Different types of Planche Training

One thing I have wondered about, and never really got an answer, is how different types of training can affect how long it takes to reach a goal. In the Planche for instance how much longer or shorter do you think it would take from starting with your legs straight but arms bent and gradually trying to straighten your arms? or instead using weights primarily and then attempting to transfer the strength over?

I see alot of people trying to obtain the same skill all using different methods and am just curious to the merit in each one. Is there one "best" way or are there many paths to the same goal?

in order to achieve straight arm strength, you must train with straight arms.

i think it would be almost useless to try to do a bent arm straight body planche as a first step to train for a straight arm straigh body planche.

Like tsOOnami said, straight arm planche->straight arm work...

If you'll work with bent arm, you'll demolish your back position, beacuse in straight arm planche is diffrent mass center and therefore diffrent trasimitions of weight on your body...And second thing, muscles work diffrently in bent and straight arm work...

I actually agree I was just wondering if it was even possible. I didnt consider what the back would be doing in a straight arm vs bent arm though. Interesting.

I have also seen a progression system where you would start in a handstand position with toes to wall and over time walk your hands forward until eventually you are in a planche position (first straddled, and then straight). I believe this is slightly less effiecient than Coach's method since you don't specifically work the relevany shoulder angle through all progressions!?

Dominic Lacasse also had some interesting variations:

> http://www.metacafe.com/watch/347175/acrobatic_3_the_planche/ (should be work/family safe)

George.

Ido put an interesting post about planche training methods as well.

http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=934

The gist of this particular post was from advanced tuck planche, Slowly descend into a bent arm straddle and then push back up into tuck planche. So this was utilizing a bit of straight and bent arm strength together. I guess there are many ways to do it...

P.S. Here's a vid of me trying to do just that

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TCUwVDEYH4Y

I prefer using combined workout with diffrent exercises!!!!

Demus, the mechanical advantage set is not intended for development of the planche static position, but for the development of a correct planche push up. It should be combined with static holds in the planche position for extended periods of time in order to fully develop both abilities.

In gymnastics you do not only work the ability to hold a planche, but to press to it, swing to it, lower to it, press from it, and more.

I am not a gymnast, but in my training I also train on jumping into it, quickly extending into it, pressing into it one leg at a time, holding it while moving the legs in various ways, etc.

This kind of control calls for a different aproach than just developing the position itself, and this is why you will often see gymnasts using many different exercises for full planche domination.

Ido.

You can lower it from the handstand and bounce in the hold position from the elastic band beck to the handstand :roll: Of course you must regulate height of elastic and how much is on pressure elastic (more pressure->more easly bounce).

more exercises:

1. swing dip to planche on p.bars(lower in front support and rise in back bent arm support to the sraight arm planche)->straddle/piked/legs toghether

2. just swing to planche on p. bars->straddle/piked/legs toghether

3. from L-seat or V-seat push with straight arms to ->straddle/piked/legs toghether planche

4. turning hips in planche position like tsOOnami recomended 8) (very cool exercise, i was supprised how much pressure is on body core)

5....and much more

Thanks, these are all good ideas for developing it. The two other methods I've been utilizing are the germans Coach Sommer posted awhile ago and trying to pull into it from a straddle l-sit, along with static holds of course.

I've got the advandce tuch planche pretty good now. Can hold it for about 20 sec and perform some good pushups in it. So I'm hoping for a straddle early in the new year.

I asked Mark Rif on the dragondoor.com forum how he achieved his planche, as he is someone who could "planche for days", and he said that, other than just doing gymnastics all day everyday, he started with the straddle planche. He said something along the lines of you would just lean over into the straddle planche and fall on your face, and then you'd get up and try it again, and then one day, you'd just hold it for a second or two, and then you'd fall on your face, and eventually, you could just do it longer and longer . Keep in mind these are not exact quotes, but pretty close.

He has also said that he doesn't understand the 60 second holds for the progressions. He believes you would get there faster if you only used 10 seconds or so. His logic is that in gymnastics competition, you must only hold a strength move for 2 seconds, so why use much more than that?

Just another view, hope it helps!

There have been posts suggesting that the sixty second hold is used as more of a test to move onto the next progression, rather than a daily workout, and that you should use reps of shorter durations for each stage of the progression. I've got about a 25-30 second max for tuck plance, but when I work on it, I do 4 reps of 15 seconds each for the total time of 60 seconds.

The sixty second recommendation is fine for the easier variations. However, as you progress onward to more difficult variations you will of necessity need to lower the duration of the static holds. The one caveat that will remain is that you will still be shooting for 60 seconds, but now it will be a 60 second total aggregate set rather than one set of 60 seconds.

Examples of an aggregate set could be 12 x 5 sec static holds or 10 x 6 seconds or 6 x 10 seconds or 5 x 12 seconds or 4 x 15 seconds etc. At this point it is the total duration volume that is being managed, more so than the duration of an individual set.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach,

For the planche progression, you've suggested moving to the advanced tuck planche once you can hold the tuck planche for 60 seconds. Do you recommend the same criteria for moving from the advanced tuck to the straddle or should we shoot for a max hold of 45 or 30 seconds, while still maintaing a total aggregate set of 60 seconds when we practice?

Mark,

If I remember correctly, in Coach Sommers article he mentions being able to hold the advanced tuck planche for 60 seconds in one set before moving on. This said, I am sure I have read Coach Sommer say 60 seconds isn't always absolutely essential before moving on (one set).

Hope this helps.

Evolution of Static Durations

When my very first article was written years ago, I based my duration recommendations on the fact that for my youngest athletes the tuck planche was a relatively simple element for them to perform. As the years have progressed, it has become readily apparent that this is not the case for most fitness enthusiasts. That being said, I still prefer for fitness enthusiasts to demonstrate at least a 15 sec tuck planche prior to moving on to the advanced tuck planche.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks gymrob,

That's what I thought too, just wanted to verify.

mark