If you’re someone who’s into fitness and working out, you’ve most likely come across the term “planche push-ups.” But the question on everyone’s mind is, are planche push-ups worth it? Well, the short answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as that. Planche push-ups aren’t your average exercise, and they require a significant amount of strength, balance, and coordination to execute correctly. So, if you’re up for the challenge, planche push-ups can be a game-changer in your workout routine.
But before you jump into it, it’s essential to understand what planche push-ups are. In simple terms, planche push-ups are an advanced bodyweight exercise that requires you to hold your body parallel to the ground, with your feet and hands off the floor. This position requires tremendous upper body strength, core stability, and balance. It’s no surprise that it’s considered one of the most challenging exercises out there. So, if you’re committed to building an impressive physique, planche push-ups are an excellent addition to your workout plan.
Overall, planche push-ups are undoubtedly worth it, but they’re not for everyone. If you’re someone who’s new to fitness or just starting on their fitness journey, it’s best to work on building your foundation strength before attempting this exercise. But if you’re someone who’s been working out for a while and looking to challenge yourself, planche push-ups are a great way to do it. With patience and consistent practice, you’ll be performing planche push-ups like a pro in no time.
Benefits of Planche Push Ups
The Planche push up is an advanced calisthenics exercise that is performed with the body held parallel to the ground, supported only by the hands in a planche position. This exercise requires a combination of strength, flexibility, and body control. Here are some of the benefits of adding Planche push ups to your workout routine:
- Increased upper body strength: Planche push ups target the muscles in the shoulders, chest, and triceps, which can lead to increased upper body strength. This exercise also engages the core muscles and lower back, improving overall stability and balance.
- Improved body control: Performing Planche push ups requires a high level of body control and coordination. By mastering this exercise, you can improve your control over your body and movements, which can translate to other physical activities.
- Enhanced flexibility: To perform a Planche push up, you need to have a high level of flexibility in your wrists, shoulders, and hips. Regular practice of this exercise can help improve your flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.
Muscles worked during Planche push ups
Planche push ups are a challenging exercise that requires tremendous upper body strength, stability, and control. This exercise targets several muscle groups in the upper body and core. Here are the muscles worked during planche push ups:
- Shoulders – The shoulders are the primary muscles worked during planche push ups. The anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, and front portion of the shoulder blades are targeted during this exercise.
- Chest – The chest muscles, particularly the pectoralis major, are also heavily engaged during planche push ups. As you lower your body towards the ground, the chest muscles are utilized to maintain proper form.
- Triceps – The triceps brachii muscles, located at the back of the upper arm, also play an important role in planche push ups. They assist the shoulders and chest muscles in lowering and pushing the body back up.
In addition to the upper body muscles, planche push ups also require significant core strength. The rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques work together to maintain a straight body position throughout the exercise.
Engaging all these muscle groups in a single exercise makes planche push ups an efficient and effective full-body workout.
Furthermore, planche push ups can be progressed and modified to target different muscle groups. For instance, performing planche push ups with your elbows tucked in targets the triceps more effectively, while widening your arms targets the chest muscles.
Overall, planche push ups are worth incorporating into your workout routine to improve upper body strength, stability, and control.
Tips for mastering Planche push ups
Planche push ups are an impressive feat of strength that require a significant amount of time and dedication to master. Here are some tips to take your planche push up game to the next level:
- Master the basic push up: Before attempting the planche push up, it’s important to have a solid foundation in the basic push up. Focus on maintaining proper form and gradually work towards increasing your overall strength.
- Incorporate planche progressions: Start with easier progressions such as tuck planches or advanced frog stands to build strength and get comfortable with the movement pattern.
- Strengthen your wrists: Planche push ups require a great deal of wrist strength and flexibility. Incorporate exercises like wrist curls and wrist extensions to build up the necessary strength and mobility.
Additionally, it’s important to be patient and consistent with your training. Planche push ups are not an easy feat to accomplish and it may take several months or even years to achieve mastery. However, with the right mindset and training program, it is possible to achieve impressive strength and control in this challenging exercise.
