Weight lifting can be intimidating. While pretty much everyone can do a bicep curl or squat, things start to get tetchy when you depart from the standard five safe exercises – especially if you are doing something with a high potential for embarrassment. Fortunately, those are my very favorite moves to try. It’s a win-win all around: onlookers get some good entertainment and I get to try something new.
This is the first video, courtesy of The Great Fitness Experiment Gym Buddies, in a series of Fitness Moves You Think You Can’t Do (But You Really Can!). (My next tutorial will be on how to write really long awkward titles with random capitalization. I’m a pro.)
On the agenda today: Handstand Push Ups!
click through to the site to see the video
Note: The Gym Buddies would like me to tell you that they do not normally tuck their shirts into their pants a la Steve Urkel. I gave them zero warning we were doing this and they were great sports about it!
Do any of you love handstands like I do? Any newbies willing to try it out? What’s your favorite weird-o fitness move? Also, what do you think of me adding the occasional video post like this one? Should I keep the videos or stick to text only?
PS> Thanks to FitJerk for convincing me to do a video post (not that it took a lot of convincing…)
YES! More videos – I never would have understood the instruction on this one otherwise. Impressive work ladies!
Where did Megan go to?
I loved the video and am looking forward to more! Looks like you guys have a lot of fun at the gym!
Charlotte! How much do I love that you made a video!?!?!?!? You are sooo pretty and I love your voice and you are great and natural on camera! (and no, you didn't have a bugger in your nose or spinach in your teeth!)
And thank you for the awesome vid on handstands- you girls are fierce. I do the kick-up version (love your friend's cheerleader finish with the "tah-DAH!") but the cartwheel version makes me a bit scurrrred.
And you are looking marvie- no post-baby weight anywhere on you!
love the video! and i love all the "wa-hoo"s 🙂 i don't think i could ever do these though haha
SUPERSTARS! I am such a visual learner, this was fabulous. Keep the videos coming!
Hahah! She wanted to hold the camera. I didn't give the Gym Buddies any warning before hand and she had on short shorts.
LOL! Charlotte, that was awesome. ALL you guys were awesome!
(Please forgive me if I never NEVER try a handstand pushup. I'm afraid I will try to go too low, my arms will give out, and I will crush my skull on the floor.) (Dramatic? Me? Naaaaaahhhhhhh . . . ;D)
You are way too sweet! But I'll take it:) Be grinning all night now!
YES YOU CAN! That's it – where do you live, we're taking this show on the road!
Thank you! We had a lot of fun doing it!
We have totally done that. Well, minus the skull crushing part! My point: your noggin is tough – you totally won't fall but if you're worried, you can always put a mat down!
wow – not sure I can do that at all.. but it looks easy 🙂
Thanks for video – what do you use for camera?
It's a Flip camera. SUPER easy. Love that thing.
Augh! I love the video! Great visuals and I was grinning the entire time at the antics of the workout buddies. Now I am really jealous. Def. keep up the videos (I love my flip camera too. I am a technology moron and managed not to screw up the recording. I use it in my speech class so my students can watch themselves present. Such a valuable teaching tool – but this is not about me!)
Love the idea of mini-lessons via video. You are my hero. And let me second Deb (Smoothie Girl)'s comment you look fantastic.
Agreed — you are absolutely adorable!! Such a fun video, please do more!!
That was hilarious! Thanks for posting, you should definitely post more. It looked like so much fun that I just might give it a shot, although I think I'll try it out at home first 🙂
You are charming and adorable on video!! You have SUCH a sweet sounding voice. More videos please!! I soo want to try that now!
Love the video action! I have never even VLOG'ed… you've got me beat 🙂
OMG, Charlotte, can you and the Gym buddies move to New Zealand and be my friends!?!? You guys rock. This was such fun, although I'm not up to trying a handstand pushup YET – it's going on my bucket-list though!!
Oh, and more video posts are good. You're too cute – in words AND in person!
See, I freakin' knew it… a natural on camera. Life is way more fun when you're right. hah.
