Fitness
Meet The Queen Of Handstands
You may have thought you’d left handstands back at the playground, but it’s not just kids kicking their legs in the air anymore. Everyone’s doing it. At 27 years old, Kate Czepulkowski, known to the rest of the world as Bendy Kate, is multi-disciplined circus artist, instructor and choreographer.
Several pole fitness world championship titles, hundreds of masterclasses and two books later, Bendy is pioneering the handstand trend. Just type #bendykatehandbalancechallenge into Instagram and you’ll be met with pole artists, gymnasts and amateurs alike all trying to master the impressive poses filled in her latest release: A Little Book of Handstands.
We caught up with Bendy to find out all things fitness, handstands and if it really is as easy as it looks.
What was your inspiration for writing Advanced Stretching Technique and A Little Book of Handstands?
I was inspired by my good friend Kate Edwards who creates the Spin City Bibles, I had a lot to share over the years and I thought the book format would be ideal.
I also have a BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation from Bristol, so it was really important for me to combine my knowledge and experience to create these books.
How does it feel seeing people following along with #bendykatehandbalancechallenge on social media?
Incredible! It makes me so proud of those individuals and of my product.
Do you follow a strict personal diet?
If you asked my boyfriend he would say: “Croissants and Nutella only.” I do, however, have a healthy based diet. I love fish, grains and vegetables as staples. But, yes, croissants and spoonfuls of Nutella are my occasional downfall!
What do you eat on an average day?
Morning: Porridge with honey, seeds and more fruit than you can imagine, or brown toast with marmalade if I’m in a rush.
Lunch: Left over veg and fish, salad from the night before, or poached eggs, mushrooms and toast.
Dinner: Fish (usually salmon) and veg. I eat lots of stir frys, salads and I try to use new healthy recipes from Pinterest.
Snacks: Fruit, graze boxes, protein shakes, Nutella and, of course, croissants!
Does this change when you are training for a competition or performance?
I usually lean down a lot before competitions. This is down to a few things. Firstly, focus. My food choices are determined by which food groups will give me the most energy and help me recover fastest.
Secondly, nerves. I don’t crave naughty foods as much when I’m a bit nervous! It all depends on the type of training I’m doing. Routine training uses a different energy system and for me burns more fat.
How often do you train a week and how do you balance your training out between stretching, pole and gymnastics?
I wish I just had to find time for stretching pole and gymnastics but I actually have to find time for pole, stretching, contortion, gymnastics, hand balancing, aerial hoop, aerial silks, cardio, rehab, etc.
As you can guess, I can’t fit everything in each week. I train once a day (unless my body craves a rest/recovery day). Training usually lasts between 1-2 hours. I’m most happy when I can train twice a day, so I can squeeze more than one discipline in. I vary the disciplines as I try not to overuse my body in the same way each training session.
What is your biggest piece of advice for a beginner who wants to start flexibility training?
It’s important to be both strong and bendy. If you don’t strengthen while you stretch, you won’t be able to control this new range of movement, which will most likely lead to injuries.
Which exercises do you think are best for strengthening handstands?
Actually doing them! Against a wall, with a partner, cartwheels, press up positions. Anything on your hands. My book has a lot of conditioning exercises like these for this kind of thing.
What are your top three tips for a beginner who wants to start handstand training?
1. Learn to cartwheel – this will be your exit option out of your handstand
2. Always think about your joint positioning and your heavy/important body parts
3. It’s totally normal for your wrists to feel sore, it’s a sign of them adapting to the new training. Keep on top of your wrist stretching!
- You can find Bendy’s Advanced Stretching Technique and A Little Book of Handstands books at bendy-kate.com.