Transcript
I’m Gabrielle, and I’m going to talk about the butterfly. It’s a push/pull handstand, so it’s not luck that you’re hanging out there. You’re actually utilizing a push/pull technique that can be practiced in a right side up position with your feet on the floor. Top arm is pulling with our shoulder down. Bottom arm would scoop under to create cleavage pushing. Like you’re trying to snap the pole in half, bottom arm pushing the pole away.
Top arm pulling the pole towards you. You can practice lifting one foot up from the floor at a time to make sure that you have a nice, solid push/pull grip. Making sure in that grip you don’t start letting the shoulders creep up towards your ears. You still want your shoulder blades down at your bra line. Now this push/pull sensation will be the same when we’re upside down doing our butterfly.
Go back to BrynLyn’s video, when she does your basic bicep grip straddle invert. Review that and you’ll go from that bicep grip straddle invert, into an outside leg hang. For practice, I would suggest doing your strongest leg on that outside leg hang. So my right leg is my best leg, so I’m going to invert in a lefty bicep grip. Locking the pole between my left bicep and the left side of my chest, right at that nice 90-degree angle with the right arm on top.
Tension in both arms. We never want to be hanging from our arms. Pressing our shoulders down, we go into our basic invert. My right leg is going to hook on to the pole in a nice, aggressive outside leg-hang. I turn my chest towards the pole. My bottom arm goes into my pushing position, hence that push-pull grip. My top leg does a hamstring curl.
Take advantage of that top leg being there, curling yourself down to face the floor, always of course, with a nice crash mat down below us for safety, and my other leg will extend behind me when my right leg is hooked on the pole. Coming out of it. Go back the exact same way you came and you’ll end up in a push/pull straddle position. It’s a pretty transition to come out of it and it’s also an opportunity for you to practice that push/pull sensation with your tush and your feet closer to the floor.
