Exercises to increase scapular depression for planche

Hey guys, while training PL/SE3 & SE4 positions, I recently took a really close look at my form and noticed my protraction is pretty much spot on, but my depression is insufficient.

What exercises would you recommend to iron out this deficit?

I find it very hard to depress when leaning into the planche hold, this is limiting my progress greatly, as it reduces my leverage, especially when the lean increases for more difficult progressions. Any tips to properly activate the lower traps which depress the scaps before beginning the hold?

Thanks for your input.

Zach Armijo said:

Unfortunately since you are just now noticing this problem this late in your Planche progression, this should have been addressed during your Planche Leans. Go back to those and make sure they are rock solid with the depression. Then work your way up to elevated leans, etc... Planche bounces are also an exercise done quite poorly which addresses the depression aspect quite nicely as you will not be able to get a nice lift and "floating" feeling with anything less than depressed scaps.

Thanks Zach, I will try incorporating the bounces for a while and see if that helps.

My planche lean is excellent though.

Should you feel your pecs working alot during planche work while having correct depression?

Im just trying to work out how it should feel when fully depressed and the feet are in the air. For me, everything changes when the legs come up. I dont experience difficulty maintaining it during the lean. The activation comes more naturally.

Do you think shrugging in a dip position (weighted) would help for activation purposes?

if you strongly protract you should feel cramp in the lower lateral part of chest since the little chest works a lot for improve protraction helping the serratus anterior. actually if i'm fatigued with cross or maltese training and i do my cooldown with tuck planche or pl leans I can start feeling cramps in this region.

Zach Armijo said:

Sometimes ill feel my pecs, but not a lot. Only when I do them on rings, but that is from the work against ring separation and stability.

 

You are better off working longer sets of elevated leans. If you are having a problem of depression when your feet leave the ground, it could be a matter of not leaning far enough.

In yesterdays session I increased the lean and locked the abs harder while focussing on depression (PL/SE4 & Leans). The form was significantly better immediately and boy, my traps and upper back are quite sore today

the biggest problem of he depression in planche is that the lats activation is made against no force so it is hard to feel it correctly. when you do it on L-sit you tend to have the shoulders on elevation so by activating traps and lats you can resist to force of gravity. during planche this does not happen since it is an horizontal lever. the only solution is train the depression specifically with previous PE's.

Alessandro Mainente said:

the biggest problem of he depression in planche is that the lats activation is made against no force so it is hard to feel it correctly. when you do it on L-sit you tend to have the shoulders on elevation so by activating traps and lats you can resist to force of gravity. during planche this does not happen since it is an horizontal lever. the only solution is train the depression specifically with previous PE's.

So Alessandro do you recommend training PE's with just focusing on depression or depression together with lat squeeze?

I recommend also this variation, very dam useful also on every singles PL element to improve depression. you need and elastic band and a stallbar or something where you can wrap it around.

the bands should be moved behind the upper arm closer to the armpit and then wrapped around the stallbarrl or a pole at the same height as in the body in this way your shoulders are forced to elevated and you have to counter move them in depression.

i used to do that with mu kids by pulling  with my hands their shoulders forward.

J0X said:

... My planche lean is excellent though ...

Probably not.  The current issues with your planche suggest otherwise.  Post video for review.

It is good and helpful that Alex is providing some supplemental movements, however these will also amount to little if they are not performed correctly.

There is no solution for poor basics besides going back and remastering the basics properly.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer