Full Planche Is Impossible?

I read a comment on YouTube stating that some people, no matter how hard they train, may never be able to achieve a full planche in their lifetime due to genetics - that some people may not have been born with "enough" joints in their shoulders/elbows to ever achieve a full planche. That's why some people plateau at straddle planche for months/years and never see progress. Or they're just downright too heavy. Now I know there are stories of some heavy & successful acrobats, but they must have some amazing genetics to be able to do it. Maybe they were lighter when they learned those acrobatic moves, and then decided to bulk up.

http://youtu.be/teNSj09JL1g?t=2m4s

Full planche at 2:04.

I did not want to start a new thread on nutrition, but I just wanted to know how effective a diet is for planche training. I was talking to another guy and he claimed to achieve a four second full planche in 5 months, where as it took me twice as long to hold an almost decent planche for 3 seconds. He did tell me that his "joints were killing me" and that he should have been more patient and trained more slowly/carefully. He says it's not too bad anymore though.

I asked him what his diet consisted of and he told me that for joint health/strength he ate one apple and raw broccoli (he did not specify the amount, so I'll go with one cup) everyday and various fruits throughout the week. He also took a supplement called glucosamine sulfate. He did not specify the amount but I would probably start out with one serving a day and work my way up to two servings a day.

I've heard some successful full "planchers" say that it takes about 1 - 2 years, and once your past that threshold, it's likely you'll never get a full planche.

How valid do you think that theory and diet is? Of course this is all just pure speculation, so I just wanted to get your opinions.

EDIT:

It has come to my attention that he has a background in lifting weights (2x BW Bench Press) and 10 months of calisthenics prior to planche training, so it's only natural that he would progress more quickly towards the full planche. I don't have a background in lifting weights nor did I practice any of the static progression with ankle weights/weighted vest, so it's understandable that my progression would be slower.

I think the majority consensus (on this thread) is that when it comes to training for the full planche, diet does not really play a significant role in progressing quickly.

My advice is 1. stop watching youtube!..it's full of idiots who don't know what they are talking about! 2. diet has nothing to do with whether or not you can do a planche or not!...You need to train through the progressions marked out by coach sommer in his book. It takes as long as it takes providing you stay diligent and on top of your training. 3. This other guy just sounds as un-educated about the whole training, conditioning, diet, planche topics as you are. Please read through these forums and get some credible knowledge from the people who have experience in gymnastic training....you'll notice this site has an abundance of pro's. 4. ANYONE WHO IS FOCUSED ENOUGH CAN DO A PLANCHE!!...Even if their diet consisted of mcDonalds! eventually (providing their body doesn't shut down first!) their bodies will get used to the loading. It will just be at a much slower rate than a healthy eater.

Without individual evaluation, it's very hard to say.

Even so, I am of the opinion that most of those who have trouble with strength have serious holes in their development that need addressing, even if they don't realize it. It is almost certain that there is someone out there that simply can't do it, but I don't think there are very many.

As far as the diet goes, you want to be eating lots of green veggies, and plenty of other colors too when possible. They improve virtually everything that your body does from a biochemical perspective.

The glucosamine works for some and not for others. Seems to be 50/50.

As for my perspective on diet, the issue is that people aren't taking full advantage of the post-workout window and the potential muscle growth that can happen during this period.

I can't even remember how many people I have helped gain more muscle than they thought they could, and more strength too. It is primarily in nutrition, and I am definitely solidly in triple digits for real one-on-one experiences with this. I have yet to fail, but then again no one ever went for planche. Even so, I believe that most people simply aren't building what they need in the muscle department due to sub-optimal nutrition.

It may be harder for some people to achieve the planche but I don't believe a floor planche is beyond a dedicated fitness enthusiast. The amount of time it takes depends on how efficient you are in training it, genetic disposition, and beginning strength. I for one feel confident that I will be able to get full planche before 2014. I have a harder time with full lay positions because I used to do a lot of leg strength and have heavier legs. Even front and back lever are difficult. With the right dedication I'm pretty sure most the male population could achieve planche. I think it would be harder for women however though not impossible.

As for the diet... Thats crap. If you read any of the nutrition posts that Joshua Natterman has posted here you will see what really works. An apple and broccoli are not a recipe for planche. It takes dedicated training with the right amount of carbs and protein to replenish and rebuild the body for the next session.

It takes time to get these skills. Even longer if you aren't light and strong to begin with. I wouldn't give up after 2 years. If you aren't making progress revisit your training program.

