BTWB’s Handstand Walk Program is part of the Varied Not Random series, curated by CrossFit coaching legends Pat Sherwood and Adrian Bozman. Across 20 training sessions, this cycle will help athletes master the unique skill of handstand walking at a distance of 5 feet or more. As a prerequisite, you should be able to do 5 Handstand Push-ups, a 30 secs Handstand Hold, and have good shoulder mobility.
Each session of the program involves a warm-up and 2-3 functional fitness skills and drills to develop shoulder and pressing strength, as well as core and shoulder stability. Pat and Boz will address the legitimate fear of falling and safe methods for “falling with grace.” Sessions will also include kick-up drills, body control drills, and additional time on inverted holds and dynamic weight shifting movements. Because the athlete’s skill is tested at the beginning of the program, their progress also becomes easier to gauge as the weeks go on.
The Handstand Walk Program is self-paced, meaning it can supplement a current fitness routine or become a strict focus. BTWB recommends completing 2-3 sessions per week to complete the program within a range of 6-10 weeks.
AM I READY?
Before starting this program, BTWB recommends that you’re able to complete 5 handstand push-ups, perform a 30 second handstand hold, and have good shoulder mobility. If you have tight shoulders, this will be a challenge. Work on loosening your shoulders through shoulder stretches, mobility exercises, and maybe even a few massages. Your safety and success are the top priority, and these skills are critical to succeeding in this program.
BTWB’s Handstand Walk Program is part of the Varied Not Random series, curated by CrossFit coaching legends Pat Sherwood and Adrian Bozman. Across 20 training sessions, this cycle will help athletes master the unique skill of handstand walking at a distance of 5 feet or more. As a prerequisite, you should be able to do 5 Handstand Push-ups, a 30 secs Handstand Hold, and have good shoulder mobility.
Each session of the program involves a warm-up and 2-3 functional fitness skills and drills to develop shoulder and pressing strength, as well as core and shoulder stability. Pat and Boz will address the legitimate fear of falling and safe methods for “falling with grace.” Sessions will also include kick-up drills, body control drills, and additional time on inverted holds and dynamic weight shifting movements. Because the athlete’s skill is tested at the beginning of the program, their progress also becomes easier to gauge as the weeks go on.
The Handstand Walk Program is self-paced, meaning it can supplement a current fitness routine or become a strict focus. BTWB recommends completing 2-3 sessions per week to complete the program within a range of 6-10 weeks.
Before starting this program, BTWB recommends that you’re able to complete 5 handstand push-ups, perform a 30 second handstand hold, and have good shoulder mobility. If you have tight shoulders, this will be a challenge. Work on loosening your shoulders through shoulder stretches, mobility exercises, and maybe even a few massages. Your safety and success are the top priority, and these skills are critical to succeeding in this program.
A “cycle” is a program that has both a start and an end. The cycle will be made up of a fixed number of sessions that athletes can complete at their own pace and on their own schedule. Unlike a "continuous" program, which offers programming on an indefinite basis, a cycle is designed for users to achieve a specific goal within a suggested amount of time.
This program is meant for beginners and advanced lifters alike. It’s the perfect introduction to strength training for beginners, but it’s also great for the experienced lifter looking for some structure to help squeeze out those extra 1% gains. At the very least, you should be familiar with the points of performance for this movement to ensure your success and safety.
You can work through the program as quickly (or as slowly) as you’d like. Our expert staff recommends completing 3 sessions per week for a total of 6-7 weeks. This recommendation puts you right in the strength-building sweet spot, ensuring enough exposure to the stimuli each week while also providing ample time for recovery.
This program is our take on a linear strength program. It will utilize a 5-5-ME scheme. The weight used will increase by the same amount each session, and there are also rules for decreasing the load if an athlete fails to perform at least 5 reps on the ME set. ME stands for “max effort”. This is the 3rd set of each session. Athletes will perform as many reps as they can up to 10 reps. This program is very simple to follow but is also super effective.
