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I’ve always been a bit of a calisthenics freak. So when I first came across the phrase ‘planche lean’ a few years ago. Let’s just say I was a little more than curious to learn more about it.
Turns out, it’s a pretty awesome exercise that goes way beyond the limits of a standard pushup.
Better still, it’s an essential progression for mastering inhuman feats of strength like the full planche.
Now, if you’ve been in the calisthenics game for a while, then you’re probably more than familiar with the planche lean.
And you’re probably also aware of the amazing benefits this unique exercise can offer.
But if you’re new to the idea of this exercise, let me quickly enlighten you on what exactly it entails.
On the surface, the planche lean basically looks like a modified version of the top of a pushup. But if you’ve yet to try it, then let me just say that you’re in for a shock to the system.
Why?
Because the planche lean is pretty damn hard.
So hard, in fact. That I’d be willing to bet my left nut that the average unskilled exercise enthusiast would fall flat on their face if they ever attempted it.
Which is why in today’s blog post, I’m bringing my A-game and reeling off my best-kept secrets on how to master this one of a kind exercise.
I won’t lie. There’ll be a bit of a learning curve to getting your form down and executing this exercise correctly.
But I guarantee that by the time you’re done reading, you’ll be equipped with the in-depth knowledge to tackle this beast of a move head on.
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Table of Contents
Correct Set Up For The Planche Lean
Now, to the untrained eye, the planche lean basically looks like the top of a pushup position with a forward lean.
But if you dive a little deeper into the body mechanics of this exercise. You’ll realize that there’s actually a lot more going on.
Hand Position
So the first point of focus I’m going to talk about is hand position.
It might not seem like a big deal at first, but the location of your hands can be the difference between progressing quickly…
…Or, not at all.
Now, there are 3 types of hand positions you can adopt…
The first is fingers forward…
…Second is fingers backward.
And the third is somewhere in between with your fingers facing outward.
But which is better?
Well, it depends…
A lot of people will preach that the ideal hand position is to have your fingers facing forward because it makes the exercise a little easier. This is mainly due to the counter flexion you get from your wrists.
However, the problem is that most people don’t generally have enough flexibility in their wrist to lean forward enough to make this exercise effective.
So unless you’re already extremely flexible in this department, then it’s not really going to benefit you.
Now, the other option is to point your fingers backward as this eliminates any stress on the wrists.
But again, this presents another problem.
Because not only does this hand position create more stress on the elbow joint. It’s also ineffective if you want to progress to more advanced exercises like handstands, tuck holds, or (if you dare to dream) the full planche.
So what I’d recommend you do instead is finding a happy medium between the two and point slightly outward.
The exact position of the hands will vary from person to person. But ideally, you should aim to point your fingers out at around a 30-45 degree angle.
This should eliminate most, if not all of the stress on your wrists while allowing you to practice proper technique.
Scapula Position
So the next thing you’ll need to focus on is the position of your scapula while executing this exercise.
If you’re unfamiliar with the scapula, it’s basically the flat bone at the back of your shoulder. More commonly known as the shoulder blades.
Now there are 4 ways you can move your scapula, which include…
- Protraction (pulling your shoulder blades forward and away from each other)
- Retraction (squeezing your shoulder blades together)
- Depression (pulling your shoulder blades down)
- Elevation (pushing your shoulder blades upwards)
Here’s what each one looks like…
Why is this important?
Because this position of your scapula during the planche lean will ultimately determine how effectively you engage the right muscles.
And in time, this is what’s going to help you build the strength to progress to more advanced exercises in the future.
So what’s the correct position to execute this move correctly?
The short answer is that the scapula should be protracted and depressed.
Meaning you should aim to push your shoulder blades both forwards and down simultaneously.
What this does is create the necessary hollow body position to correctly engage the muscles in the core.
Not only that, but it places more tension on both the front deltoids and chest, which is what’s going to help you maintain your position against the natural forces of gravity.
A great exercise to practice alongside this is the regular hollow body exercise because this will give you a clear indication of how the planche lean should feel on your core when executed correctly.
Not to mention it’s also a kick-ass exercise anyway.
Elbow Position
Last up, I want to touch on a few key points about elbow positioning.
Now without going into too much detail, there are really only two things you need to do to ensure a perfect planche lean.
They are…
- Elbows fully locked out
- Pits of the elbows facing forward
Now, the reason you elbows need to be fully locked out is to again maintain the tension in the body that we talked about earlier.
