How to do a one arm handstand: belly button over wrist
To do a one arm handstand, get your centre of mass, your belly button, right on top of your supporting wrist and keep it there with constant small corrections in every direction. Start with the one-arm elbow lever, then the straddle weight shift, then take fingers away one by one: five, three, two, one, then finger taps.
Today I am going to give you everything you need for the one arm handstand: the exercises, the progressions, and the one golden rule that nobody explains.
Fast and direct. I held my first one arm handstand for 10 seconds after only three months of training. This is the order that got me there.
What do you need before training the one arm handstand?
A consistent two-arm handstand. You should be able to hold one for about 30 seconds, ideally a full minute, and do it every time you kick up, not once on a good day.
If you are not there yet, start with how to do a handstand and come back when your freestanding hold is solid. Everything below builds on a handstand you no longer have to fight for.
How does balance work in a one arm handstand?
Exactly like standing on your feet. That is the big misconception: people think a handstand is something completely different from standing. It is not.
When you stand on your feet and lean to one side, you shift your centre of mass on top of your point of contact with the ground. On your feet, that point is your foot. In a one arm handstand, it is your wrist.
Your centre of mass is your belly button. Stand on one leg and your belly button moves over your standing foot. Shift into a one arm handstand and your belly button moves over your supporting wrist. Get it there and you can hold it. That is the golden rule. Everything else is keeping it there.
Why is a one arm handstand so much harder than a two-arm one?
Because you can now fall in every direction, and you start to rotate.
Falling. In a normal handstand you can only fall forwards or backwards, never to the left or right, because your second hand holds you in place. Take that hand away and you can fall any way at all: forwards, backwards, left, right, and everything in between. Your corrections are no longer just front-to-back. A one arm handstand is a constant stream of micro adjustments to keep your belly button in the middle.
Rotating. In a two-arm handstand, your second hand also stops you from twisting. Lift it and your body starts to turn, because you have never had to control rotation before. So on one arm you press into every side of your hand and control rotation inwards and outwards at the same time. Your hips rotate too, all the time.
That is a lot of information at once. Which is exactly why you do not train it by kicking up, leaning to one side and hoping. Please, do not do that. You train it with progressions.
What are the one arm handstand progressions?
Seven steps, in this order. Only move on when the current step feels steady and repeatable.
| Step | Exercise | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One-arm elbow lever | Your whole body weight balanced on top of one wrist |
| 2 | Straddle weight shift | Moving your centre of mass towards one hand |
| 3 | Five-finger supported hold | Most of your weight on one arm, five fingertips for help |
| 4 | Three fingers | Less help, more corrections from the supporting hand |
| 5 | Two fingers | Even less help |
| 6 | One finger | Almost all the balance comes from one arm |
| 7 | One-finger taps | Short moments with no help at all |
1. One-arm elbow lever
This is the first exercise where your whole body weight leans on top of one wrist. It is not the same grip or the same position as a one arm handstand, but it trains exactly the same thing: making corrections and staying balanced on one arm.
It is a great exercise, and it is the first one you should learn.
2. The straddle weight shift
Kick up into your handstand and open your legs into a straddle. Now lean to one side. Do not overthink it: one foot simply goes down towards the ground.
That lean moves your centre of mass towards one hand. That is your weight shift. Get comfortable here on both sides before you try to take a hand away.
3. Five-finger supported hold
When you feel there is enough weight on one side, your belly button already closer to the supporting wrist, lift the other hand and put it down on five fingertips. Most of your weight is now on one arm, and the fingertips only help.
4 to 7. Take the fingers away
From here the progressions are straightforward:
- Three fingers.
- Two fingers.
- One finger.
- One-finger taps: lift that last finger off the floor for a moment, then put it back.
Every finger you take away means the supporting hand does more of the work. When the taps start turning into short holds, you are doing a one arm handstand.
Where should you look in a one arm handstand?
At your hand. In every kind of balance, surfing, walking a slackline, standing on one leg, you need a focus point. Your eyes are part of your balance.
So never look back towards your feet. You want to see your supporting hand and keep your eyes on a spot right next to it. Kick up, open into the straddle, do your weight shift, and the whole time your eyes stay on that one spot.
Do you need a wall to learn the one arm handstand?
No. You will notice I have not said a single thing about wall work. Wall work is important for perfect form, and I do recommend it to my clients, because I work with them and I can show them how to train that form properly.
But I did it without a wall. I am a calisthenics athlete, not a hand balancer, and when I do my one arm handstands I do not work with perfect form. Not working with perfect form is actually easier. I am just trying to hold it as long as possible.
For reference, a hand balancer's perfect one arm handstand looks like this:
- Head against your bicep.
- Supporting shoulder pushed out, fully elevated.
- Other shoulder lower.
- Toes pointed.
Aim for that if clean lines are your goal. If your goal is to hold the skill, you can learn the balance first and clean up the line later. It is definitely possible without a wall.
What are the most common one arm handstand mistakes?
- Starting before your two-arm handstand is ready. You need a consistent 30 to 60 second hold first.
- Kicking up and just leaning to one side. Train the progressions instead.
- Only correcting forwards and backwards. On one arm you can fall every way. Press into every side of the hand.
- Ignoring rotation. Without your second hand, your body twists. Control rotation inwards and outwards, hips included.
- Looking back. Keep your eyes on a spot next to your supporting hand.
- Skipping the elbow lever. It is the first time your full body weight sits on one wrist, and it teaches the corrections you will need later.
One arm handstand FAQ
How long does it take to learn a one arm handstand?
It varies a lot. I held mine for 10 seconds after three months of training, without wall work. How fast you get there depends mostly on how solid your two-arm handstand is when you start, and how consistently you train the progressions.
Is it possible to do a one arm handstand?
Yes. It is one of the hardest balance skills in calisthenics, but it is a skill, not magic. Get your belly button over your wrist, learn to correct in every direction and to control rotation, and build up through the progressions.
How long should I hold a two-arm handstand first?
About 30 seconds at the very least, and ideally around a minute, every time you kick up. If your two-arm handstand still needs your full attention, it is too early for one arm.
What is the first exercise for the one arm handstand?
The one-arm elbow lever. It is the first time your whole body weight rests on top of one wrist, and it trains the same balance corrections you will use in the one arm handstand.
Can I learn the one arm handstand without a coach?
I learned it on my own, so it is possible. But there is much more to it than fits in one post: how to breathe, how to train your shoulder elevation, where your legs go, how your hips rotate. A coach who can see your attempts will save you months of guessing.
Start with the elbow lever
Put one hand down, get your body weight over that wrist and start making corrections. That is the first time you balance on one arm.
Then go back to your two-arm handstand, open into a straddle and let one foot drift towards the floor. Belly button over the wrist, eyes on your hand. If you want a plan that moves you up the steps when you are ready, CaliRealm builds it for you. Still building your pressing strength upside down? Train the handstand push-up alongside it.