I dont want to perpetuate this argument but I do have some more input as far as diet goes. I have a friend who is very strong and is very close to planche on rings. He just doesn't have great form. He eats fast food for at least one meal a day. Often right before we train. He is also very lean and muscular. Much moreso than I. Just an example of how some people can progress without the "perfect diet" not saying it wouldn't help.

The trouble is of course that it's completely untestable - if someone claims to be doing things as "right" as possible but isn't making the progress promised to them, we can all tell them they weren't "dedicated", or didn't "believe in themselves" or didn't really want it, or whatever else.

When people drop away because they were seeing no progress and decided not to waste their time any more, those who remain can look down their noses at them and mock their lack of perseverance and dedication, and tell themselves that in just a few more years they themselves will totally be able to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ like a boss. Definitely.

Then a few more years passes, and what then? Are they actually any better? More often than not, no.

To get a realistic handle on things, you need to step back and think about it a bit more. Think of how many people in total can hold a full planche for five seconds, or whatever it is you're hoping to achieve. Think of how many of them were ever in your circumstances - are they relevant examples or not? Did they start as children, are they far shorter and more heavily muscled than you can ever be? Are those things relevant, do you suppose, or can you overcome the disadvantages through emotional exertion and will power?

Look around a forum like this one and count how many people can do it vs. how many people are failing or have given up (dead workout logs?). Did they fail because they gave up, or did they give up because they realised it wasn't possible to achieve? How quickly is a planche actually achieved, when it is achieved? The only people I know who developed a planche in adulthood got it in a matter of weeks, or almost right away. Have you ever actually heard of someone learning it truly from scratch, over several years? Any case studies at all, or is it all just theory? Has anyone gone through the whole progression, really? Are all the people saying how great and infallible it is actual success stories or over-excited newcomers who are trying to motivate themselves? Why do so few people manage it, if anyone at all? Did they not enjoy the training? Seems unlikely, it's good fun. Did they not see any progress? If so, why? What mistake does everyone keep making? Something tangible and quantitative, not just a dismissive "cuz they didn't work hard" insult.

Do we suffer from a survivorship bias in communities like this one (and many other forums) where the proportion of "successful" people is massively higher than the general population, because most others either quit and stop posting or never got into it in the first place, and naturally successful ones gravitate towards it for company and fame? Do you think you're going to get a fair impression of average handbalancing possibilities from a specialist forum on the subject?

I don't have an answer to any of those questions - it's up to you. Personally I'm glad I gave up certain goals I had after however many years passed and, despite my best efforts, I was still nowhere near. What did they have that I didn't?

I'm far above average ability in a few different things, and I often read or hear people describing how others can achieve that as well. And I always just shake my head and think how neither I nor any of my "colleagues" actually did it that way. We just could, essentially. No bravado about blood, sweat & tears, or decades of training (do people forget they are going to age?). It was just natural for us. Sure, we refined it extensively and practised (more like playing, when it's that natural) at great length, but it was never gruelling and never in doubt. It was inevitable.

just some stuff to think about.

From this you can come to a positive/encouraging conclusion just as easily and reasonably as a negative/discouraging one. Just be realistic.

^That's pretty deep. I was referring to people that achieved a full planche in their late teens or early adulthood. And I don't think I have come across a post in the GB forum where someone in that age group was successfully able to do a full planche other than mine (not trying to brag because my form is not perfect.) Because there should definitely be a sticky for people who successfully achieve a full planche!

By the way did someone delete my response to bio-mechanix because it violated some rule(s)?

Daniel Burnham said:

I dont want to perpetuate this argument but I do have some more input as far as diet goes. I have a friend who is very strong and is very close to planche on rings. He just doesn't have great form. He eats fast food for at least one meal a day. Often right before we train. He is also very lean and muscular. Much moreso than I. Just an example of how some people can progress without the "perfect diet" not saying it wouldn't help.

How long has your friend been doing gymnastics and when did he start to specifically train for the planche? Can he do a full planche on both floor and p-bars? I did not follow a "perfect diet". I was just wondering that if I had followed a specific diet, then I would have progressed much quicker.

Emos, you are understating the value of consistency and dedication. Do you think the average joe in our day and age has what it takes to become succesful in training? To work their skills day in day out, ever working on refining them? No. The average joe doesn't know what it means to put in work like that. Of course, there are the people who have what it takes, but they have other priorities and that's perfectly fine.