If you’re looking for a more structured approach to mastering planche push ups, consider working with a qualified personal trainer or joining a gymnastics or calisthenics class.
| Planche Progression | Description |
|---|---|
| Tuck Planche | Start in a crouched position with your hands on the ground. Slowly shift your weight forward, lifting your feet off the ground and tucking your knees towards your chest. |
| Advanced Frog Stand | Begin in a frog stand position with your hands on the ground and knees resting on your elbows. Slowly straighten your arms and lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your hands. |
| Straddle Planche | From a tucked planche position, slowly straighten your legs out to the sides, creating a straddle position. |
By following these tips and incorporating planche progressions into your training program, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this challenging exercise.
Variations of Planche Push-Ups
Planche push-ups are a notoriously difficult bodyweight exercise that requires considerable core strength, upper body strength, and proper form. This exercise not only strengthens your shoulders, chest, and triceps but also improves your balance and overall athleticism. However, it’s important to understand that this move comes in different variations, each demanding different levels of strength and skill.
- Tuck Planche – This is the easiest variation of the planche push-up. In this exercise, you simply lift your feet off the ground, tucking them underneath and perpendicular to your hips. This move helps to develop the necessary core and upper-body strength required for harder variations.
- Advanced Tuck Planche – Here, you’ll need to lift your feet higher off the ground, so they’re roughly knee-height, and you’ll need to lean forward to shift the center of gravity. This is more challenging than the tuck planche and demands greater coordination and balance.
- Straddle Planche – Here, you’ll lift your legs apart like a V-shape, which eliminates some of the counterbalance and difficulty of the previous variation. You’ll also need considerable hip flexibility to perform this variation.
The hardest variations of the planche are the full planche and the Manna. Here the center of gravity is shifted almost completely forward while all of the bodyweight is being held up by the hands lifting from the ground.
As with any exercise, it’s important to understand your ability and limitations and choose the variation that’s suitable for your current level of strength and skill. Practicing the different variations of the planche can help you to progress towards harder variations, develop dynamic strength, and improve overall body control.
Common mistakes to avoid when doing Planche push ups
Planche push ups are one of the most challenging, yet rewarding exercises that one can perform, but in order to effectively perform them, it is crucial to avoid some common mistakes. Below are some of the common mistakes to avoid when doing planche push ups:
- Incorrect hand placement: Hand placement is extremely important during planche push ups, as it can greatly affect your ability to maintain the position. It is important to make sure that your hands are placed correctly and that your fingers are spread wide apart for maximum stability.
- Maintaining a rounded back: Keeping your back rounded during planche push ups can lead to a reduced range of motion, as well as decreased stability. It is important to keep your back straight by engaging your core, which will allow you to maintain the proper form throughout the exercise.
- Not engaging your core: Engaging your core during planche push ups is crucial for maintaining stability and preventing injuries. Make sure to activate your core muscles by pulling them in towards your spine throughout the exercise.
- Improper shoulder placement: Your shoulder position during planche push ups is crucial for maximizing your stability and achieving the proper form. Make sure to keep your shoulders pulled back and down as you perform the exercise.
- Jumping into the exercise: Starting planche push ups by jumping into the position can lead to improper form and reduced effectiveness of the exercise. Instead, make sure to slowly and intentionally move into the position, while engaging your core and keeping your hands and shoulders in the correct position.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will be able to perform planche push ups more effectively and safely, while maximizing the benefits of this challenging exercise.
How do Planche push ups compare to other exercises?
Planche push ups are a challenging dynamic strength exercise that requires significant upper body and core strength, balance, and control. But how do they compare to other exercises that target similar muscle groups and movements?
Advantages of Planche Push Ups
- Greater Core Activation: Planche push ups engage the abs and lower back muscles more than standard push ups or other upper body exercises, due to the need to maintain stability and balance in the plank position.
- Improves Shoulder Stability: Planche push ups require a high degree of shoulder strength and stability, which can help reduce the risk of shoulder injuries and improve overall shoulder health.
- Closed Chain Movement: Planche push ups are a closed chain exercise where the hands or feet are fixed to the ground, making it a more functional exercise that mimics everyday activities like pushing, lifting, and pulling.