And the simplest way to do this is to rotate your arms slightly, so the pits of your elbows are facing forward.
Once you adopt this position, you’ll find that it’s way easier to keep your elbows fully locked out as you lean forward into the exercise.
Not only that, but it also helps strengthen the connective tissue in your elbow joint if you practice consistently.
If you’re finding it difficult, a quick tip is to make sure your thumbs are pointing directly in from of you. This will naturally create the correct hand position to allow the pits of your elbows to face forward.
WATCH VIDEO: Discover How To Build Huge Slabs Of Muscle, Extreme Power, And The Ripped Body Of A Spartan Warrior Using Nothing More Than A Bar And Your Own Bodyweight…
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Performing The Planche Lean
Now, executing this move is relatively straightforward.
All you’re going to do is get on your knees the same way you’d set up for a standard pushup.
Only this time, adopt a hand position with your fingers pointing slightly outward (30-45 degrees).
Once your hands are in position, both protract and depress your scapula…
…And then lock your elbows out, making sure the pits of your elbows are facing forward.
Then it’s simply a case of removing your knees from the floor and slowly leaning forward until your hands are as close to your waist as you can.
Now, depending on your strength level, you might not be able to lean all the way forward, and that’s ok.
Just try to find a position that’s challenging, but not to the point where you can’t hold it for more than a few seconds.
Ideally, you should try and hold for anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. Rest briefly, and repeat for your desired number of sets.
Moving Beyond The Planche Lean
Now, the planche lean is a great progressive exercise. But to be honest, it’s only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to building the insane strength of a calisthenics warrior.
So if you’re looking to take your calisthenics game to an entirely new level. Then here a few exercises you can attempt when you’re ready to move onward and upward.
Elevated Planche Lean
This is basically the same exercise. Only now, you’ll want to place your feet on an elevated surface.
It sounds redundant, but this simple change places a lot more demand on both your front deltoids and core.
It’s also a great stepping stone to being able to perform the other progressions leading up to the full planche.
Tuck Planche
The tuck planche is the next logical, progressive step because now, you’ll be removing your feet from the floor completely.
Now, the thing you need to remember here is that it’s a lot harder to perform this exercise with your hands on the floor.
This is because you have to hinge at the hips to keep your feet from touching the ground. This again creates a lot more demand on the core and front deltoids and can sometimes be too much if you’re new to the exercises.
So if you’re struggling, I’d recommend performing this exercise on a set of parallel bars or parallettes.
This way, you’ll be able to slowly work on hinging at the hips until you’ve built up the strength to perform this exercise on the floor.
Pseudo Pushups
Pseudo pushups are basically pushups from a planche lean position.
It’s exactly the same setup. Only now, you’re going to add pushups to the mix.
What I’d recommend doing here is practicing really slow pushups so you can really feel your muscles engage as your work through each repetition.
You might need to adjust your hand position further towards your chest at first to make things a little easier.
Taking Your Planche Workout To The Next Level
So there you have it, folks, a bulletproof, highly effective way to start mastering the planche lean.
It looks simple, but I guarantee that if you practice this exercise consistently, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals sooner rather than later.
But here’s the thing…
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to calisthenics.
And giving you every single detail of every single progression is simply way too much to cover in a single blog post.
But if you’re hungry for more (or you just want the whole damn package), then I’d highly recommend checking out the Bar Brothers Program (see video)
WATCH VIDEO: Discover How To Build Huge Slabs Of Muscle, Extreme Power, And The Ripped Body Of A Spartan Warrior Using Nothing More Than A Bar And Your Own Bodyweight…
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Now, without going into too much detail, Bar Brothers is a 12-week calisthenics program designed to do just one thing…
And that my friend is to turn you into the ultimate calisthenics beast in the shortest time possible.
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Step 1:
Check out the Official Bar Brothers Website in the video link above.
Step 2:
Watch the promo video and if (and only if) you think this program could benefit you somehow. Go ahead and hit the ‘Add To Cart’ button on the Bar Brothers sales page.
Step 3:
Buy the program and get ready to rock and roll. Because you’re about to because one of the calisthenics elite.
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Anyway…
Hopefully, this post has provided you with some unique insights
into what you need to do to achieve your goals.
But if you have any thoughts on how this post could be improved…
…Or you just want to share your own calisthenics story.
Feel free to drop a comment below.
To your success…