Do you really think the general public has any idea on how to train? There may be 'survivorship bias' as you define it, but do not think that the training methods do not improve our percentage of success.

What it comes down to is that you're severely underestimating just how plastic our body is. Over the past few months I've learned a boatload of physiology and the human body just keeps on amazing me. Did you know that if you chronically stimulate a fast muscle (geared for force production), it will completely morph into a slow muscle (geared for pure endurance)? That's amazing. I'm not saying there isn't a genetic limit to what we can do. It's just that you make it seem like we can't achieve anything, and that's not true.

And hell, if a seventy-year old man can achieve a full lay front lever, a young guy like me should have a fair shot, no?

It's ok i got your response before someone (moderator) deleted it. I apologise for sounding brash, but just because i am new to the forum does not make me a novice in physical fitness and training!?....If Paul Chek was new to the forum he would probably out do most of the people as far as knowledge of bio-mechanics, nutrition, conditioning etc on this website. Which begs the question if i had been a moderator, would you have respected my opinion more!? Anyway, your original comment made it sound as if you were trying to figure out why you and some others weren't progressing in planche variations. Nutrition does have an important part in muscle recovery and growth. Getting the right amount of carbs and proteins is essential for the MOST BENEFICIAL effect. BUT someone who does the same training as you who eats lots of pastry, fast food and man made crap won't NOT be able to do a planche!, he just won't get there as quickly as you will, nor will they feel healthy and generally be in a good state of health. You then said that a guy you spoke to said that he could do it but his joints were killing him. This is why coach has a steady state cycle!!....So that your tendons/muscles get used to the over and underloading of the variation you are progressing through. Even if you find it easy, you may find the next variation considerably harder because your body hasn't gained the strength necessary to do it. I didn't mean you were un-educated in general at all. But the fact that you even started this thread shows a considerable lack of knowledge behind the science of training for anything in general.

However if you do feel like you have reached a plateau in your training.....perhaps regress back to an earlier progression and really hone in on your weak areas!?

I am working through the progressions myself and no i can't do a full planche but i am progressing considerably quickly i started the program from the advanced frog stand and i'm on my second cycle now and i'm on the planche tuck. I have seen your link and it looks very impressive. As a full time sport therapist, i replied to your comment with the most scientific and factual based info i could do.

But i apologise if i came down abit heavy.

cheers

Do you think the average joe in our day and age has what it takes to become succesful in training?

Absolutely not.

To work their skills day in day out, ever working on refining them?

If they enjoy this sort of thing, sure. I don't know about you, but I really like it. People who don't - well it's just not for them in the first place. I train because I enjoy it - it takes no specific dedication on my part. Or at least not as I understand the word. I suppose we could say that while incidentally dedicated, I do not dedicate myself. An active process, you see.

But everyone deals with this sort of thing differently, and I don't mean to argue about it.

The average joe doesn't know what it means to put in work like that.

What kind of work are we talking about, a few hours per week at the very most, at the level most of us are at? It's hardly a big hardship.

Of course, there are the people who have what it takes, but they have other priorities and that's perfectly fine.

Do you really think the general public has any idea on how to train?

Nope.

There may be 'survivorship bias' as you define it, but do not think that the training methods do not improve our percentage of success.

I don't think that, no.

What it comes down to is that you're severely underestimating just how plastic our body is.

Well, we're speaking in qualitative terms, so I suppose it's hard to compare.

you make it seem like we can't achieve anything, and that's not true.

That certainly wasn't my intention.

And hell, if a seventy-year old man can achieve a full lay front lever, a young guy like me should have a fair shot, no?

Who are you thinking of here? I always enjoy success stories.

sure that genetic parameters pays a big roles in dna in strength development. the actual dna study over the development strength shows that there are some microRNAs wich usually don't are traslated wich can determinate how the strength development is for a person. There are about 19 microRNAs wich are very important in every process involved in strength gains from increasing of the firing rate, to the build of new neural links and circuit and so on. over a sample of 100 people in only 20 of them 3 microRNA on 19 are differently expressed....so these people are the elite athletes. btw these studies are made over exercises wich are famous and popula in the fitness world and not specifically for the planche.

as joshua said the collagen and expecially elastine don't have the same degree of elongation over the connective tissue of the people and this sounds as a determinant factor but also this is an area fo great discussion.

btw in the average of people the factor wich can put limits to the pl development can be the weigth...more in depth the bw distribution. i did 14 years of football so i have big butt, bug quads, big biceps femori, this of course is a great obstacle, maybe i need more time? maybe i need joints preparation? yes of course but it's not a real limit!

