Push · Tier 3
Pseudo Planche Push-up
A push-up done with the torso leaned forward over the hands so the shoulders pass beyond the wrists, loading the front delts and biceps the way the planche will and opening the door to tuck-planche work.
Also known as: PPPU · Lean Push-up- Difficulty
- 5/10 · Intermediate
- Tier
- 03
- Equipment
- none
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The pseudo planche push-up is the bridge skill between everyday pressing and the static-strength world of the planche. You earn it off a strong push-up (20 clean reps) and healthy wrists, and it teaches your shoulders to press while the body leans out over the hands, the exact pattern the planche demands. This is where the front delts and biceps start doing the job the triceps used to.
Progress by lean, not by reps. A few centimeters further forward is worth more than ten extra easy reps, and the depth of your lean is your dial. Respect the wrists and biceps, add lean in small bites, and this becomes the cleanest on-ramp to your first tuck planche.
Readiness gates
Clear these measurable conditions before forcing the skill.
20 clean reps
comfortable load on extended wrists
Technique, step by step
Four checkpoints for one honest repetition or hold.
- 01Setup
Lean past the wrists
Set the hands beside your hips, fingers turned out 30-45 degrees to spare the wrists, and shift your bodyweight forward until the shoulders are stacked ahead of the hands. Push the floor away to round the upper back slightly (protract the shoulder blades) and lock the body into one rigid plank from heels to head. Look at a spot a foot ahead, and the deeper the lean, the harder the rep.
- 02Lower
Keep the lean, sink the chest
Descend over 2-3 seconds without letting the shoulders slide back behind the hands. The elbows stay tucked toward the ribs and point back, not out, while the chest travels down and slightly forward. Hold the protraction the whole way; if the lean disappears at the bottom, you've turned it back into a regular push-up.
- 03Drive
Press without retreating
Push the floor down and back, driving the shoulders forward rather than just lifting the chest. The front delts and biceps should feel like they are carrying the load, not the triceps. Keep the glutes and abs braced so the hips don't pike up to make the rep easier.
- 04Top
Own the lean at lockout
Finish with elbows straight, shoulder blades pushed apart, ribs down and shoulders still in front of the hands. Don't rock back to a vertical push-up position to rest, hold the forward lean for a beat. Reset your breath here before the next rep.
Skill practice guide
Public skill guidance — not your protected personalized eight-week plan.
Build the straight-arm-leaning front delt, bicep and scapular strength that underpins the tuck planche.
4-5 sets of 5-8 reps at a lean you can keep clean, last set 1-2 reps shy of failure.
2-3x/week with at least 48h between hard pressing sessions.
When you clear 5x8 with a solid lean, push the shoulders a little further forward rather than chasing more reps, then add a 2-3 second negative or a paused bottom.
Common faults
My shoulders slide back behind my hands at the bottom+
Losing the lean means the chest and triceps take over and the planche carryover is gone. The cause is usually starting from too aggressive a lean for your current strength. Reduce the forward lean a few centimeters, hold protraction consciously on the way down, and film a set from the side to confirm the shoulders stay ahead of the wrists.
My wrists hurt or feel pinched in pseudo planche push-ups+
The deep lean drives the wrist into heavy extension, and this skill loads it far harder than a normal push-up. Turn the fingers out to 30-45 degrees, warm up loaded wrist extension and circles first, and use parallettes or fists to keep the wrist more neutral. Build volume slowly, tendons and wrist tissue adapt slower than the muscles pulling on them.
My biceps feel pulled or strained near the elbow+
The forward lean puts the biceps under a long-lever stretch they aren't used to, so a sudden jump in lean or volume can overload the tendon at the elbow. Back off the lean depth, add a few minutes of light biceps and elbow prep before pressing, and progress lean in small steps over weeks. Sharp or lingering elbow pain means regress and let the tissue catch up.
My hips pike up and my butt rises during the rep+
Piking the hips quietly shortens the lever and lets you cheat the hardest part. It means the core unhooked, usually because the lean is too hard to hold rigid. Brace the abs and squeeze the glutes as if for a punch, posterior-tilt the pelvis, and if you still pike, reduce the lean until you can keep a dead-straight line for every rep.
It feels just like a normal push-up, no planche carryover+
You aren't actually leaning forward, the shoulders are sitting over or behind the wrists so the front delts never load. Walk the chest further past the hands until the lean is real and the front delts and biceps light up. If a deep lean is still easy, elevate the feet or hold the bottom for a 2-second pause to crank the difficulty.
Useful setup
Keep the wrists more neutral under the deep lean and let the chest sink past the hands for a fuller range.
Brace the loaded wrist during heavier leaning sets while you build wrist tolerance over time.
Pads the hands for high-volume lean work without sinking and softening the plank.
Primary muscles
Front delts · Chest · Biceps · Core