Planche practicing

So i used my (homemade) parallettes today at the end of my workout. I started with some push-ups, then did some reps where (with my feet on a plyo box) I would lean way

forward on the parallettes and then rock back. I tried a few (with feet supported) to do the leaning hold for time. Then a light bulb went on and I grabbed my Slingshot

(howmuchyabench.net) and used that. It helped me stay a little tighter and gave a

little support so that I was able to do a leaning hold for 5-6 seconds. I did this 3-4 times. The attached pics show the position I was in.. I was focusing on keeping my

ars straight.. One pic they look a tad bent.. sorry for the pics being out of focus..

You need a lot more time soon foundation work. Not to be mean but there are quite a few things there that need fixing. Your basic body positioning and form are all off. No news to rush this, especially considering the PL focus.

Ya, it seems like you skipped quite a few steps of the progression. poor form --> back to basics

no problem with the criticism.. wouldn't of put up the pics if I didn't expect it... Will work on fixing teh form issues...

F1 will get you to a decent straddle planche.  I would stick with those progressions.  Learning the planche is a long hike, not a sprint. Your joints will need time to adapt.

BTW using the slingshot will be nearly impossible to do with a good form planche.  The protraction of the shoulders keep you pushed and locked in the correct position.  The sling shot works by using the  retraction to create a passive force which is key for bench press.  This retraction and sort of relaxation would be bad form on the planche.  

Dan, thanks for your point regarding the slingshot. I am taking all the form points and progression comments to work on while I continue to try this. I see a great benefit to stressing / strengthening my shoulders

This is a great place to start:

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/5959-scapula-position-for-basic-and-static-exercises/

An even better place to start is getting F1 where it's all laid out step by step

so how does a protracted scapular position provide a stable position for the planche.   Just trying to understand the "science" behind the correct position for this movement.

thx

Generally speaking, you want to generate force in the opposite direction from where gravity would bring if you were not tense. In the case of a planche, without tension, your body would sag towards the ground relative to where your scapula would be fixed which would imitate retraction, so you would want to protract.

The same could be said for front lever, back lever, etc. The exceptions exist a little bit in movements like maltese and victorian.

so by retracting my scapula for stability, as when I do when I bench press, I am actually pulling myself into a position that is less stable for a planche cause i am pushing myself opposite of the direction I really want my body to go...

did that make sense...

Sort of ... Best not to compare that concept when it comes to planche and bench press since one is closed chain and one is open chain. 

moustache1023 said:

so how does a protracted scapular position provide a stable position for the planche.   Just trying to understand the "science" behind the correct position for this movement.

 

thx

Serratus anterior activation, to stabilize the scapula in a very low leverage position. It also keeps the shoulder socket centered on the force transmitted through the head of the humerus. A retracted position ends up placing that stress more on the posterior labrum, which is no good. You want that joint stacking at the shoulder.

Competition bench press is a bit different, because of the hand width, arch, short ROM,  and completely different mechanics (open kinetic chain vs closed chain, center of mass below the hands vs center of mass above the hands, etc)  used. In this, the retracted position benefits you.

With planche,  there's nothing but muscle stabilizing your scapulae. In bench press, the bench is doing a lot of that for you. You need serratus to be active.