of motion in the shoulders and elbows.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle groups | Deltoids, Serratus Anterior, Trapezius, Triceps Brachii, Gluteus Maximus, Abdominal Muscles, Oblique Muscles, Rectus Abdominis, Rotator Cuff, Biceps, Lats, Pecs, Calf, Quad, Hip |
| Joint resistance | Wrists, Elbows, Fingers, Shoulders |
| Benefits | Strength, Balance, Focus, Body Awareness, Coordination, Improved Mental Focus and Concentration, Increased Blood Flow, Improved Cerebrovascular Health |
| Technique | Downward Dog, Wall Support, Walking the Wall, 90-degree Hip Flexion, Alternating Legs, Pointed Feet |
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What You'll Learn
Thenar muscles control the thumb
The thenar eminence is a bulge formed at the base of the thumb, made up of three muscles that control the thumb's fine motions. These muscles are the abductor pollicis brevis, the flexor pollicis brevis, and the opponens pollicis. The abductor pollicis brevis is the most superficial of the thenar group, and it abducts the thumb, moving it away from the index finger. The flexor pollicis brevis lies next to the abductor pollicis brevis and allows the thumb to flex and curl up in the palm. The opponens pollicis is the largest of the three muscles and lies deep to the abductor pollicis brevis. It opposes the thumb, bringing it against the fingers. This motion is essential for gripping and grasping objects.
The thenar eminence is innervated by the median nerve, which runs along the inside of the arm and supplies nerves to the muscles of the forearm, wrist, and hand. The ulnar nerve, which also originates from the brachial plexus, moves down the arm and supplies nerves to parts of the forearm, wrist, and hand. In about 20% of people, the opponens pollicis is supplied with nerves by the ulnar nerve. The radial nerve innervates the thumb abductor, which abducts and extends the thumb.
The adductor pollicis is another important muscle for the thumb, providing power for pinching and filling the first web space between the thumb and index finger. It is typically innervated by the ulnar nerve. The first dorsal interosseous muscle is the largest of the interossei muscles, which begin between the bones of the hand, and it forms the contour between the thumb and index finger.
Several conditions can affect the thenar eminence, leading to decreased function or atrophy of the muscles. These include basal thumb arthritis, trauma to the forearm, wrist, or thumb, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Numbness, muscle weakness, pain, and deformity around the base of the thumb may indicate issues with the thenar eminence muscles.
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Hypothenar muscles control the area opposite the thumb
The human hand is a complex structure, with 34 muscles in each hand. The muscles of the hand are innervated by the radial, median, and ulnar nerves. The hypothenar muscles form the hypothenar eminence, a muscular protrusion on the medial side of the palm, at the base of the little finger. These muscles are similar to the thenar muscles in both name and organisation. The thenar eminence is the fleshy part at the base of the thumb, made up of three muscles that control the movements of the thumb.
The hypothenar eminence muscles, except for palmaris brevis, are innervated by the deep branch of the ulnar nerve. The palmaris brevis muscle is supplied by the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve. The blood supply for the hypothenar eminence comes mainly from the ulnar artery via the superficial palmar arch. The function of these muscles is to contribute to the variety of movements of the little finger, including flexion, abduction, lateral rotation, and opposition.
The abductor digiti minimi is the most superficial of the hypothenar muscle group. It originates from the pisiform and the tendon of the flexor carpi ulnaris and attaches to the base of the proximal phalanx of the little finger. The abductor digiti minimi abducts the little finger. The flexor digiti minimi brevis lies laterally to the abductor digiti minimi in the hand. It originates from the hook of hamate and adjacent flexor retinaculum and inserts into the base of the proximal phalanx of the little finger. The flexor digiti minimi flexes the fifth digit on the metacarpophalangeal joint and participates in the lateral rotation and opposition of the little finger.
The opponens digit minimi lies deep to the other hypothenar muscles. It originates from the hook of hamate and associated flexor retinaculum and inserts into the medial margin of metacarpal V. The opponens digit minimi rotates the metacarpal of the little finger towards the palm, producing opposition. The adductor pollicis is a large triangular muscle with two heads. It adducts the thumb.
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Interossei muscles allow fingers to spread or pull together
The human hand is a complex network of bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and parts of the lymphatic system. The muscles in the hand work together with the muscles in the wrist and forearm to help us interact with the world around us.
The interossei muscles begin between the bones of the hand. There are four dorsal and three palmar interossei muscles. While all interossei bend the MCP joints, the dorsal interossei allow us to spread our fingers away from each other. The dorsal interossei are responsible for the abduction of the fingers, which allows them to spread apart. The lumbricals and palmar interossei facilitate flexion at the metacarpophalangeal joints and extension at the interphalangeal joints. The palmar interossei pull our fingers together. The first dorsal interosseous muscle is the largest and originates from the 1st and 2nd hand bones. It forms the contour between the thumb and index finger when looking at the top of the hand.
