Planche Progression

Planche progression is a series of static holds that build the straight-arm strength and body control needed to hold a planche, where your body stays parallel to the floor supported only by your hands. It mainly trains the front of your shoulders, chest, and biceps tendon, with heavy support from the muscles around your shoulder blades, your wrists and forearms, and your core.

Set up on parallettes, the floor, or with a band. Place your hands under or slightly in front of your shoulders. Lock your elbows straight and push your shoulder blades forward so your upper back rounds slightly. Point your toes and keep your body in one straight line from head to heels.

Shift your weight forward over your hands and lean as far forward as you can control. Keep your arms locked and your shoulder blades reaching forward the whole time. In tuck versions pull your knees to your chest; in straddle open your legs wide; in full planche keep your legs together and straight. Aim to lean far enough that your feet start to float off the ground. Hold without sagging, then lower your feet with control and rest.

Breathe normally and brace your core as if you are about to be tapped in the stomach; do not hold your breath. To make it easier, keep your knees tucked, use a band around your hips, or stay in a pseudo-planche lean with your feet on the floor. To make it harder, move from tuck to advanced tuck, then straddle, then full planche, and do not skip stages. Program by accumulated hold time, and only advance when you can hold the current stage cleanly for about 10-15 seconds across your sets.

This skill is extremely stressful for connective tissue, especially the elbows and wrists, so it carries a real injury risk. Do not train through elbow or wrist pain. Before starting, you should be able to hold a 60-second pseudo-planche lean and complete 15-20 scapular push-ups with good form, and you should cut back on straight-arm work at the first sign of pain.

Fault: Bending the arms to cheat the lean. Fix: Keep your elbows locked straight and your shoulder blades fully protracted through every hold; if you cannot, use an easier shape.

Fault: Leaning only a small amount while the feet stay on the floor. Fix: Lean forward until your feet actually unweight; leverage is the load, and the hold only counts if your feet are floating.

Fault: Jumping to a full planche before earlier shapes are clean. Fix: Work the sequence tuck, advanced tuck, straddle, then full, and only advance when you can hold the current stage cleanly for about 10-15 seconds across your sets.