Headstand
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
This is a technical lift, best learned under a coach’s eye before loading heavy.
HOW TO PERFORM
- Kneel and set the forearms on the floor, shoulder width apart, with the fingers interlaced to make a cup.
- Place the crown of the head on the floor with the back of the head against your hands.
- Straighten the legs and walk the feet in until the hips are over the shoulders.
- Lift the feet off the floor, bring the knees in, then straighten the legs up until the body is stacked in one line.
- Press the forearms into the floor and hold, then come down the same way you went up.
FORM TIPS
- Most of your weight goes through the forearms, not the head. If the neck takes the load, press the forearms down harder and lift the shoulders away from the floor.
- Learn it against a wall and never kick up with momentum. A fall out of a headstand lands on the neck.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Shoulders
Secondary
- Neck
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.