Planche Push-up

These notes combine advice from 19 reviewed passages across 11 workouts.

Overview

A planche push-up is performed with the feet off the ground. Planche-oriented push-up progressions build toward the full planche and develop the front-shoulder strength used for the straddle planche.

The progression loads the shoulders and wrists. With the wrist opened, substantial demand also reaches the shoulders, forearms, and especially the biceps.

Body position and control

Keep a planche-like line and shift the body weight forward. Moving farther forward brings the exercise closer to the position used to prepare for the planche.

Extremely deep repetitions on bars may eventually involve inward and downward scapular movement. This differs from the maintained scapular position used during a regular planche push-up.

Draw the shoulders inward and avoid spreading into a T shape. During the ascent, preserve the body’s height relationship and move as one unit so the upper body does not rise separately.

Descent and range

Push actively through the shoulders while lowering slowly. Maintain control instead of releasing the position and dropping directly.

Progressions and variations

Increasing the planche lean makes the exercise harder than less planche-like push-ups. Dynamic planche push-ups can still be easier than corresponding static holds because each repetition allows continuing balance adjustments.

For a tucked planche push-up, hold at the top, lower while extending, and return to another top-position hold.

Coach’s experience

In his own training, the coach works on the clapping planche push-up. He still has difficulty catching part of the movement consistently and continues to practice it.