F I G C O D E O F P O I N T S — M E N ' S A R T I S T I C G Y M N A S T I C S THE SWISS PRESS Straddle Press to Handstand The gold - standard, mechanically correct progression model used by elite gymnastics coaches, hand - balancers, and calisthenics champions. WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL The press to handstand is too neurologically complex to learn all at once. Most people try to jump from zero to the full skill — and hit a wall. THE COMMON MISTAKE Jumping straight to the full press Without the neural pathways, shoulder strength, compression power, or hip mobility required — you're fighting physics. THE SOLUTION Break it into 5 progressive steps Each step isolates one piece of the puzzle: the pathway, the strength, the liftoff, and the compression. THE NON - NEGOTIABLE FOUNDATIONS Master these before attempting any press progression. FREESTANDING HANDSTAND 30 – 60 sec hold. You cannot press into a position you can't hold. ACTIVE CORE COMPRESSION Pull thighs to chest with straight legs. Seated straddle leg lifts build this. PANCAKE FLEXIBILITY Wider straddle = lower center of gravity = less shoulder lean needed. STRAIGHT - ARM SCAPULAR STRENGTH Planche leans: lock arms, protract, lean past wrists. Wrist mobility too. THE 5 - STEP PROGRESSION 1 JUMP - UPS Teaches the pathway → 2 ECCENTRICS Builds raw strength → 3 ELEVATED PRESS Teaches the liftoff → 4 SLIDERS Builds compression → 5 FULL PRESS Puts it all together Train these concurrently, not sequentially. 1 STRADDLE JUMP - UPS T E A C H I N G T H E P A T H W A Y WHY IT WORKS This step teaches your brain where your hips need to go — stacked directly over the shoulders — without demanding the brutal strength to get there from a dead stop. HOW TO EXECUTE 1. Hands on floor or parallettes, wide straddle stance 2. Lean shoulders past your wrists, push the ground away 3. Tiny jump to pop hips over shoulders into handstand 4. Gradually reduce the jump until it's barely a toe - flick PRESCRIPTION 3 – 5 sets Focus: make each jump softer and more silent 2 WALL ECCENTRICS B U I L D I N G R A W S T R E N G T H WHY IT WORKS You are up to 30% stronger in the eccentric (lowering) phase. Slow negatives force your shoulders and core to build the exact muscle fibers needed to eventually push back up. HOW TO EXECUTE 1. Kick up to handstand with back facing a wall 2. Open legs into a wide straddle 3. Push tall, lean slightly forward, slowly lower to the floor 4. Aim for 5 – 10 second descent — fight gravity the entire way PRESCRIPTION 3 – 5 sets 5 – 10 sec lowering per rep 3 ELEVATED STRADDLE PRESS T E A C H I N G T H E L I F T O F F THE ULTIMATE HACK The hardest part of the press is the initial liftoff from the floor. Elevating your feet mechanically mimics having perfect hip flexibility — letting you feel the magic moment your toes become weightless. HOW TO EXECUTE 1. Feet on a box/bench, hands on the floor 2. Hips start closer to shoulder height = easier liftoff 3. Lean into hands, compress abs, float legs up 4. Progressively lower the box as you get stronger PRESCRIPTION 3 sets Gradually lower the elevation over weeks 4 SLIDER PRESS B U I L D I N G T H E C O M P R E S S I O N WHY IT WORKS Isolates your hip flexors and abs, forcing you to drag your lower body weight using only your core and shoulder lean. Bridges the gap between compression drills and the real liftoff. HOW TO EXECUTE 1. Slippery socks on hardwood or furniture sliders 2. Start in push - up position, arms locked straight 3. Drag feet toward hands into a wide straddle 4. Keep pulling until hips stack over shoulders PRESCRIPTION 3 sets Slow, controlled pull - ins 5 THE FULL STRADDLE PRESS P U T T I N G I T A L L T O G E T H E R SET UP Wide straddle, hands shoulder - width. Lock elbows perfectly straight. THE SHIFT Shift weight forward — shoulders go past your wrists. THE COMPRESSION Push ground away, shrug shoulders to ears, abs pull thighs to chest. THE LIFTOFF & UNFOLD Toes float off weightlessly. Hips stack, legs trace up to straight line. DO NOT JUMP. When shoulders lean far enough forward, toes become completely weightless. THE PHYSICS OF THE PRESS From the FIG Code of Points — it's pure geometry. 1 OPEN THE HIPS A wider straddle brings leg mass closer to your center of gravity. With a 180 ° middle split, your feet barely lift — the press becomes easy. 2 SHIFT THE FULCRUM Your hands are the fulcrum. Leaning shoulders far past your wrists creates the counterbalance that lifts your lower body. 3 COMPRESS TO LIFT Active core compression sucks your thighs up while the shoulder lean handles the counterweight. It's a see - saw, not a bench press. FIG Classification: Swiss Press = A - value (0.1) | Straddle L - Sit Press = B - value (0.2) | Planche Press = C - value (0.3) SAMPLE WORKOUT 2 – 3 times per week, done while FRESH WARM - UP 10 MIN Wrist circles & stretches Shoulder shrugs + Planche Leans Pancake stretches Seated straddle leg lifts SKILL & PATHWAY 10 MIN Step 1: 3 – 5 sets Jump - Ups (make each jump softer) Step 3: 3 sets Elevated Press (lean until toes float) STRENGTH 10 – 15 MIN Step 2: 3 – 5 sets Wall Negatives (5 – 10 sec lowering) Step 4: 3 sets Slider Pull - ins (slow, controlled) THE ULTIMATE SECRET PATIENCE Depending on your current shoulder strength and hip flexibility, this journey takes 3 months to over a year. PRO TIPS: Train press at the START of your workout, while fresh. Film yourself and compare to FIG Box 7 stick figures. Keep arms locked — if they bend, you're muscling it. Widen your stance 6 inches more than you think you should.