CircoplexFor strong-but-tight people, splits and back-bend learners
Strong but stiff? Your handstand line is waiting on your shoulders.
Shoulder and hip flexibility for strong, tight people, from a circus hand balancer.
One short email a day for a week: a short film, a drill demo and one small thing to try, from Ben Lowrey. Free, for ages 18 and over.
Founding price £47 until 30 November 2026, then £67
Strong but stiff?
- Your handstand arches no matter what you try
- Arms won't go fully overhead
- The press feels impossible with tight hamstrings
- Five minutes of stretching isn't moving anything
Memories
What learning with Ben feels like
Memories from our workshops, retreats and Circoplex Sundays, 2016–2019.
Flexibility course shoot with Vikki Earle 
Victorian hall workshop, April 2018 
Workshop day, May 2018 
Studio shoot, January 2016 
Studio shoot, January 2016 
Studio shoot, January 2016
Flexibility, Ben's way
Long holds, warm
Several minutes per position, only once you're warm.
Shoulders first
The angle that decides a straight handstand.
Relax into it
Ben's view: the more you relax, the more the muscles let go.
Watch free previews
In Ben’s words
Ben Lowrey started learning handstands in 2013, came to hand balancing through yoga and began teaching at the end of 2015.
“Flexibility gets overlooked. 5 minutes of stretching at the end of your training session isn't really enough.”
“You should spend several minutes at a time in each position, but only do it once you're warm.”
“Now, I'm going to tell you straight up, this is a flexibility move.”
What you get
- Free 7-Day Starter firstOne short email a day, before you decide anything.
- 4 full coursesAbout an hour each, including two on flexibility.
- 10 tutorialsStep by step, each with a written article.
- 43 daily drillsShort demos to follow at home.
- A 12-week programmeThe order to do it all in.
What strong, tight people get in the library
- Shoulder opening for a straight line
- Forward fold and hamstrings for the press
- Long holds, once you're warm
- Active stretching at the wall
- Two full flexibility courses
Before you sign up
- “I've stretched for years.”
- Ben's approach is long, warm holds aimed at handstand positions.
- “I don't want yoga.”
- These courses are aimed at strength people. No spiritual extras.
- “Is this contortion?”
- No. Practical range for a straight handstand and a press.
Flexibility for handstands: questions
What happens after 30 November?
The founding price of £47 is for purchases made by the end of 30 November 2026, UK time. From 1 December 2026 the library costs £67. Buying at £47 gets you exactly the same access, and the same 14-day refund, as buying at £67.
Do I need to be flexible to do a handstand?
No, but it helps. Ben's view: the more flexibility you've got, the easier handstands feel. Tight people can use leg-over shapes while range comes.
Why does my back arch into a banana in a handstand?
In Ben's view, closed shoulders: the lower back arches to make up the angle. Opening the shoulders is the fix he teaches.
What flexibility do I need for a press to handstand?
Ben calls the press a flexibility move: forward fold and hamstrings matter, and tight hamstrings make it tough.
Should I stretch before or after handstand practice?
Ben's advice is to stretch once you're warm, holding each position for several minutes.
Why pay £47 for flexibility work?
The library includes two hour-long flexibility courses plus the handstand courses, tutorials, drills and a 12-week order.
Free tutorials to start with
The Ultimate Handstand Library
Over 5 hours of teaching across 4 courses, 10 tutorials and 43 drills, sequenced into a 12-week programme.
The tutorials and drills are free; the library adds the full courses and the programme that sequences them.
£47 including VAT, paid once.
Founding price until 30 November 2026, then £67.
Pay once — lifetime access*
*for as long as Circoplex runs, and at least 10 years from your purchase; if it ever closes, 90 days' notice and a download.
14-day refund, no questions asked: ask within 14 days of buying and get all your money back.
Payments are processed by Stripe/Link (Onelink, LLC) as merchant of record. Onelink, LLC sends your payment receipt, and the charge appears on your statement as LINK.COM* CIRCOPLEX. Circoplex sends a separate access confirmation.
The library is open now.
Who it isn’t for
- It is not a quick fix. There are no promised timelines: a handstand takes regular practice over time.
- It is not live coaching. The library is recorded teaching, so nobody watches or corrects your form.
- It is not for anyone a doctor or physiotherapist has told to avoid being upside down.
- Ben says himself that the press to handstand is not right for every body.
The free 7-Day Handstand Starter
One short email a day for a week: a short film, a drill demo and one small thing to try, from Ben Lowrey.