But good job, looking forward to seeing more. Next step: Try handstand pushups while using a steady and solid pushup bars 😉
LOVE IT LOVE IT, Girl!!!!
That is a kick-butt move. You guys are some tough ladies doing handstand push-ups. Yikes. I don't think I'm there yet, but it's a goal. That, and to be as cute as you on video. 🙂
Love the video & love that move! I have tried it but since there is usually no spotters for me around when I work out, I don't try this too often. I guess it is time to try again! Plus I love push-ups!
YES, more video! I don't have that capability right now for my site. A hope for the future!
THX for letting us see you!
I always think it's funny how different my (and I assume everyone's) voice sounds on camera compared to the way I hear it in my head. I bet your speech students are similarly horrified/amused!
And thank you!!
Def. try it out at home and let me know what you think! It's fun!!
Hahah – thanks. My voice sounds so different in my head! Totally try it – and then let me know how it goes!
Oh I feel a video coming soon from you! You'd be a natural!!
*raises both hands*
I do certainly love handstands as much as you guys do! Thanks for sharing the handstand love… I also love that song, Bruises, by Chairlift.
"I tried to do handstands for you
I tried to do headstands for you
Every time I fell on you yeah every time I fell
I tried to do handstands for you
But every time I fell for you
I'm permanently black and blue, permanently blue for
you "
Oh wow, I would LOVE to go to New Zealand! As soon as all the dough starts pouring in (riiiight), we'll take the Gym Buddy circus on tour;)
Hahahaha! Bars?! Did you miss the part where I can only do a half a pushup using the WALL? And thanks for the idea – you were right AND I had a lot of fun. Double win!
That was great! Y'all are adorable and you almost made that look easy…If I had any clear wall space at home I'd probably try it. 🙂
Nope – not tough at all! That's the best part – you look totally bad a** but the move is totally doable!
I bet you could 20 of the real touch-your-head-to-the-ground ones, Jody! You need to get a camera so we can your buff-tasticness in action!
I don't think I've ever heard that one but I'm def. going to go look for it now!!
Ooh, I want to try this, but I seriously don't see myself being able to propel myself into a handstand that easily.
Regarding video posts — I DO like them, but the trouble is that I do a lot of my blog reading while at work (clandestinely but constantly) so I always have to skip over video posts (or watch them without sound, which I was able to do with this one more or less, but not when people are just talking). So for this reason, I prefer text/image-only blogs, or at least blogs that feature text/image-only posts 80%+ of the time. Also, I think something gets lost when bloggers abandon writing in favor of video. Part of the reason I read the blogs that I do is that I like the authors' writing styles so while an occasional video post can be nice, I definitely prefer written posts.
Loved the video! I'm so excited to try out the handstand pushups as soon as I wake up a bit more.
Yes more videos please!!! You are BEAUTIFUL and ADORABLE. Please move to southern ca so you can workout out with Deb and I.
Oh Charlotte, and Krista, and Megan, and Allison —
You video stars are my new heroes!! LOVE seeing you on video (it is just like being at the Y and seeing you!!) —but, instead, you were here with me at my desk 🙂
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
Smiles, Sarah
Cool…I'll have to try that. I admit-I can't do a cartwheel or anything too coordinated, but I do think I could do this.
The video was so great. Love the video demos of movements. I find it easier to emulate than just wing it.
And it's nice haveing a voice (another one?) in my head to put to your words when I read your posts 🙂
Love this! And… I feel better knowing that my handstand pushups look like the ones you gals are doing (not quite so badarse I can get down to my head – yet!). 😉 Let me hang my "texas" out – y'all are adorable.
Thank you for your input! I read blogs a lot like you do – except usually it's because I have a sleeping child nearby and don't want to turn th esound on. And, this may be just me and my learning style, but I learn better from reading than listening. Anyhow, the vids will be just an ocassional thing!
Oh yeah – we've never touched our heads! Well, we have but then we couldn't get back up again, lol!
Hahah! Hopefully my voice wasn't too far off from what you imagined. I always cringe when i hear myself on tape. But I suppose that is what I sound like all the tim!
