Exercise guide
Elbow Planche
- Advanced
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Chest
- Lower arms
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Waist
The Elbow Planche is an advanced static hold that develops extreme core strength and shoulder stability by balancing the body horizontally while resting the torso on the elbows. It serves as a foundational progression for the full planche, emphasizing total body tension and isometric control.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Primary
Equipment
Setup
- Place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, with fingers pointed slightly outward to reduce wrist strain.
- Kneel down and tuck your elbows firmly into your lower abdomen or the insides of your hip bones.
- Lean your torso forward, shifting your weight onto your hands while keeping your forearms as vertical as possible.
How to do it
- Exhale and engage your core as you lean further forward until your center of gravity shifts and your feet naturally lift off the ground.
- Slowly extend your legs backward into a straight line, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings to maintain a horizontal plane parallel to the floor.
- Hold the position for the desired duration, maintaining steady, shallow breaths while keeping the entire body rigid.
- Lower your feet back to the floor with control to exit the movement.
Form checklist
- Keep elbows tucked tightly into the torso to create a stable 'shelf'.
- Maintain a straight line from head to heels without arching the lower back.
- Protract your shoulders by actively pushing away from the floor.
- Keep your neck neutral, looking at a point about 6 inches in front of your hands.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'digging' your elbows into your hip bones to create a mechanical advantage for your core.
- Actively grip the floor with your fingertips to assist with balance and increase forearm engagement.
- Master the 'Tuck Elbow Planche' (knees to chest) before attempting to extend the legs fully.
Make it harder
- Slowly move the elbows away from the center of the body to decrease the leverage advantage.
- Perform the hold on parallettes or blocks to increase the range of motion and balance difficulty.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the elbow planche work?
- The elbow planche primarily targets the hamstrings and trapezius, and also works the biceps, forearms, grip muscles, serratus anterior, and triceps as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the elbow planche?
- The elbow planche requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the elbow planche good for beginners?
- The elbow planche is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Crocodile CrawlAdvanced · abs, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
- InchwormIntermediate · abs, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
- Burpee Over The DumbbellIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- Burpee ShuffleIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps