Strength discipline · Household
Handstand push-up
Handstand push-up is a strength discipline in BYOH, trained with household and building arms and chest. Its ladder runs from 1 rep at Level 1 to 30+ reps at Level 9, and Level 10 is the world record.
The ten levels
BYOH measures a discipline in ten cleared levels. Level 9 is a genuine feat; Level 10 is the standing world record, which is there to be looked at rather than reached.
Handstand push-up starts at Level 1 with 1 rep. Level 5 asks for 9 reps, and Level 9 - the last level a person can train towards - 30+ reps. The largest single jump is from Level 8 to Level 9, 22 reps to 30+ reps.
| Level | Target |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 rep |
| 2 | 2 reps |
| 3 | 4 reps |
| 4 | 6 reps |
| 5 | 9 reps |
| 6 | 12 reps |
| 7 | 16 reps |
| 8 | 22 reps |
| 9 | 30+ reps |
| 10 · Legend | 79 handstand push-ups in one minute Women’s record: 12 handstand push-ups in one minute |
The record past Level 9
Most handstand push-ups in one minute — 79 reps, Parulava Sandro (14 Jul 2025). Women’s record: 12 reps, Rachel Martinez (1 Feb 2017).
Upside down, the whole bodyweight on two hands, elbows to ninety degrees or lower each time. Source.
How it is done
- With your back to the wall bend at the waist and place both hands on the floor at shoulder width.
- Kick yourself up against the wall with your arms straight. Your body should be upside down with the arms and legs fully extended. Keep your whole body as straight as possible. Tip: If doing this for the first time, have a spotter help you. Also, make sure that you keep facing the wall with your head, rather than looking down.
- Slowly lower yourself to the ground as you inhale until your head almost touches the floor. Tip: It is of utmost importance that you come down slow in order to avoid head injury.
- Push yourself back up slowly as you exhale until your elbows are nearly locked.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Movement guidance and imagery from the public-domain Free Exercise DB. BYOH adds the level thresholds.
How the attempt is judged
A level only means something if two heroes clearing it have done the same thing. These are the rules BYOH counts an attempt by — they are the rules of a game, not coaching.
- What counts as one
- One repetition is from straight arms to the head lightly touching the floor and back to straight arms, heels in contact with the wall.
- The set
- One unbroken set. You may pause in the supported position for as long as you like; the set ends the moment you leave it.
- What you need
- A clear wall and a firm floor, with a folded towel under the head if you want one. The supported position is the handstand at straight arms.
- What ends it
- Coming down off the wall ends the set. Resting weight on the head, or a repetition that does not reach straight arms, does not count.
What it builds
Handstand push-up feeds Arms and Chest in a hero’s record, working shoulders, triceps.
- Shoulders
- Triceps
- Pressing strength
- Posterior & loaded stability
- Coordination & balance
Handstand push-up is one of 32 strength disciplines. It shares its household requirement with 6 other strength disciplines. Arms is also built by pull-ups, cross-body hammer curl, chin-ups and 2 more, and a broad attribute needs several of them rather than one taken far.
Quests that ask for it
- Nothing But the HouseDiscipline · Level 4
- Three Ways to PressPath · Level 1
Put it on a record
BYOH turns these levels into a hero: what you clear becomes attributes, quests and a character that grows with your training. It is free, and in open alpha.
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