About five years ago, I came across a video on social media where I first saw someone doing a press to handstand. At the time, I hadn't heard of that trick, but seeing someone do the move made me so fascinated that I decided that I was definitely going to learn to do it one day. Not only that, it sparked an interest in me to discover more moves that were similar and learn about calisthenics in general.

For someone who does not know what a press to handstand is, it's a skill move in which you are in the piked position with both your hands and feet on the ground, from where you transition slowly into a handstand. Now, this can be done in various ways such as a straddle press or with legs joined. Generally speaking, I find it's easier to do in a straddle position since it requires a lot less compression strength than with legs joined together. A press to handstand requires quite some compression strength, scapular strength and wrist mobility which can be built over time. 

I started learning the basic calisthenics moves to increase my body strength and prepare myself for the more advanced versions. In this journey, I also grew an interest in learning about human body mechanics and how our body functions. This part helped me a lot to learn calisthenics faster, since I knew how to properly engage the required muscles in an exercise and do it in proper form. 

It took me quite a few months to learn the pre-requisites required to do a press to handstand. I watched a lot of YouTube videos to dive deeper into this topic. That's where I learned that this skill move requires a combination of strength, mobility, and balance. So I made the plan that I'd approach all these components individually and then combine them at the end. Now, this is generally not a bad idea to learn this skill move, but you should know the right balance about when to start practicing it all together.

My training plan included compression strength drills, pancake stretches, and a lot of handstand-specific exercises. This resulted in significant strain on my wrists. One thing I did to combat this was to do proper warm-ups before my workouts and not push more than my body could handle. Whatever skill move you might be learning, it is very important to listen to your body and stop when necessary. In the long run, this will actually help you a lot by preventing injuries.

Even though it was quite difficult at times to manage training alongside my college studies, I somehow managed to maintain my level. One thing that has always kept me going is just loving the process and not considering it a task that I have to force myself to do every day. This makes a big difference because it's not sustainable to do something you don't like for a long period of time. Even if you learn it once, it will still require a few sessions here and there to not forget it. That's why I recommend making it a part of your lifestyle.

I started seeing progress month after month. When I was very close to achieving it, I included elevated press to handstand and negative press to handstand in my training routine, which were really game changers. Soon, in no time, I finally achieved this beautiful skill move I have been wanting to do for so many years. I can never forget the moment when I first performed it. It made me so happy. It was the best feeling in the world.

One thing I would like to say to someone who is just starting to learn a press to handstand or any other calisthenics move is that progress is not always linear, but you will definitely achieve your goals if you stay consistent.