Planche Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Tucked Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45° for wrist comfort

   • With bent knees, lean forward until your feet lift off the ground

   • Tuck knees tightly to chest — the tighter the tuck, the shorter the lever and the easier it is

   • Protract scapulae fully — push shoulder blades apart and round the upper back

   • Lock elbows completely and turn them forward

   • Maintain posterior pelvic tilt — tuck your tailbone and squeeze glutes

   • Keep hips at or slightly above shoulder height

2. 02

   Adv. Tucked Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Lean forward and lift feet off the ground in a tucked position

   • Open your hip angle more than basic tuck — back approaches horizontal while knees stay tucked

   • Protract scapulae — push shoulder blades apart, rounding the upper back

   • Lock elbows fully and turn them forward

   • Maintain posterior pelvic tilt and full-body tension

   • This requires significantly more forward lean than the basic tuck

3. 03

   Super Adv. Tucked Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Lean forward significantly and lift into position

   • Extend hips further than adv. tuck — knees move further from chest, back nearly horizontal

   • Protract scapulae — push shoulder blades apart

   • Lock elbows fully and turn them forward

   • Maintain hollow body with posterior pelvic tilt — this becomes harder as hips extend

   • The greater hip extension demands much more forward lean and shoulder strength

4. 04

   One Leg Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Extend one leg straight back at hip height, parallel to the ground

   • Keep the other leg tucked toward your chest to shorten the lever

   • Protract scapulae and lock elbows, turning them forward

   • Maintain hollow body — do not let the hip of the extended leg drop

   • Lean forward enough to balance — the extended leg requires more forward lean than a full tuck

   • Alternate legs between sets to develop both sides evenly

5. 05

   Pike Straddle Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Lift into position with legs wide apart (straddled) and hips piked at roughly 90°

   • The pike shortens the lever, making this easier than a flat straddle

   • Protract scapulae fully and lock elbows, turning them forward

   • Maintain posterior pelvic tilt and squeeze glutes

   • The wider the straddle, the shorter the effective lever

   • Focus on gradually opening the hip angle over time toward a flat straddle

6. 06

   Straddle Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Lean forward maximally and lift legs into a wide straddle, parallel to the ground

   • Body must be horizontal — hips at shoulder height

   • Protract scapulae fully and lock elbows, turning them forward

   • Maintain hollow body with posterior pelvic tilt — do not arch the lower back

   • Point toes and keep legs straight and actively separated

   • The wider the straddle, the shorter the effective lever — use this to your advantage

7. 07

   Almost Full Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45°

   • Lean forward and lift legs — begin closing the straddle toward legs together

   • Keep body horizontal with hips at shoulder height

   • Protract scapulae fully and lock elbows, turning them forward

   • Maintain a tight hollow body — posterior pelvic tilt, glutes and core maximally engaged

   • Closing the legs increases the lever significantly — this requires substantially more shoulder strength than straddle

   • Point toes and keep legs tight

8. 08

   Full Planche

   • Place hands shoulder-width apart, fingers turned outward ~45° (or use parallettes)

   • Maximum forward lean — shift entire bodyweight over your hands

   • Legs together, straight, and parallel to the ground with toes pointed

   • Body perfectly horizontal — hips at shoulder height

   • Protract scapulae maximally and lock elbows, turning them forward

   • Maintain the tightest possible hollow body — posterior pelvic tilt, every muscle engaged

   • This is the pinnacle of the planche progression — maximum strength and body tension required

Common mistakes

• Hips Sagging / Arched Back
• Insufficient Scapular Protraction
• Bent Elbows
• Not Enough Forward Lean
• Wrists Not Conditioned
• Elbows Pointing Backward
• Rushing to Harder Progressions