The integration of strength and balance gives the handstand push-up an athletic edge that brings this movement to at least peer status with even the heaviest of presses, whether bench, overhead, or jerk. Performing 20 handstand push-ups in the middle of the room or on parallel bars becomes an extraordinary feat of strength and balance that has no peer in weightlifting movements.

Though the hip flexors are the primary movers in the GHD sit-up, the abs play a strong role in stabilizing the torso to prevent hyperextension of the spine. This is, in our opinion, a more functional role for the abs than trunk flexion. Carefully introduced and practiced, the GHD sit-up is a potent tool for reeducating the athlete to use the hip flexors more efficaciously and safely.

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