What is a good score for Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps?

Good scores for Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps depend on your fitness level: Elite athletes achieve over 1 reps, advanced athletes target 5 reps-1 reps, intermediate athletes aim for 15 reps-5 reps, and beginners should focus on proper form over hitting 15 reps.

What is considered a good Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps score?

A good Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps score for most CrossFit athletes is between 15 reps-5 reps (intermediate level). Elite scores are over 1 reps, but focus on consistent movement and proper form rather than just numbers.

What should I aim for in Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps?

Your Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps target should match your fitness level. Beginners should aim for around 15 reps with good form, while advanced athletes can target 5 reps-1 reps. Always prioritize proper movement over maximum reps.

How do I scale Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps?

Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps can be scaled by reducing weights, modifying movements (like assisted pull-ups), or adjusting volume. Consult with a coach for personalized scaling options.

What muscles does Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps work?

Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps primarily works the muscles involved in Handstand Push-Up. This workout develops muscular endurance.

Workout Description

Maximum number of handstand push-ups performed consecutively without rest.

Why This Workout Is Hard

This is an advanced gymnastics test requiring inversion tolerance, shoulder and triceps strength, midline control, and skillful kipping for maximal efficiency. Many athletes cannot perform any unassisted reps, while strong gymnasts can exceed 30–50 unbroken. Though short in duration, the high skill and acute local fatigue make the test demanding and unforgiving of technical errors.

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

Stamina (9/10): High local muscular endurance in the shoulders, triceps, and midline. The test ends when pressing capacity fades, emphasizing repeat contractions under fatigue more than pure strength alone.
Strength (6/10): Significant pressing strength is needed to initiate and control each rep, especially if performed strict. Stronger athletes can cycle more reps before fatigue forces failure.
Speed (6/10): A steady, efficient cadence improves totals. Moving too fast can cause early failure; too slow invites pauses that end the set under the no-rest constraint.
Power (5/10): Kipping adds hip power and timing to drive through sticking points. Strict versions are less explosive, but rapid, crisp reps still benefit from some power expression.
Flexibility (4/10): Adequate overhead mobility, wrist extension, and a stacked shoulder position are required for efficient, safe reps. While not extreme flexibility, limitations can cause inefficient mechanics or no-reps.
Endurance (1/10): Minimal cardiovascular demand; heart rate will spike from inversion and effort, but there is no sustained monostructural work or long-duration output involved in this single, short max-effort set.

Movements

Handstand Push-Up

Scaling Options

Scale to: Handstand Push-Ups to 1–2 AbMats • Box Pike Push-Ups (hips stacked) • Strict Dumbbell Shoulder Press (moderate load)

Scaling Explanation

Each option preserves vertical pressing and midline demand while adjusting difficulty so athletes can perform a meaningful unbroken set and retest consistently.

Intended Stimulus

A brief, intense set that builds quickly to a deep shoulder and triceps burn while demanding tight midline control. Aim for smooth, continuous reps with consistent depth and lockout, using an efficient kip if allowed. Expect an abrupt failure point—ride the line without pausing and squeeze out the last few clean reps.

Coach Insight

Pace the first 5–10 reps—establish a clean rhythm, then hold that cadence without grinding pauses. One tip: keep heels glued to the wall and ribs down. A tight line shortens the lever and preserves pressing power. Avoid craning the neck, soft lockouts, or resting on the head. Declare strict vs. kipping and stick to one standard for retests.

Benchmark Notes

These levels represent a single max unbroken set. Hitting 5 shows baseline strength; 10–20 indicates solid capacity; 30–40 is competitive; 50+ is elite. Use the same standard (strict or kipping) each time you retest to track true progress.

Modality Profile

This is a pure gymnastics test: inverted bodyweight pressing with no monostructural or external loading components. All capacity comes from skill, positioning, and local muscular endurance in an upside-down context.

Similar Workouts to Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps

If you enjoy Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps, you might also like these similar CrossFit WODs:

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These WODs similar to Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps share comparable training demands, time domains, and movement patterns.

Training Profile

Attribute	Score	Explanation
Endurance	1/10	Minimal cardiovascular demand; heart rate will spike from inversion and effort, but there is no sustained monostructural work or long-duration output involved in this single, short max-effort set.
Stamina	9/10	High local muscular endurance in the shoulders, triceps, and midline. The test ends when pressing capacity fades, emphasizing repeat contractions under fatigue more than pure strength alone.
Strength	6/10	Significant pressing strength is needed to initiate and control each rep, especially if performed strict. Stronger athletes can cycle more reps before fatigue forces failure.
Flexibility	4/10	Adequate overhead mobility, wrist extension, and a stacked shoulder position are required for efficient, safe reps. While not extreme flexibility, limitations can cause inefficient mechanics or no-reps.
Power	5/10	Kipping adds hip power and timing to drive through sticking points. Strict versions are less explosive, but rapid, crisp reps still benefit from some power expression.
Speed	6/10	A steady, efficient cadence improves totals. Moving too fast can cause early failure; too slow invites pauses that end the set under the no-rest constraint.

Handstand Push-Ups: Max Reps

Bodyweight Single Movement

Maximum number of handstand push-ups performed consecutively without rest.

Difficulty:

Hard

Modality:

Stimulus:

Insight:

Scaling:

Scale to: Handstand Push-Ups to 1–2 AbMats • Box Pike Push-Ups (hips stacked) • Strict Dumbbell Shoulder Press (moderate load)

Your Scores:

Training Profile

Performance Levels

L10

RookieNoviceIntermediateAdvancedPro/Elite

We map out ten rungs—from Rookie to Pro—by estimating how much work a workout usually takes, using trusted benchmark WODs and smart fatigue adjustments. Level 5 is where most everyday CrossFitters land, and the color gradient shows how scores spread from early levels on the left to top-tier finishes on the right.These levels represent a single max unbroken set. Hitting 5 shows baseline strength; 10–20 indicates solid capacity; 30–40 is competitive; 50+ is elite. Use the same standard (strict or kipping) each time you retest to track true progress.