look to ernesto sarabia on youtube. bbuilder, impressive big legs and....full planche, but i doubt that he had developed it in 5 months.

maybe 2-3 years.

youtube is a immensive sample of how not to train!! do you really think that planche in 5 moths has built strong connective tissue?? sure these people see everything like something to reach as fast as possible because "i'm the first who did that ", sounds stupid, reach and overeach goals whiout listening to your physique...and after, after you will fall!

the solution is work following your body adaptation, everythin will come with the time!

pinoyako said:

I did not want to start a new thread on nutrition, but I just wanted to know how effective a diet is for planche training. I was talking to another guy and he claimed to achieve a four second full planche in 5 months, where as it took me twice as long to hold an almost decent planche for 3 seconds. He did tell me that his "joints were killing me" and that he should have been more patient and trained more slowly/carefully. He says it's not too bad anymore though.

I remember another thread from that guy in which he said he had achieved a 2x BW benchpress before he even started any kind of bodyweight training... so he's probably been strength training for a while. He said he'd been training bodyweight for 15 months, the last 5 of which he worked on the planche. So... I figure his incredible starting pushing strength + the year of straight arm work with front levers and what not has more to do with it than his 1 apple/broccoli a day...

Gentlemen,

1) You are overthinking things. You will know what you are capable of when you get there; not before.

If my own athletes had constantly reinvented themselves and their training the way some forum members continually do, they would never have achieved anything in terms of GST.

2) Simply follow the progressions and be patient. You may or may not achieve a full planche, but a straddle planche is reasonable and achievable by anyone of only moderate athletic ability who will stop talking long enough to train consistently.

3) When in doubt, see #2.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Zach Armijo said:

Coach has said on numerous occasions that his athletes eat pretty much anything not nailed down to the ground, which includes the typical American diet of convenient food, and they hardly have an ounce of fat on them. Obviously eating right has more benefits, but it certainly is not a red light in your training...unless you are starving or something

I would tend to agree. I used to be very, very obsessive about my nutrition and what, when and how I ate. For several years, it did me no good physically and was actually quite damaging mentally.

If I could give some advice to my younger self just getting into various sports, with regard to diet I'd say basically just eat whatever I already was but try to get some more meat and other protein sources when possible. Stack carbs up after workouts and eat less of them at other times. Follow the mainstream advice about fruit and veg.

That's about it, really - I don't think it's especially important. It's very unlikely that a person will be under-eating to the extent that they can't make gains, unless they're consciously trying to. Most people's appetite will increase naturally with their training and exercise. IMO it's best not to force things above or below that.

Coach Sommer said:

a straddle planche is reasonable and achievable by anyone of only moderate athletic ability

Straddled positions seem to impress civilians more, anyway! I'm not sure why, I guess it looks as though it's something extra, when really it's rather easier.

alex87 said:

look to ernesto sarabia on youtube. bbuilder, impressive big legs and....full planche, but i doubt that he had developed it in 5 months.

maybe 2-3 years.

Don't quote me on this, but I think I read somewhere that he's been a professional acrobatic for many years - starting when he was just a little boy.

red1392 said:

I remember another thread from that guy in which he said he had achieved a 2x BW benchpress before he even started any kind of bodyweight training... so he's probably been strength training for a while. He said he'd been training bodyweight for 15 months, the last 5 of which he worked on the planche. So... I figure his incredible starting pushing strength + the year of straight arm work with front levers and what not has more to do with it than his 1 apple/broccoli a day...

Do you have the link to that thread because I would be interested in reading it? He left a comment on my video about getting a full planche in 5 months. That piqued my interest about his planche training and diet, but he didn't mention he had a background in lifting weights - especially 2x BW bench press. I thought a 2x BW bench press did not have much carry over to planche training? I have no weightlifting background prior to my planche training, so it's understandable as to why I took longer. I started gymnastics training with no experience back in January of 2011 and got my front/back/side levers to 10 seconds and 7 muscle ups on a high bar and 2 bowers. Then January of 2012, I set all of that aside for planche training.

His user name is ngoachoi on this forum. Here's the thread:

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/9177-victorian-cross-hold-new-bar-barians-video/page__st__20

ngoachoi said:

When i stopped gym in july/august 2011 ish i was able to do 200kg deadlift. 380kg leg press. 140kg bench press. I weighed at 74kg's. since then because of what i compete in. i do not train legs anymore and weigh 71kg but im hoping i can bring it down to 65kg ish its just crazy hard to lose weight, no idea how these ppl go on these crazy diets lol.

