Full Planche

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place your hands on the floor or parallettes slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Rotate your hands slightly outward (about 45 degrees) to alleviate wrist pressure and improve shoulder external rotation.
3. Lock your elbows completely and protract your shoulder blades by pushing the floor away to create a rounded upper back.
4. Lean your torso forward so your shoulders move well ahead of your wrists, shifting your center of mass.

How to do it

1. Inhale and brace your entire core, glutes, and legs to create a rigid, hollow-body shape.
2. Lift your feet off the ground and extend your legs straight back until they are perfectly parallel to the floor.
3. Squeeze your inner thighs together and point your toes to maintain a straight line from head to heel.
4. Hold the position for the desired duration using shallow, controlled breaths while maintaining maximum full-body tension.

Form checklist

• Elbows must remain perfectly locked with no micro-bend throughout the hold.
• Shoulder blades should be fully protracted (pushed forward) and depressed (pushed down).
• Hips must stay level with the shoulders, avoiding any sagging or piking at the waist.
• Glutes and quads must be fully contracted to prevent the legs from dropping below the horizontal plane.

Pro tips

• Think about 'screwing' your hands into the floor to create external rotation torque, which stabilizes the shoulder joint and engages the lats.
• Focus on the 'lean'—the further forward you lean your shoulders, the more leverage you create to keep the lower body elevated.
• Film yourself from the side to ensure your body is perfectly horizontal; what feels flat often requires a deeper lean than expected.

Make it harder

• Planche Push-ups: Lower your chest toward the floor and push back up while maintaining the horizontal planche line throughout the entire range of motion.
• Maltese Press: Gradually widen your hand placement to transition toward a Maltese position, significantly increasing the load on the pectorals and shoulders.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the full planche work?

The full planche primarily targets the abs, lats, obliques, pectorals, and triceps, and also works the deltoids, erector spinae, grip muscles, rhomboids, and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the full planche?

The full planche requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the full planche good for beginners?

The full planche is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Behind The Head Ball SlamIntermediate · abs, calves, lats, obliques, and pectorals
• Parsva Balasana Yoga PoseBeginner · abs, erector spinae, lats, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• Plank Push-Up RowAdvanced · abs, lats, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• Ring Extended PlankAdvanced · abs, lats, obliques, pectorals, and serratus anterior