Anyone who trains for the planche knows how unbelievably hard it is. Jumping into a full planche immediately is literally impossible and could even be dangerous. Therefore, to make the learning process easier and prevent any injuries, the planche is divided into four levels(progressions). Tuck planche, advanced tuck planche, straddle planche, and the full-planche.
I already made a tutorial on how we can achieve the tuck planche. So now, we will take a look at the next level, the advanced tuck planche. I am going to give you the reason why you probably can’t do the advanced tuck planche yet, some strengthing exercises, and at the end tips and tricks that will help you with your planche training.
Leaning More Forward For The Advanced Tuck Planche
The first and biggest mistake I see a lot of people are making is not leaning far enough. It is very simple, the planche is all about leaning. If you don’t lean far enough, you can’t open your legs.
It is just physics. By leaning more forward, you move your center of gravity. This makes it possible to bring out your legs. If you don’t lean forward, you could see it as holding a stick at the end instead of the middle. It is much easier to grab the stick in the middle. Doing a planche without leaning is literally impossible unless you are in space.
Core strength
The next crucial point I want to mention is your core strength. Please, Improve your core strength as much as possible. It is so important for the planche and even other calisthenics skills. And by training your core, I mean not only your abdominals, train your lower back as well. Most people think your shoulders are doing most of the work when comes to the planche. Your core, however, is just as important.
If you lack core strength, you will not be able to progress to the advanced tuck planche. Here are some exercises that I did to increase my core strength:
- Planks
- Hollow body holds
- Superman hold
- L-sits
Of course, there are many more exercises you can do. Just try to get your core as strong as possible, it will make things so much easier.
Additional Strength Exercises For Advanced Tuck Planche
Besides core exercises, there are more planche exercises I recommend you implement in your workout routine.
Planche leans
The planche lean is one of the most iconic planche exercises out there. Doing planche leans will help you increase your straight arm strength, which is needed when leaning forward. Plus, it will improve shoulder strength and core strength. Although, the biggest benefit you will get from planche leans is that you will get used to the planche position.
With the planche, it is very important you apply the correct technique, doing a lot of planche leans helps you practice this technique. This way, when you attempt a real planche, your form will be on point.
L-sit To Advanced Tuck Planche
Jumping into an advanced tuck planche can be a real challenge. However, you can use momentum to your advantage. With this exercise swing from an L-sit to the advanced tuck planche. This lets you hold the skill for a moment. At first, this won’t be very long, but after some time, you will be able to hold it without any form of momentum.
Any shoulder exercises
At last, we have any shoulder exercises. The shoulder plays a huge role in the planche. The stronger your shoulder is, the better. In my opinion, the best shoulder exercise is the handstand push-up. However, this exercise can be a real challenge for some people. So, if you aren’t able to do a handstand push-up, start with pike push-ups. From there, slowly progress to the handstand push-up.
Extra Tips To Boost Your Progress
Use Low Parallettes
The first trick I have for you is to use (low) parallettes instead of practicing on the floor. With parallettes, you are slightly higher off the ground. This gives your legs a little more room to open up, which is really beneficial. On the floor, your knees tend to touch the ground quicker, if your lower back is not yet strong enough. It is just more comfortable to practice with parallettes than on the floor.
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Wrists mobility
Another tip I have for you is to build strength and mobility in your wrists. If your grip is lacking, your planche will too. The same goes for mobility. As you get more advanced you are required to lean more forward during planche. If you lack mobility, it will stop you from progressing, even if you have already the needed strength. So, please take care of your wrists. It will save so much time!
Frequency of Training
If you want to get the advanced tuck planche and eventually the full planche, you must put in the work every week. It takes a whole lot of work and consistency. I recommend you train the planche at least three times a week. You can even do more, but rest is also really crucial.
So start with three times a week, that is a good starting point.