Planche Training Guide

Introduction

  • Time it takes to learn planche depends on a multitude of factors
  • Prior exercise experience, genetics, height, weight, arm length, etc.
  • Estimated to be a few months to a couple years for most people
  • Stay consistent and enjoy the process

Equipment

  • Parallel bars are preferred (easier on the wrists and planche is easier)
  • Floor is the next best option
  • Avoid rings because of high injury risk and difficulty
  • Resistance bands are very helpful for fixing technique and breaking through plateaus

Foundation

  • Very overhyped how strong you need to be prior to planche
  • No need to be able to do big feats of strength prior to planche
  • Get strong at basics like pushups, pullups, and dips and rep them with ease.

Frequency and Scheduling

  • Start with training planche twice/week.
  • Dedicate two days to hypertrophy movements relevant to planche
  • Take three rest days/week
  • Starting from Monday: rest, rest, planche, hypertrophy, rest, planche, hypertrophy, repeat.

Planche Training

  • 2-3 attempts of a progression you are working towards
  • 4-5 holds of a progression you can hold for 6-10 seconds
  • 1 dynamic movement for 5 sets of 4-6 reps (far from failure like 3-4 reps in reserve)
  • For dynamic movement, add 1 rep to each set per workout for steady overload

Hypertrophy Training

  • Opt for exercises like the weighted dip, overhead press, and bicep curl, to develop muscles relevant to planche.
  • 2 sets of 4-8 reps per movement and 1-2 reps in reserve, to lessen fatigue.
  • Rest 3 minutes in between sets
  • Aim to progress the movements often and consistently to know you are building muscle

Planche Technique

  • Very technical skill
  • Lock your elbows all the time for proper conditioning and form
  • Try and protract your scapula
  • Breathe by inhaling and exhaling (obvious but easy to forget)
  • Squeeze core and legs for enhanced stability and tension

Progressions

  • Common path goes like this: tuck planche, advanced tuck planche, straddle/halflay planche, full planche.
  • Straddle is overrated and halflay is better
  • You can skip the tuck planche by getting stronger at planche leans and your bent arm movement

Conditioning and Warmup

  • Always warm up before training
  • Dynamic wrist, elbow, and shoulder mobility/stretching exercises
  • Good exercises on YouTube

Leg Training

  • Detrimental towards planche training
  • Weighs you down immensely
  • Harder to achieve planche and holds you back from your full potential
  • If you don’t care then you can go ahead and train legs

Mental and Conclusion

  • Planche can take a long time
  • Important to not get discouraged by bad sessions
  • Important to not set yourself unrealistic goals
  • Stay disciplined and train even when you don’t feel like it
  • For 99% of people, planche is possible.