How Many Reps of Pike Push Ups Should I Be Able to Do Before Trying a Handstand Push Up

The Rep Count That Unlocks the Handstand Push-Up

When asking how many reps of pike push ups should I be able to do before trying a handstand push up, the answer is 15-20 clean, controlled reps with your feet elevated to at least hip height-but most people make a critical form mistake that makes this number useless. You’ve probably tried it: you kick up against a wall, full of hope, lower yourself an inch, and then… nothing. You’re stuck. It feels like hitting a brick wall, and it’s frustrating because you feel strong in your other lifts. The problem isn’t your general strength; it’s a lack of specific, vertical pushing strength. The pike push-up is the single best exercise to build it, but only if you do it right. The standard of 15-20 reps isn’t for the easy, feet-on-the-floor version. It’s for the much harder variation where your feet are on a box or bench, forcing your torso to be almost vertical. This position mimics the handstand push-up (HSPU) and directly trains the muscles and movement pattern you need. If you can hit 20 reps in this elevated position, your shoulders have the strength and endurance to control your bodyweight through a full range of motion while inverted. Anything less, and you’re just setting yourself up for failure and discouragement when you kick up against the wall.

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Why Your Pike Push-Ups Aren't Building Handstand Strength

Your pike push-ups feel challenging, but they aren't translating to handstand push-up strength for one simple reason: the angle is wrong. Think about it in terms of physics. A regular push-up is a horizontal press, pushing your body away from the floor. A handstand push-up is a pure vertical press, pushing your entire bodyweight straight up. The pike push-up is the bridge between these two worlds. When your feet are on the floor, your torso is at roughly a 45-degree angle. You're still pushing a lot of weight, but a significant portion is directed backward, not upward. This is why you can do 25 floor pikes and still fail at one HSPU. The game changes when you elevate your feet onto a 24-inch box. Now, your torso is much closer to a 75 or 80-degree angle. The load on your shoulders increases dramatically, and the push becomes almost entirely vertical. This is the specific strength you need. Most people fail here because they make three common mistakes: their elbows flare out wide, they don't go deep enough (your head should almost touch the floor), or they perform the reps too fast, using momentum instead of muscle. Each sloppy rep is a wasted opportunity to build the specific strength required for an HSPU. Slow down, control the negative, and focus on the angle. That's the secret.

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The 4-Step Protocol From Zero to Your First HSPU

Achieving your first handstand push-up isn't about luck; it's about a systematic progression. You can't just jump from regular push-ups to an HSPU. You need to build strength through increasingly difficult angles. This 4-step protocol is the exact path to get there. Don't skip steps. Master each one before moving to the next. The rep goals are your ticket to advance.

Step 1: Master the Floor Pike Push-Up (Goal: 3 sets of 20 reps)

This is your foundation. Get into a downward dog or inverted 'V' position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and your hips as high as possible. Your legs should be straight but not locked. From here, bend your elbows and lower the top of your head towards the floor in front of your hands, forming a tripod. Your head should not go *between* your hands. Press back up forcefully. If you can't do one, build baseline strength with regular push-ups and incline push-ups first. Your goal is 3 clean sets of 20 reps. Once you can do this, you've earned the right to move on.

Step 2: Elevate Your Feet (Goal: 3 sets of 15-20 reps)

This is the most important step. Find a sturdy box, bench, or chair that's about 18-24 inches high (roughly hip height). Place your feet on the elevated surface and your hands on the floor, walking them back until your torso is as close to vertical as possible. Your body should form an 'L' shape. Now, perform the pike push-up. You will immediately notice this is significantly harder. The goal here is 3 sets of 15-20 perfect reps. This is the benchmark from the title. Hitting this number is the clearest sign you have the raw strength for an HSPU.