The palmar interossei consist of four muscles that attach to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th fingers, with the 3rd finger being the only finger that does not contain a palmar interosseous muscle. The main function of the palmar interossei is to adduct the fingers in a longitudinal axis, which means the movement of the fingers towards the middle finger. Specifically, the 1st palmar interosseous pulls the index finger medially, whereas the 2nd and 3rd pull the ring and little fingers laterally. Functionally, the palmar interossei are antagonists to the dorsal interossei in the metacarpophalangeal joint.
The muscles in the hand that allow us to spread or pull our fingers together include the thenar and hypothenar muscles, which control thumb and pinky movements respectively, and the intermediate muscles, which consist of the lumbricals, palmar interossei, and dorsal interossei.
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Extensor tendons help straighten fingers, hand and wrist
The human hand and wrist are complex parts of the body, consisting of a network of bones, muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and parts of the lymphatic system. The muscles in the hand are innervated by the radial, median, and ulnar nerves. The radial nerve innervates the finger extensors, allowing the fingers and wrist to extend and the thumb to abduct. The median nerve innervates the flexors of the wrist and digits, and the ulnar nerve innervates the remaining intrinsic muscles of the hand.
Extensor tendons are thin tendons that are just under the skin. They are located on the back of the forearm and are connected to the dorsum of the fingers. The primary function of the extensors is to straighten the fingers, hand, and wrist. The tendons unite with the interosseous and lumbrical muscles to form the extensorhood mechanism. The lumbrical muscles allow the fingers to straighten, although they can also help bend the MCP joints, or knuckles.
The fingers have two long flexors, located on the underside of the forearm, which allow for the bending of the fingers. The thumb has one long flexor and a short flexor in the thenar muscle group. The extensors have a more complex connection to the dorsum of the fingers than the flexors. When the fingers are bent or straightened, the extensor tendons slide through snug tunnels, called tendon sheaths, that keep the tendons in place next to the bones. The six dorsal compartments of the wrist contain their extensor tendons.
Extensor tendon injuries are common and can happen from minor cuts to jamming a finger. If left untreated, extensor tendon injuries can cause the middle joint to become permanently bent and affect the position of the smaller joint at the end of the finger. Treatment for extensor tendon injuries includes splinting, surgery, and hand therapy.
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Flexor tendons help curl fingers, hand and wrist
The human hand and wrist are complex parts of the body that enable us to touch and control objects. They are made up of a complicated network of bones, muscles, nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels.
Flexor tendons are cord-like structures that run from the forearm across the wrist and palm and into the fingers. They allow you to bend your fingers and thumb to grasp an object or make a fist. The flexor tendons help curl your fingers, hand, and wrist. The muscles that move the fingers and thumb are located in the forearm and hand.
The fingers have two long flexors, located on the underside of the forearm. They insert by tendons into the phalanges (bones) of the fingers. The deep flexor attaches to the distal phalanx, and the superficial flexor attaches to the middle phalanx. The flexors enable the actual bending of the fingers. The thumb has one long flexor and a short flexor in the thenar muscle group. The human thumb also has other muscles in the thenar group (opponens and abductor brevis muscle), which move the thumb in opposition, making grasping possible.
The median nerve innervates the flexors of the wrist and digits, the abductors and opponens of the thumb, and the first and second lumbricals. The lumbricals arise from the flexor digitorum profundus tendons and insert into the dorsal extensor expansions of the proximal phalanges. The flexor digitorum profundus is the main gripping muscle.
Injuries to the flexor tendons can cause a loss of the ability to bend one or more joints in the hand. These injuries typically occur from a cut on the palm side of the fingers, hand, wrist, or forearm. They can also occur when a finger or thumb is violently pulled away while attempting to grasp something.
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Frequently asked questions
Handstands work your upper-body muscles, including your triceps, shoulders, traps, lats, core, and glutes.
Handstands help to improve blood circulation and oxygenation throughout the body, promoting overall health and well-being. They also help to strengthen the arms, shoulders, and core while improving balance and coordination.
To build the muscles needed for handstands, you can start with weight-bearing preparatory exercises to improve your dorsiflexion range of motion. You can also practice exercises that focus on improving shoulder flexion, such as dead hangs and leg kicks.
Yes, it is important to practice handstands under proper supervision and guidance, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions. Wrist mobility and strength are also essential to prevent injuries, as the wrists bear most of the body weight during a handstand.
