Full planche
Master the full planche, an advanced bodyweight exercise that builds immense strength across your entire body.
Description
A static hold exercise where the body is held parallel to the ground, supported only by the hands.
How to Do Full planche
- 1Setup
Begin in a strong push-up position, placing your hands shoulder-width apart with fingers pointing forward or slightly angled outward.
- 2Setup
Lean your body significantly forward, shifting your entire weight over your hands while keeping your arms fully extended and elbows locked.
- 3
Actively engage your core, glutes, and latissimus dorsi, pressing down through your palms as if you are trying to push the floor away from you.
- 4
Slowly lift your feet off the ground, maintaining a rigid, straight body line from your head through your heels.
- 5
Hold your entire body perfectly parallel to the ground, ensuring your arms remain straight, shoulders protracted, and core tightly braced.
- 6
Control the movement as you slowly lower your feet back to the ground, maintaining tension throughout your body until your feet touch.
Tips
- Prioritize scapular protraction by actively pushing your shoulder blades forward and apart throughout the hold to create a stable base and protect your shoulder joints.
- Maintain a significant forward lean with your shoulders positioned past your fingertips; this leverage point is critical for balancing your body effectively.
- Keep your elbows completely locked and your arms straight; any bend in the elbows compromises the hold and can lead to injury.
- Actively squeeze your glutes and point your toes to keep your legs straight and tight, which helps maintain a rigid body line and reduces the overall lever arm.
Common Mistakes
- ×Sagging hips or a 'banana back' indicates a weak core; fix this by intensely engaging your rectus abdominis and glutes to keep your body perfectly straight and rigid.
- ×Bending the elbows or allowing them to flare out places excessive strain on the joints; ensure your arms remain locked and externally rotated to maintain proper form and safety.
- ×Failing to protract the shoulders leads to instability and potential injury; actively push the floor away and round your upper back to keep your shoulder blades protracted and engaged.
Variations
Frog planche
Master the Frog planche, an advanced bodyweight skill that builds immense core, shoulder, and arm strength.
Straddle planche
Master the straddle planche, a challenging bodyweight exercise that builds immense core, shoulder, and arm strength by holding your body parallel to the
Lean Planche
Master the lean planche, a foundational calisthenics exercise building immense shoulder strength and core stability.
Wall Plank
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