Those are some very impressive numbers at 74kg. His bench most of all. He's a bit lighter now too.

Also, if by competing, he means in powerlifting - that may well be a paused bench, bar touching chest, no bounce.

pinoyako said:

I thought a 2x BW bench press did not have much carry over to planche training?

Well, it's not like he went from benchpressing to doing a full planche straight away...

Anyone who can bench near 2X their bodyweight obviously has a very strong shoulder girdle - to handle that kind of load is no small feat. His biceps tendon strength, I imagine, would be lacking though - but it seems he did plenty of straight arm work with front levers etc. in his first year of bodyweight training, which would strengthen them. The lacking tendon strength is also probably why his joints started killing him - too much too soon.

Some people don't have favorable levers for some full lay straight arm positions(very tall people), but it's reasonable for most people to perform straddle planches, full lay front levers, and other beginner/intermediate straight arm work. There's nothing about the number of bones/joints that affects this - there isn't any deviation in the number of bones of the shoulder in healthy people. Sure, it is harder for females, but even then, straddle planches have been performed by a few. As Coach Sommer has said, stop overanalyzing things and actually go train. All of the analysis, pontificating, and theorizing in the world will not make a difference in your physical preparation if you don't actually put those ideas into use by training.

As for the threshold, that doesn't actually exist. Many people make the mistake of keeping all training variables constant for too long. They see no progress and even regress, but if you add the right amount of variation and the correct stimulus, they will see progress. Too many people only do isometric work for straight arm scapular strength - this is a mistake! The goal should be to progress to dynamic(not necessarily ballistic) straight arm work. Coach Sommer and other successful coaches don't exclusively use isometric FSPs to achieve the isometric positions(FL, PL, BL, etc.). A smarter approach is needed.

Most people are not willing to train as hard/long as it takes to perform full planches and other higher level straight arm strength elements. That's what makes it so impressive to begin with. You won't perform full planche press to handstands by training 3 times per week for 45 minutes each session. It requires more intelligence, dedication, and time than most people are wiling to give. As Ido Portal wrote recently, you have to obsess about a skill before you can perform it.

A couple tidbits:

Bent arm strength does not give straight arm strength.

(Proper)Straddles are not necessarily much easier than full lays. Most people have terrible straddle mobility and it doesn't improve the lever arm much. To make up for this they tend to pike at the hips.

The joint pain is most likely due to a lack of joint preparation. Loading the connective tissue and joints in certain ROM, and achieving structural balance would help prevent pain.

You gotta build one step at a time. From the base up. If your base is insufficient you will not get where you want to go. There are no short cuts and no quick fixes.

When I trained one client from never having competed and with no real foundation and a BW of 240ish at over 6 feet and turned him into a pro strongman it took years but he was dedicated to the process and worked through it. There was another person who every other week or so was reading or hearing something and changing what they were doing. A year later they were barely any stronger and had injuries.

Using advanced techniques as a beginner does not make you advanced.

Now that you read all that.

STOP! Just stop a moment. Do not over think this. You are only complicating it for yourself.

pinoyako said:

I read a comment on YouTube stating that some people, no matter how hard they train, may never be able to achieve a full planche in their lifetime due to genetics - that some people may not have been born with "enough" joints in their shoulders/elbows to ever achieve a full planche. That's why some people plateau at straddle planche for months/years and never see progress. Or they're just downright too heavy. Now I know there are stories of some heavy & successful acrobats, but they must have some amazing genetics to be able to do it. Maybe they were lighter when they learned those acrobatic moves, and then decided to bulk up.

http://youtu.be/teNSj09JL1g?t=2m4s

Full planche at 2:04.

I did not want to start a new thread on nutrition, but I just wanted to know how effective a diet is for planche training. I was talking to another guy and he claimed to achieve a four second full planche in 5 months, where as it took me twice as long to hold an almost decent planche for 3 seconds. He did tell me that his "joints were killing me" and that he should have been more patient and trained more slowly/carefully. He says it's not too bad anymore though.

I asked him what his diet consisted of and he told me that for joint health/strength he ate one apple and raw broccoli (he did not specify the amount, so I'll go with one cup) everyday and various fruits throughout the week. He also took a supplement called glucosamine sulfate. He did not specify the amount but I would probably start out with one serving a day and work my way up to two servings a day.

