Tips for my planche journey

followeroftimes

New member
I (m, 21 y.o, 5'4",69kg) had trained calisthenics from 16-18 and took quite a long break due to university. However, I started training again on the first of january 2024 and made quite some progress. My current stats are:

Pull:
- pull-ups, 8 reps (+20kg) (started at 3)
- Muscle-ups (started at 1)
- Frontlever (started not being able to do it)

Push:
- HSPU, 8 reps (started at 0)
- 90° Push-ups, 2reps (started at 0)
- adv. tuck Planche, ~8sec
(started at 5 sec tuck)
- Maltese Flys with 9kg, 3×12 reps
(started at 7 kg, 3×12)

I feel like straddle planche is a completely different beast compared to adv. tuck. What kind of exercises or tips can you guy share to get from adv.tuck to straddle?
I will probably write an update once I am able to straddle planche an share what I learned myself.
 
@followeroftimes Try adding in some additional accessory excercises. Straight arm raises helped me develop alot of straight arm strength in the range of motion expected of a planche, alternatively planche leans; go as far forward as you can. The idea is to get your muscles used to working in those angles.

To build strength, planche pushups in the most advanced progression you can manage. Working the muscle through contracting is better for building strength than straight isometric holds.
 
@followeroftimes I feel like I have the strength for planche, just not the form/conditioning. if you have access to kettlebell or dumbbells, you can do Maltese presses. they say if you can hold 75-80% bodyweight in planche position with dumbbells, you should be able to planche. I think this is just for the deltoid strength. I have a home gym with pulley weight system and I've attached my rings to. focusing on proper form and time in position, I'm back down to 95lbs (so would be 47.25lb dumbbells equivalent) pushing down, legs resting on my bench. the straps let me know my hands are in line with my hips. I film myself to focus on form. key points are hands, straps, and hips aligned. I also have visual cues to make sure I always see my nipple. if I'm losing form, my nipple will end up being covered up by my upper arm and I won't have that rounded/hollow back.
 
@followeroftimes You can already 90° Push-up, do more of that. Try to lower down from handstand in a straddle to planche.

I am only at advance tuck myself, 6' 190lbs and am not sure I will ever get beyond that. But I think just about every planche journey video I have watched, the transition from advance tuck to straddle was either from lowering down from handstand or holding on high parallettes and the legs were low .....piked

Planche Straddle Pike | Caliverse

If they did it from handstand, they were even more piked. It's gonna look something like that early on and that's fine. You will build strength from it and improve. My full front lever looked and felt like crap when I first started being able to extend out to it. It's much better now.
 
@followeroftimes Pulleys with counterweights. Use such counterweight so you can barely hold straddle planche - 1 set. A few sets more with more counterweight for hypertrophy. Slowly decrease the counterweight with time - try 1kg less per 3-4 weeks, depending on your strength adaptation.

You can also try full planche and skip straddle. I always felt straddle was inconsistent. Depending on how much you straddle, the torque is different and it was difficult to estimate the progress.
 
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