Disadvantages of Planche Push Ups
While planche push ups have several advantages, there are also some potential downsides to consider:
- Steep Learning Curve: Planche push ups can be difficult to learn due to the need to develop significant upper body strength, balance, and control before attempting the full exercise.
- High Risk of Injury: Planche push ups place a lot of stress on the upper body joints, particularly the wrists and shoulders, which can lead to injury if proper form and technique are not used.
- Not Suitable for Everyone: Due to the high level of strength and skill required, planche push ups may not be suitable for beginners or individuals with certain medical conditions or injuries.
Planche Push Ups vs. Other Exercises
So how do planche push ups compare to other exercises that target similar muscle groups and movements? Here’s a comparison:
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Difficulty Level | Risk of Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planche Push Ups | Shoulders, Chest, Triceps, Core | Very Difficult | High |
| Diamond Push Ups | Chest, Triceps | Intermediate | Low-Moderate |
| Dumbbell Flys | Chest, Front Shoulders, Triceps | Easy-Intermediate | Low |
| Plank | Core, Shoulders, Upper Back | Easy | Low |
Overall, planche push ups are a very challenging exercise that require significant upper body and core strength, balance, and control. While they have several advantages over other exercises in terms of core activation and shoulder stability, they also pose a high risk of injury and may not be suitable for everyone. As with any exercise, it’s important to use proper form and technique and progress gradually to avoid injury and maximize benefits.
Incorporating Planche Push Ups into Your Workout Routine
If you are looking for a new challenge to add to your workout routine, planche push ups are worth considering. They are a bodyweight exercise that involves lifting your feet off the ground and holding your body in a parallel position to the floor. This exercise targets your core, shoulders, triceps, and chest all at the same time.
- Start Slow: Planche push ups are an advanced exercise, and it is important to start slowly. Begin by practicing the proper form and technique before progressing to the full planche push up.
- Focus On Core Strength: A strong core is essential for holding your body parallel to the ground. Incorporate exercises such as planks and hollow holds into your workout routine to build your core strength.
- Incorporate Planche Progressions: There are various progressions you can incorporate into your workout routine to work your way up to a full planche push up. These include tuck planches, straddle planches, and advanced tuck planches.
Once you have built up enough strength and mastered the proper form, you can start incorporating planche push ups into your workout routine. However, it is important to note that they should not be the only exercise you perform.
| Exercise | Muscles Targeted |
|---|---|
| Planche push ups | Core, shoulders, triceps, chest |
| Planks | Core |
| Hollow holds | Core |
| Push ups | Chest, triceps, shoulders |
| Pike push ups | Shoulders, chest, triceps |
Incorporating planche push ups into your workout routine can provide a new challenge and target multiple muscle groups at once, but it is important to do so safely and with proper understanding of the exercise.
Are Planche Push Ups Worth It?
What is a planche push up?
A planche push up is a type of push up where you support your body entirely on your hands, with your feet off the ground.
What are the benefits of planche push ups?
Planche push ups improve your upper body strength, balance, and core stability. They also help to develop your shoulder and arm muscles.
Are planche push ups easy to do?
No, planche push ups are an advanced exercise that requires significant upper body strength and skill. They take time and dedication to master.
How can I work up to doing planche push ups?
Start with simpler exercises to build your upper body strength, such as regular push ups, pike push ups, and handstand holds. Then progress to planche leans, tuck planches, and straddle planches before attempting the full planche push up.
Are planche push ups safe to do?
Planche push ups can be safe when performed correctly with proper form and technique. However, they should only be attempted by those with a good level of upper body strength and skill.
Are planche push ups worth the effort?
Yes, if you are looking to challenge yourself and develop impressive upper body strength and control, planche push ups are worth the effort. They are a unique and impressive exercise that few people can do.
Closing Thoughts
Thanks for reading about whether planche push ups are worth it! Remember, planche push ups are an advanced exercise that take time, dedication, and proper form to master safely. However, if you are up for the challenge, planche push ups can be a rewarding way to develop impressive upper body strength and skill. Come back soon for more fitness tips and advice!