I've heard some successful full "planchers" say that it takes about 1 - 2 years, and once your past that threshold, it's likely you'll never get a full planche.

How valid do you think that theory and diet is? Of course this is all just pure speculation, so I just wanted to get your opinions.

EDIT:

It has come to my attention that he has a background in lifting weights (2x BW Bench Press) and 10 months of calisthenics prior to planche training, so it's only natural that he would progress more quickly towards the full planche. I don't have a background in lifting weights nor did I practice any of the static progression with ankle weights/weighted vest, so it's understandable that my progression would be slower.

I think the majority consensus (on this thread) is that when it comes to training for the full planche, diet does not really play a significant role in progressing quickly.

The story about some people never being able to achieve a full planche was quoted from a book called "overcoming Gravity" its not that i thought i was some wise man and just made it up.

I had joint problems (elbow and shoulder) from when i was in the gym so i decided to take joint supplements Glucosamine sulphate, glucosamine chondroitin and msm (which helped so i didnt stop taking it). Brocolli was only because i thought it helped boost my immune system, not for training purposes.

But as i see it (i may be wrong and probably am) the faster you recover the more potential you got to restart the cycle. And it made sense to use the joint supplements to joint strength like how people use protein for muscle.

And hey guys im not saying it works.. im not claiming to be a know it all.. but that is just what i did and i got a full planche in 5 months, i may have been lucky who knows..

Nic Branson said:

You gotta build one step at a time. From the base up. If your base is insufficient you will not get where you want to go. There are no short cuts and no quick fixes.

When I trained one client from never having competed and with no real foundation and a BW of 240ish at over 6 feet and turned him into a pro strongman it took years but he was dedicated to the process and worked through it. There was another person who every other week or so was reading or hearing something and changing what they were doing. A year later they were barely any stronger and had injuries.

Using advanced techniques as a beginner does not make you advanced.

Now that you read all that.

STOP! Just stop a moment. Do not over think this. You are only complicating it for yourself.

I can hold a pretty decent full planche for 2 -3 seconds (video on my channel). I'm just curious as to why there are only a handful of people outside of professional gymnastics that can do a full planche despite the fact that all the information is at their disposal via YouTube. How many people on the forums can actually perform a full planche? 0.o

This thread concerns my friend who wants me to teach him. I'm assigning him a modified/easier version of my WODs I researched. (Not the ones posted here by coach) I feel like I gave him a false promise/sense of hope because what happens if by next December he still hasn't gotten a full planche. I basically lied to him.

ngoachoi said:

The story about some people never being able to achieve a full planche was quoted from a book called "overcoming Gravity" its not that i thought i was some wise man and just made it up.

I had joint problems (elbow and shoulder) from when i was in the gym so i decided to take joint supplements Glucosamine sulphate, glucosamine chondroitin and msm (which helped so i didnt stop taking it). Brocolli was only because i thought it helped boost my immune system, not for training purposes.

But as i see it (i may be wrong and probably am) the faster you recover the more potential you got to restart the cycle. And it made sense to use the joint supplements to joint strength like how people use protein for muscle.

And hey guys im not saying it works.. im not claiming to be a know it all.. but that is just what i did and i got a full planche in 5 months, i may have been lucky who knows..

Hey Sai, I'm sorry I was talking behind your back. I didn't know you were a member of GB?!

pinoyako said:

Hey Sai, I'm sorry I was talking behind your back. I didn't know you were a member of GB?!

np paolo, my old thread got quoted and i got a email so i was seeing whats up

pinoyako said:

I can hold a pretty decent full planche for 2 -3 seconds (video on my channel). I'm just curious as to why there are only a handful of people outside of professional gymnastics that can do a full planche despite the fact that all the information is at their disposal via YouTube. How many people on the forums can actually perform a full planche? 0.o

This thread concerns my friend who wants me to teach him. I'm assigning him a modified/easier version of my WODs I researched. (Not the ones posted here by coach) I feel like I gave him a false promise/sense of hope because what happens if by next December he still hasn't gotten a full planche. I basically lied to him.

Most people just have not spent the time doing the work. They lack the strength, the coordination, and the joint preparation. This is a long term achievement for almost everyone who gets it. Having the information and then implementing it properly are very different things. The timeline for everyone is different, I certainly could not comment on his potential over a forum.

I'm not saying this about you or your friend but many people make a lot of talk but then are unwilling to do the work and persevere when it is boring or hard.