Planche Hold Guide: Progressions, Time Targets & Mistakes

Holding a planche isn’t about surviving as long as possible. This guide explains what a proper planche hold is, how long you should hold each progression, and the mistakes that slow progress.

If you’re new to planche training, start with what the planche is and how to progress toward it before worrying about hold times.

What Is a Planche Hold?

A planche hold is an isometric position where your body stays parallel to the ground while supported only by your hands, with arms fully locked and shoulders protracted.

Unlike dynamic exercises, planche holds train straight-arm strength, shoulder stability, and core tension simultaneously — which is why quality matters far more than duration.

How Long Should You Hold Each Planche Progression?

These are realistic targets used by experienced calisthenics athletes. If you can hold longer with perfect form, you’re likely ready to progress.

Frog Stand: 20–30 seconds
Tuck Planche: 10–20 seconds
Advanced Tuck: 8–15 seconds
Straddle Planche: 5–10 seconds
Full Planche: 3–8 seconds

Being able to repeat these holds for multiple clean sets is more important than hitting a single long max hold.

Planche Hold Form Checklist

Use this checklist every time you hold:

Arms completely locked (no elbow bend)
Shoulders protracted (push the floor away)
Posterior pelvic tilt (no arching)
Body parallel to the floor
Neutral head position

If one of these breaks down, the hold stops — even if you feel like you could keep going.

Common Planche Hold Mistakes

❌ Bent Arms

Bent elbows turn the planche into a bent-arm strength skill and remove the straight-arm stimulus required for real planche progress.

❌ Banana Back (Lower Back Arch)

An arched lower back reduces shoulder load and shifts stress away from the correct muscles. This is one of the most common beginner mistakes.

❌ Rushing Progressions

Moving up before mastering a progression leads to poor form, plateaus, and elbow or shoulder pain.

Why Longer Holds ≠ Better Planche

Holding a tuck planche for 60 seconds doesn’t automatically mean you’re close to a full planche.

Planche strength is about leverage, not endurance. Progressing to harder shapes with clean form builds more usable strength than chasing long holds in easy positions.