You’ll begin the program by finding your 5RM. You’ll then use a percentage of that 5RM on Day 2. If all goes well, you’ll get back up to, and surpass, your previous 5RM through the normal course of the program. Results can and will vary based on your ability and consistency. Remember, progress takes time and varies from person to person. You might require another run through the program before meeting your goal, and that’s okay. Fitness is a journey. Enjoy and trust the process!
The E-book will be automatically sent to the email address used at the time of your purchase of this program. Download it, frame it, sleep with it under your pillow; once purchased, the E-Book is yours forever. You’ll also be able to find a version of the E-book in the “Programs” section of the btwb app. As an added bonus, btwb app users can sync the program with their btwb calendar. Choose the number of sessions that you’ll complete each week, customize which days you’ll perform those sessions, and easily view your program schedule to help you stay on track.
No, you do not need a btwb subscription to use this program. You may access the program content directly through the PDF if you prefer. 10 weeks of free btwb access is also included with the program purchase. If you currently have an active subscription to btwb, that subscription will continue as is.
10 PVC Pass Throughs
10 Inchworms
10 Scap Push-ups
10 Plank Shoulder Taps
10 Hollow Rocks
-- then –
Stretch your wrists on the ground with hands facing forwards, backwards and sideways. Stretch your hamstrings with pike stretches, lunge/hamstring stretches and bootstraps.
Hollow Hold, 1 x 90sec
Extra Instructions
Accumulate 90 secs.
Make sure there is no space between the ground and your lower back. If you are unable to do so in a full hollow, you can do a tuck hold or single leg hollow hold. Focus on breathing throughout all holds. We do not want to hold our breath on any holds, breathe throughout.
Box Weight Shifts, 3 x 12
Extra Instructions
Practicing shifting weight is huge in learning to handstand walk. Try your best to stay in a pike position on the box. If unable to keep your hips stacked over your shoulders due to hamstring flexibility then either bend in the knees a bit or put knees completely on the box.
Handstand Wall Kick-ups, 15 reps
Extra Instructions
Accumulate 15 reps.
With this drill you want to make sure you are kicking up as gently as you can. Barely have your feet make a sound when they make contact with the wall. By doing that you are teaching yourself how to kick up on the floor without the wall. If there is too much momentum going up when you attempt this on the floor you will just cartwheel out.
Straight Leg Bear Crawls, 3 x 30ft
Extra Instructions
Try to walk with your feet as close to your hands as possible. This drill is putting load on our shoulders as we walk forward and building our weight shifting strength.
After purchasing the Handstand Walk (5 feet) program from Rogue, customers will be able to schedule the program into their calendar on the BTWB App. If you don’t already have the app, purchasing this program will give you 10 weeks of full access. BTWB will also provide a downloadable eBook version of the program, via e-mail, which is the customer’s to keep and revisit for all time.
From the BTWB App, users can customize many aspects of the program, including the number of sessions they want to complete each week, as well as which days those sessions land on. If the entire program isn’t completed the first time through, users can jump back in at any time where they left off.
Fitness is a journey. With btwb, you can plan, log, and analyze your results all in one place. Keep track of PRs, workout history, find a program, track your macros, earn badges and more! The BTWB App is also the official training app of the Rogue Invitational and of 2x “Fittest Man on Earth” Justin Medeiros.
BTWB’s Varied Not Random (VNR) series provides a wide variety of programs designed to help all athletes of all levels, from beginner to advanced, work on and improve specific areas of their fitness. Each program is meticulously designed by an expert in their field, and can be customized and scheduled seamlessly into the BTWB App.
PLEASE NOTE: The programming will be accessible after purchase. An e-mail confirmation will also be sent (be sure to check Spam folder if it does not appear). This is a digital cycle and NOT a physical book.
Iron Game Programming is not yet available for purchase in the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.