What is the difference between a tuck planche and a frog stand?

In a frog stand the arms are bent and the knees rest on the upper arms, so the arms act as a shelf for the legs. In a tuck planche the arms stay straight and the knees float under the body, so the shoulders carry the full weight on a longer lever. The Crane Pose is a similar bent-arm balance to the frog stand.

Should I do the tuck planche on parallettes or on the floor?

Either works. Parallettes let you grip with the palms facing each other, which keeps the wrists closer to neutral and gives the feet more room to clear the ground. On the floor, turning the fingers slightly outward reduces wrist strain, but the wrists still bend back further than on handles.

How long should I hold a tuck planche before moving to the advanced tuck?

Most coaching progressions look for several clean holds of about 15 to 30 seconds, with straight arms and the hips at least level with the shoulders, before practicing the advanced tuck. The advanced tuck flattens the back and opens the hips, and it feels like a big jump in difficulty even after a solid tuck.

Why does the front of my elbow hurt after tuck planche practice?

Straight-arm holds put a lot of tension through the biceps tendon at the front of the elbow, and tendons adapt more slowly than muscles. Shorten the holds, practice less often and warm the elbows up thoroughly, and see a clinician if the pain persists.

Should my back be rounded in a tuck planche?

Yes, a rounded upper back is normal here, because it comes from pushing the shoulder blades apart and drawing the knees in. The back only flattens when you move on to the advanced tuck.

Tuck Planche

What Is the Tuck Planche?

Tuck Planche is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the serratus anterior, biceps, abdominals and forearms. It is an advanced-level movement in which the whole body is held off the ground on straight arms, with the knees tucked under the torso and the shoulders leaned well in front of the hands.

The tuck planche is the first true straight-arm position in the planche progression, which usually runs from the frog stand to the tuck planche, then the advanced tuck, the straddle planche and the full planche. It builds straight-arm pushing strength, teaches the forward lean and shoulder blade protraction every harder planche depends on, and gradually conditions the elbows and wrists to carry body weight on locked arms. In calisthenics it is a common early skill goal, and the planche itself is a recognized strength element in artistic gymnastics. Because it is a skill as much as a strength hold, it is usually practiced early in a session, after a thorough warm-up and while the athlete is fresh.

The front of the shoulders does most of the work, holding the arms in front of the body against a lean that puts the shoulders ahead of the hands. The serratus anterior keeps the shoulder blades spread around the ribs, which rounds the upper back, and the biceps take considerable tension across the straight elbows. The abdominals keep the trunk rounded and the knees drawn in. Leaning further forward, or flattening the back and opening the hips into an advanced tuck, moves the body weight further from the hands and makes the hold much harder. Performing it on parallettes, as shown here, lets the hands grip with the palms facing each other, keeps the wrists closer to neutral than flat hands on the floor and gives the feet more clearance.

The tuck planche suits calisthenics and gymnastics trainees who already have solid pushing strength and want to work toward the planche. It is too hard for most people at first. Building up with Push-Up and Chest Dip volume, the Pseudo Planche Push-Up, planche leans and a bent-arm balance such as the Crane Pose develops the strength, wrist tolerance and sense of balance it needs, while the L-Sit and Hollow Hold train the straight-arm support and rounded trunk position.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Biceps Brachii: High
Rectus Abdominis: High
Serratus Anterior: High
External Oblique: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Medium
Pectoralis Major: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): Medium
Rectus Femoris: Low
Upper Trapezius: Low

Instructions

Set two parallettes parallel to each other about shoulder-width apart and kneel between them.
Grip the handles beside your hips with your palms facing each other.
Straighten your arms fully with the elbow creases turned forward, then push the handles away so your shoulder blades spread apart.
Lean your shoulders forward past your hands while keeping your arms locked.
Round your upper back, tuck your pelvis under and draw your knees in toward your chest.
Keep leaning until your feet float off the floor, then lift your hips to shoulder height or slightly above, with your knees tucked under your body and off your arms.
Keep your head in line with your spine and your eyes on the floor slightly ahead of the parallettes.
Hold for the target time while breathing steadily.
Shift your shoulders back over your hands and lower your knees to the floor with control.

Common Mistakes

Bending the elbows
Letting the arms bend turns the hold into a bent-arm balance and removes the straight-arm strength the tuck planche is meant to build.
Not leaning far enough
Keeping the shoulders over or behind the hands leaves the body too far back for the feet to float, so the hold relies on a hop instead of balance.
Losing shoulder protraction
Letting the shoulder blades pinch together or shrug toward the ears lets the chest sink between the arms and shifts stress onto the shoulder joints.
Letting the hips drop
Hips sinking below shoulder height make the position harder to balance and usually pull the shoulder blades out of protraction.
Resting the knees on the arms
Propping the knees on the elbows or upper arms turns the hold into a frog stand, which takes most of the load off the shoulders.

Injuries

Tuck Planche is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The straight-arm lean places heavy load on the front of the elbow, where the biceps tendon attaches, on the front of the shoulder and on the wrists. A survey of Dutch calisthenics athletes found the shoulders, wrists and elbows were the most often injured areas in the sport, the same joints this hold loads most.

Warm up the wrists, elbows and shoulders before every session, and keep the elbows straight with the elbow creases turned forward rather than forcing them into hyperextension. Start with short holds of 5 to 10 seconds over several sets, practice two or three times a week, and add time slowly, because tendons adapt more slowly than muscles. Parallettes, or turning the fingers slightly outward on the floor, reduce the wrist extension that bothers many trainees.

If the hold is too hard, regress to planche leans with the feet on the floor, a tuck with the toes lightly touching the ground, or a bent-arm balance such as the Crane Pose, and keep building pushing strength with the Pseudo Planche Push-Up. Once clean tuck holds are easy, progress to the advanced tuck by flattening the back and opening the hips.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow or in the wrist, a pinching sensation in the front of the shoulder, or numbness or tingling in the hands. Elbow soreness that lingers into the next day is a sign to cut volume before it becomes a tendon problem.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Other and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Advanced

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between a tuck planche and a frog stand?: In a frog stand the arms are bent and the knees rest on the upper arms, so the arms act as a shelf for the legs. In a tuck planche the arms stay straight and the knees float under the body, so the shoulders carry the full weight on a longer lever. The Crane Pose is a similar bent-arm balance to the frog stand.
Q: Should I do the tuck planche on parallettes or on the floor?: Either works. Parallettes let you grip with the palms facing each other, which keeps the wrists closer to neutral and gives the feet more room to clear the ground. On the floor, turning the fingers slightly outward reduces wrist strain, but the wrists still bend back further than on handles.
Q: How long should I hold a tuck planche before moving to the advanced tuck?: Most coaching progressions look for several clean holds of about 15 to 30 seconds, with straight arms and the hips at least level with the shoulders, before practicing the advanced tuck. The advanced tuck flattens the back and opens the hips, and it feels like a big jump in difficulty even after a solid tuck.
Q: Why does the front of my elbow hurt after tuck planche practice?: Straight-arm holds put a lot of tension through the biceps tendon at the front of the elbow, and tendons adapt more slowly than muscles. Shorten the holds, practice less often and warm the elbows up thoroughly, and see a clinician if the pain persists.
Q: Should my back be rounded in a tuck planche?: Yes, a rounded upper back is normal here, because it comes from pushing the shoulder blades apart and drawing the knees in. The back only flattens when you move on to the advanced tuck.