We would have loved it if you could have joined us too! Maybe for a future video??
Doing KBs with you guys would be a dream come true!! And then you could give me tips on how to get my hair as shiny as yours!
once your book comes out, you'll need a book tour 😛
Love, love , love the video!!
It's so nice to have gym buddies!!
That is so true! This is a great video with a lot of movement though.
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2nd Wind Sports Equipment
Loved the video and now am anxious to try one (will wait until my ankle is all healed first though so that I don't twist it again). Everyone was so sweet and funny on camera – felt like I was right there with you all.
That made me miss you!
I haven't done handstand pushups since I was a kid- but I used to do headstand to handstand pushups. The joys of being a very small wiry child…
I'll have to try these once I can get myself in an upside down position again. 🙂
Love the video! I *almost* want to get up and try one. (In a few months or so. LOL) You guys look great!
love, love, love the video!
I bet I'll break my nose, skull, legs, arms and fingers, but I'll try. 😀
oh, and don't start your tour in germany, I'll never let you move ahead, hihi
Love the video post!
I'm loving the video! And! It's refreshing to see women having fun working out. Nothing is more depressing than being in a aerobics class with a bunch of silent, serious women jumping around. I want to have fun when I work out! Thanks for all the tips and awesome posts!
Paije, a 44 year old, 1 year post baby, fitness babe wannabe.
P.S. Trying hard to find my waist!
I wish you could have been there with us! It was a riot.
I love Germany!! Now, any corporate sponsors want to fun the GFE bone-breaking tour??
Nope – I forbid you! No preggo handstands;)
I miss you too!! And no preggo handstands for you either!
More videos!!!! You guys are so much fun!
LOVE the hair! And Gym Buddy Krista is hilarious!
Sadly, I have neither the strength nor the courage to try anything that nifty, but I'll have to pass it along to the husband since he discovered he's buff enough to do clap push-ups. (He also discovered that showing me he could do clap push-ups while I'm rocking the baby to sleep is a bad idea and may involve him getting hit with a shoe.)
You are too cute. This video had me in fits of giggles. I love it! Can we see more video tutorials with the gym buddies? Pretty please?
I've never tried a handstand push up before and I am definitely going to attempt this at some point 😀
I made a video on how to do the same thing a while ago! I have it on my websitehttp://www.freehomefitnesstrainer.com/exercise%20… I notice that if you squeeze at the top of the movement, I can feel alot more muscle activation. I can only do about 15 reps of this and i am done.lol Good video you made though
hahah! I suppose as long as he's not doing clap push-ups OVER the baby… And I can totally do clap pushups. From my KNEES. 🙂
Let me know how you like them! And yes, i think there will be more Gym Buddy tutorials to come!
Great post. I just finished a nine month anusara yoga immersion and one of the poses we did almost every class was a handstand. I was never able to get up without assistance. Fear was/is probably the reason. After watching your video, I think I'll try it again. You guys made it look so easy.
Yoga immersion!! I would love to do that sometime! I love yoga! Do you have a fave pose?
Yes, several of my students commented on how their voices sound different in their essays (side note since you grade SAT essays – they were actually really well written essays for the most part. I teach at both a CA state college and private so I get both ends of the spectrum). I read once that the difference has something to do with the way our voice resonates through the bones in our skulls.
Tried the handstand push ups Tuesday morning once I found the one clear wall in the house. I was able to do three dips before I called it quits but was freaking out a bit the entire time. That is pretty weird. Woke me up though, which is quite the feat since I am not a morning person in the slightest. 🙂
How much do I LOVE that you tried it?? YOu rock! And three is awesome! Love teachers:)
Love the video! Please add more!
No I didn't forget… but woman your a tank! I think with a spot it'll be no problem. Keep working these though, they're lookin good.
I have to do ALL the push-ups from my knees. P90X hasn't transformed me nearly as much as the husband. It's like he has a new muscle pop out every dvd.
ohmycow,
i wish i were one of the gym buddies–
y'all just look so happy to be with each other
and doing something kinda silly.
charlotte,
you and the buddies are awesome.