Push · Tier 5
Planche
The planche is a straight-body hold parallel to the floor with no leg support — the ceiling of bodyweight pushing strength and a brutal test of scapular and wrist resilience.
Also known as: Full Planche · Straddle Planche- Difficulty
- 10/10 · Elite
- Tier
- 05
- Equipment
- none
- Static hold
- ▥
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The planche sits at the very top of the pushing tree — tier 5, difficulty 10, the end of the line. Everything below it (push-ups, pseudo planche push-ups, the tuck planche) exists to build the straight-arm strength and scapular protraction this hold demands. It's a hold, not a rep, and it's won almost entirely by the forward lean: your shoulders must travel well in front of your hands to balance a body floating parallel to the floor.
This is a tendon game as much as a strength game. Wrists and elbows adapt far slower than muscle, so the trainees who reach a clean straddle are the ones who logged consistent, sub-maximal holds for months without flaring a joint. Don't chase the lever — earn it. Own every variation before you reach for the next one.
Readiness gates
Clear these measurable conditions before forcing the skill.
15s hold
progressed lean
10+ reps
Technique, step by step
Four checkpoints for one honest repetition or hold.
- 01Entry
Set the hands and lean in
Place hands shoulder-width or slightly wider, fingers spread and pointing forward or very slightly out. Lock the elbows hard and push the floor away to fully protract the shoulder blades — round the upper back, don't pinch. Begin shifting your weight forward over the hands until your shoulders pass well in front of your wrists; the lean is the engine of the whole hold.
- 02Position
Build the line off the lean
From a deep lean, lift the hips and bring the body toward horizontal — tuck, advanced tuck, or straddle depending on your level. Posteriorly tilt the pelvis and squeeze the glutes so the hips don't pike up. Keep elbows locked and shoulders driving forward; the more horizontal your torso, the more the lean must increase to balance you.
- 03Hold
Fight for the line
Brace the whole body as one plank: protracted scapulae, hollow core, tight glutes, pointed toes. Stay leaning — the instant you stop pushing forward you fall back onto your feet or collapse. Look at the floor just ahead of your hands and breathe shallow through the brace. Even one clean second of a new variation is a win; chase quality holds, not max-effort grinds.
- 04Exit
Lower with control
Don't just drop. Reduce the forward lean to bring weight back over the wrists, then lower the hips and feet to the floor under control or step back out of the lean. A controlled exit protects the wrists and elbows and reinforces the same scapular control you need on the way in.
Skill practice guide
Public skill guidance — not your protected personalized eight-week plan.
Add seconds to your hardest controllable planche variation while keeping every rep clean.
5–8 holds of 3–8s at your current variation (tuck → advanced tuck → straddle), full body tension on every rep.
2–3×/week with at least 48h between sessions; planche loads wrists and elbow tendons hard.
Only advance the variation when you own 15–20s of clean holds at the current one. Straight-arm strength and tendon tolerance lag muscle — bank consistency before chasing the next lever.
Common faults
I keep falling backward and can't get my feet off the floor+
You aren't leaning far enough — your shoulders are still over or behind your wrists, so there's nothing to balance against. Push the floor away and drive your shoulders aggressively in front of your hands until you feel your toes get light. Train a longer, deeper planche lean as its own drill until 20–30s feels controlled.
My hips pike up and I can't get horizontal+
Your pelvis is tilting forward and your glutes are switched off, so the hips win the fight. Posteriorly tilt the pelvis — think 'tuck the tailbone under' — and squeeze glutes hard to drive the hips down in line with the shoulders. Strengthen this with banded straddle holds and tuck-to-advanced-tuck transitions that demand you hold the line, not just the height.
My elbows bend or hyperextend and want to bail+
Either you're not locking out or you're dumping into the joint instead of using muscle. Actively straighten the elbows and externally rotate so the inner elbows face forward; this loads the biceps and protects the tendon. If they hyperextend, back off difficulty and build straight-arm strength with pseudo planche push-ups and planche leans before chasing longer holds.
My wrists hurt in the planche position+
The deep extension under full bodyweight is a lot of load for tendons that adapt slowly. Warm up wrists thoroughly, train on parallettes to reduce the extension angle, and spread your fingers to grip the floor and share the load. If pain lingers, deload, build wrist tolerance progressively, and never push through sharp joint pain — tendons punish impatience.
My shoulders pinch together and I lose the position+
You're retracting (squeezing the blades) instead of protracting. The planche demands maximal protraction — round the upper back and push the floor away so the shoulder blades wrap forward around the ribcage. Drill scapular push-ups and protraction holds so this 'pushing away' becomes automatic the moment your hands hit the floor.
Useful setup
Reduce wrist extension and let you train the planche on the days flat-floor work aggravates the joint.
Hooked under the hips for assisted straddle and advanced-tuck holds so you can train the full line before owning it unassisted.
Kills slick palms so your hands don't slide forward out of the lean mid-hold.
Primary muscles
Front delts · Biceps · Core · Wrists