It depends on what you want to emphasize. Keeping the hands in contact with the ground will require you to open the hip more (the hip will have to move through a slightly larger range of motion). Or you can put less focus on the hands and allow them to come up if you want to emphasize accessing stored elastic energy (SEE) and coordination (effort-free movement). The ability to access SEE is a prime attribute of athleticism – hence the inclusion of this version in the General Altheticism circuit.

You'll also find the intensity level is subjective – it really depends on what you're better at.