Also known as: straight-arm balance, horizontal hand balance, hands-only hold, straddle support, advanced hand balance

What is Planche?

Planche is a static gymnastic hold where the body is held horizontal off the ground supported only by the hands. It primarily targets shoulders, triceps, chest and core while engaging upper back and lats. Difficulty level: insane - requires progressive training and strong scapular control.

How to Do Planche

  1. Scapular and core set: Protract and depress the scapula, shorten the core, and squeeze glutes into posterior pelvic tilt. Keep hips level with shoulders for ideal alignment.
  2. Hand and parallettes position: Place hands shoulder-width on parallettes, fingers gripping forward. Straight arms, shoulders stacked over wrists and slight external rotation for stable support.
  3. Lean and lift: Tip toes and progressively lean forward until your feet lift. Maintain scapular protraction and a tight core to protect the shoulders.
  4. Hold with breathing: Hold the horizontal position while breathing evenly; keep hips level, core braced, and shoulders active. Exit immediately if sharp pain occurs.
  5. Controlled return: Return to feet by shifting weight back to heels in a controlled motion, relax shoulders, and reset before attempting another attempt or regression.

Muscle Groups

Triceps, Chest, Core, Shoulders, Trapezius, Latissimus, Back

Description

Setup:
Protract and depress your scapula, shorten your core as much as possible while squeezing your glutes inwards (posterior pelvic tilt). Aim to keep your hips level with your shoulders for perfect execution. However, keeping hips lower will put more pressure on your delts and you will be more likely to lose protraction. Hips higher will make the lever a bit shorter and put less pressure on your delts - rendering the exercise a bit easier but looking less desirable.
Execution:
Tip toe and lean forward until your feet start to lift off the ground. Planche is an incredibly challenging movement so adjust height of your hips to allow yourself as long of a hold as possible. If you struggle to reach 3-5s hold in this progression, consider regressing to straddle planche, Straddle Pike Planche, One leg Planche, flying frog planche or tuck planche.
Movement Group: Push
Equipment: Parallettes

Progressions and Regressions

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main benefits of training the planche?

Training the planche builds straight-arm shoulder and tricep strength, scapular stability, and extreme core tension. It improves full-body tension, balance and body awareness useful across calisthenics and gymnastics movements.

What common mistakes should I avoid when learning the planche?

Common mistakes include collapsing the shoulders (lack of protraction), flaring hips, premature arching, and rushing progressions. Overgripping and neglecting posterior pelvic tilt increase injury risk—prioritize scapular control and regressions until holds feel stable.

How can I progress to a full planche or what are good alternatives?

Progress via regressions: tuck holds, advanced tuck, single-leg variations, straddle progressions and pike variations. Use parallettes, planche leans and supplementary scapular and weighted pushing work to build strength and hold time.