Planche

The planche is an isometric exercise that works every muscle in the body but puts a heavy emphasis on the shoulders, biceps and the core for stabilisation. The mechanics are similar to that of the front lever and back lever, in that the more the body is extended, the more the body has to lean forward (in the planche) to stabilise, requiring more strength to maintain balance in the position.

Progressions:
Note that the planche is an extremely difficult exercise that often takes months to years to achieve.

Pseudo Planche Hold:
The pseudo planche hold is the first basic planche progression, to execute the exercise, place your hands either facing to the side or back and lean forward, the side is preferrable due to the stability it provides. The exercise simulates a planche except the difficulty is greatly reduced due to the legs still being on the floor, the difficulty can be increased by leaning forward more. Once you can hold this with good form for 15 seconds for four sets you'll be more than ready to move on

Tuck Planche:


the tuck planche is the next progression to the planche and the first in which the legs are elevated off the ground. To execute place the hands on the ground and lift your legs up and tuck them into your chest. Lean forwards if needed to stabilise the movement. If you have difficulty with this exercise, place your hands on an elevated surface such as paralletes or books.

Advanced Tuck Planche:
The advanced tuck planche is very similar to its predecessor except that the legs are extended backwards more as shown in the image. To compensate for this, lean forward to balance.

Straddle/Single Leg Planche:
The straddle planche is the last progression before the full planche, the form is similar but the exercise itself is easier due to the fact that the legs are spread, shortening the lever. This exercise can be replaced by the single leg planche which is similar to the full planche but instead one leg is extended while the other leg is bent in the advanced tuck position.

Form and Execution:
While in the planche, the arms should be fully extended and the body should maintain straight alignment. To compensate for the lengthened lever, the arms should lean forward. To get into the planche, begin in a tuck planche and from there extend into an advanced tuck planche or straddle planche before finally extending into the full planche.