Advanced

Tuck Planche Hold

Tucking the knees shortens the lever so you can balance your entire bodyweight on straight arms, the first real taste of a planche. The anterior deltoids and chest drive a hard scapular protraction while the biceps tendon and lats stabilize the locked arms and the core holds the tuck tight. It is a demanding advanced skill that rewards lifters who have already logged serious time in the planche lean and can support their weight with a rounded, packed shoulder girdle.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Shoulder
Type
Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle
Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement
Core Brace, Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Deltoid Anterior
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Biceps Brachii Long Head
Tertiary
Trapezius Lower, Lower Rectus Abdominals, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set your hands under your shoulders on the floor or parallettes and protract hard to round the upper back.

  2. 2

    Lean the shoulders forward past the wrists while keeping the elbows fully locked.

  3. 3

    Shift weight onto the hands and lift the feet, pulling the knees in tight toward the chest.

  4. 4

    Balance with the hips level, rounding the back and pushing the floor away to stay lifted.

  5. 5

    Hold for time, then lower the feet under control and shake out the wrists.

Tips

  • Push tall through protracted shoulders; letting the scapulae pinch together collapses the position instantly.
  • Lean further forward to balance rather than trying to muscle the hips up with a bent-arm cheat.
  • Build up with planche leans and short holds; a few clean seconds beats a long, sagging attempt.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The knees drift away from the chest as the hold goes on, lengthening the lever and dropping the hips just when balance is hardest to hold.
  • The hips tilt to one side instead of staying level, so one shoulder ends up carrying more of the load than the other.
  • The feet drop back to the floor in a sudden release instead of lowering under control, jarring the wrists on the way down.
  • The hold gets stretched out well past a clean position, so the last few seconds are spent sagging and fighting gravity instead of training the shape.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting hold time for the tuck planche, and what should you own first?
Start with 4-5 holds of 5-8 clean seconds, resting a minute or so between attempts, and stop the moment the hips start to sag rather than fighting for extra seconds. Add time in small increments only once every rep starts and ends in a clean, level position. Before attempting it, you should hold a planche lean with real forward shoulder lean for 15-20 seconds.
How do you make the tuck planche hold easier or harder?
Make it easier by keeping one or both feet lightly resting on a low support so only part of the bodyweight sits on the hands. Make it harder by holding for longer, or by beginning to open the hip angle slightly toward an advanced tuck once the basic tuck feels solid.
What is the tuck planche hold good for, and who should skip it?
It is the first real taste of straight-arm bodyweight support, building scapular and tendon strength. Skip it if you have not logged real time in planche leans yet, and rest the wrists instead of pushing through soreness on a day they are already sore.

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