Step 3: Build Eccentric Strength with Wall Negatives (Goal: 5 sets of 1 rep with a 5-second descent)

Now it's time to get upside down. Kick up into a handstand facing away from the wall (a 'stomach-to-wall' handstand is better for alignment if you can do it). Once you're stable, begin to lower yourself as slowly and controlled as possible. Aim for a 5-second count from the top position until your head touches the floor or a mat. At the bottom, just kick off the wall and reset. Don't try to press back up. This builds strength in the lowering phase, which is crucial for control. Work up to 5 sets of single reps with a full 5-second descent.

Step 4: Conquer Partial Reps (Goal: 3 sets of 5 reps)

Once you're strong with negatives, it's time to press up. But you won't do a full rep yet. Place a stack of books or a few yoga blocks on the floor under your head, creating a target that reduces the range of motion by about half. Kick up against the wall and perform handstand push-ups, lowering until your head gently touches the stack, and then press back up. Your goal is 3 sets of 5 reps. As you get stronger over the weeks, remove one book or one block at a time, gradually increasing the range of motion until you're doing a full, head-to-floor handstand push-up.

What to Expect: Your 90-Day HSPU Timeline

Getting your first handstand push-up is a marathon, not a sprint. If you're starting from a baseline of being able to do 20 regular push-ups, here is a realistic timeline. Progress isn't linear; some weeks you'll feel strong, others you'll feel stuck. Consistency is what matters.

Month 1: Building the Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Your entire focus is on Step 1 and beginning Step 2. You will train pike push-ups 2-3 times per week. By the end of week 4, you should be comfortable with floor pikes and be able to complete at least 3 sets of 8-10 reps of elevated pike push-ups. You will not be close to an HSPU. Your shoulders will feel sore, and the movement will feel awkward. This is normal. Focus on perfect form.

Month 2: Reaching the Benchmark (Weeks 5-8)

This month is all about owning the elevated pike push-up. Your goal is to work your way up to the 15-20 rep range for 3 sets. This is a grind. Progress might be adding just one rep per week. Towards the end of the month, once you're hitting sets of 12-15 elevated pikes, you can introduce Step 3: wall negatives. You'll feel much stronger being inverted, but a full press-up is still out of reach.

Month 3: The Breakthrough (Weeks 9-12)

With a solid foundation of 15+ rep sets on elevated pikes and control over your negatives, you are now ready for partial reps (Step 4). Start with a high stack of books. The first time you press back up, even on a partial rep, will feel like a huge victory. Over these four weeks, you will methodically remove layers from your stack. By the end of this month, achieving your first one or two full-range-of-motion handstand push-ups is a very realistic goal. From there, it's all about consistency to build more reps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hand Placement for Pike Push-Ups

Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with your fingers pointing forward. A common mistake is going too narrow, which can cause wrist and elbow discomfort. Going too wide shortens the range of motion and is less effective. Think about creating a stable tripod base with your hands and head.

Breathing During the Exercise

Inhale as you lower your head towards the floor, and exhale forcefully as you press back up to the start. Holding your breath creates unnecessary internal pressure and instability. A controlled breathing pattern will make the movement feel smoother and stronger, especially as you get fatigued.

Pike Push-Ups vs. Overhead Press

While a barbell or dumbbell overhead press (OHP) builds great shoulder strength, it's not a perfect substitute for pike push-ups. The pike push-up trains the specific motor pattern, core stability, and balance required to press your bodyweight while inverted. Use OHP as an accessory lift, but prioritize the pike progression for HSPU goals.

Dealing with Wrist Pain

Wrist pain during pike push-ups is common and usually stems from a lack of wrist flexibility or strength. Always warm up your wrists with circles and flexion/extension stretches. If pain persists, perform the exercise on a pair of push-up bars, parallettes, or hex dumbbells to keep your wrists in a neutral position.

Frequency of Training

Train your pike push-up and HSPU progressions 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days. Your shoulders and connective tissues need at least 48 hours to recover and grow stronger. Training this movement every day is a fast track to shoulder impingement and stalled progress, not faster results.