How to Learn the Planche
The full planche is a horizontal hold on straight arms with your whole body straight and parallel to the floor. It is one of the hardest and most iconic calisthenics skills, built through years of straight-arm pushing strength.
Planche technique
- Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width
- Lock your elbows and keep your arms straight
- Push the floor away and round your upper back slightly
- Lean forward until your shoulders move well past your wrists
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes
- Keep your hips level with your shoulders
- Keep your legs straight with pointed toes
- End the hold as soon as your hips start to drop
Key progressions
These are the main building blocks you work on before the Planche feels solid:
- Straddle Planche Hold
- Band-Assisted Planche Hold
- Band-Assisted Straddle Planche Push-Up
The 3-stage training path
In Raw Control the Planche is split into Training 1 → 2 → 3. Each stage is a structured session of four exercises:
Training 1
- Wide Planche Lean Hold
- Band-Assisted Straddle Planche Push-Up
- Band-Assisted Planche Hold
- Hollow Body Planche Raise
Training 2
- Planche Lean Switch
- Band-Assisted Straddle Planche Push-Up
- Band-Assisted Planche Hold
- Band-Assisted Planche Body Lift
Training 3
- Planche Lean Push-Up
- Band-Assisted Planche Lift
- Band-Assisted Planche Hold
- Band-Assisted Planche Body Lift
Exact sets, reps, hold times and rest periods, plus a full-screen HD video for every exercise, are in the app.
Where the Planche fits
Each skill line runs through all three levels. This is the path for the Planche:
More expert skills
Train the Planche with Raw Control
Every training comes with exact sets, holds and rest times, a full-screen HD coaching video for each exercise, warm-ups and offline downloads.
General fitness information only. Warm up properly, train within your ability and stop if you feel pain. Read the Health & Safety Disclaimer.