Should be a no brainer, right? 

Most would choose the latter "to build strength, muscle and conditioning at a far higher level" - there would be nothing wrong with doing so either, but ... 

Here is the fact, my friend - like a customer Charles Mitchell once told me in 2018 "less than 0.1% of the population can even GET into a handstand and hold". 

By that I mean a proper handstand - held for time as well, preferably at least 30 seconds. 

Those that can, can barely BUDGE from the up position before collapsing down. 

Not to say they "can't" do it. 

They're usually too lazy or too fat - or a combination of both - and wont work at it assidiously. Trust me, if someone like me can get to elite level at them, so can you - so can anyone. Fact. 

But anyway - while doing them today with pull-ups, I was struck by just how EASY they've gotten for me. 

This is a feeling, I thought to myself as the top of my head touched the ground again -I never had even when doing those long workouts for Battletank shoulders - although I did them then, the FEELING was different. 

Sure, add on 3-4 years of solid, continous practice, thats one reason, my overall health and conditioning levels - another reason. Et al.

The real reason, though, my friend is this - STICKING - and always getting back to - and improving on BASICS. 

In Shoulders like Boulders, I gave you some supplementary exercises to do BEFORE you start cranking out handstands, this section is often ignored by people. 

Along with the dip though - a huge, huge exercise in there? 

The FLOOR pushups I give you - specifically, the table, Hindu and REGULAR pushups. 

Trust me on this one, my friend. 

I've said it before, I've given you real life examples, I'll say it again - nothing beats pushups in their own way, not even pull-ups. 

They build and tax the CORE in a manner even pull-ups dont (no, that ain't me saying they're "better" or worse). 

It's a different sort of conditioning from the inside out - to really feel it, you have to do 100-200 pushups daily for years, and add in other core work, but really - if I were to pinpoint the core reason behind this feeling of "easy peasy" for handstand pushups - it would boil down to really scrutinizing my own form daily on regular and other floor pushups, doing them - and getting better with each workout. 

One of those things you'll have to DO to experience, but I've given you the key. 

Now whether or not, as John Walker, another customer famously once told a price wanker "most have been found wanting when it's time to put in the WORK" - you're willing to listen and DO the thing is up to you. 

And dont think for a minute handstand pushups ever get easy to the point you dont get a great workout from doing 'em. 

They never do. 

And level four in the "Shoulders" series will show you that, and then some (in the works as of now). 

In the meantime - have a great day - train hard - and write back - let me KNOW how it GOETH!!!

Best, 

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. - To know all there is about doing pushups at an elite, high class level - invest in Pushup Central NOW. When you get to the point of doing what I do in some of the pictures on the sales page (and if you think thats something, wait till you see the BOOK!) - well, write back again - LET ME KNOW!