Chest Stand (Contortion) vs Layback (Contortion)

A chest stand is a contortion position in which the performer supports the body on the chest and upper torso while extending the legs backward and upward over the head. The pose is a deep backbend that requires substantial spinal, shoulder, and hip flexibility, along with controlled weight distribution. It appears in contortion training and performance, where the exact shape varies with the perfor...

Layback is an advanced contortion skill in which a performer bends deeply backward from a standing position until the head approaches or reaches the buttocks. The movement requires exceptional spinal extension, hip and shoulder flexibility, balance, and controlled conditioning, and it is commonly associated with circus and contortion performance. It is a specialist acrobatic technique, not a gener...