Planche Push-Ups: How to Build Strength Safely

Planche push-ups are one of the hardest pushing movements in calisthenics. This guide breaks down who should train them, how to progress safely, and how to avoid common mistakes.

Before attempting planche push-ups, you should already understand what the planche is and be comfortable with your current planche hold progression. Dynamic planche work builds on static strength — not the other way around.

What Are Planche Push-Ups?

Planche push-ups are a dynamic calisthenics movement where you perform a push-up while maintaining a planche position. Your arms stay straight at the top, shoulders remain protracted, and your body stays parallel to the ground.

Unlike normal push-ups, planche push-ups heavily load the shoulders, biceps (straight-arm strength), chest, and core.

Who Should Attempt Planche Push-Ups (And Who Shouldn’t)

This exercise is not for beginners. Attempting it too early is one of the fastest ways to develop elbow or shoulder pain.

You should attempt planche push-ups if:

You can hold a solid tuck or advanced tuck planche
You have pain-free wrists, elbows, and shoulders
You already train straight-arm strength regularly

You should avoid them if:

You cannot hold any planche progression yet
You feel elbow or shoulder discomfort during leans
You skip warm-ups or recovery work

Planche Push-Up Progressions

Always master each step before moving forward. Rushing progressions increases injury risk without speeding up results.

1. Lean Push-Ups

Lean forward at the top of a push-up to shift your shoulders past your wrists. This builds tolerance for planche loading.

3–4 sets of 8–12 reps
Focus on shoulder protraction

2. Pseudo Planche Push-Ups

Place your hands closer to your hips and lean forward throughout the entire push-up. These are the foundation for planche push-ups.

4 sets of 5–8 reps
Elbows locked at the top

3. Tuck Planche Push-Ups

Perform push-ups while holding a tuck planche position. This is the first true planche push-up variation.

3–5 sets of 3–5 reps
Full control on every rep

Volume Recommendations

Dynamic planche work is extremely demanding. Less volume usually produces better results.

Train planche push-ups 1–2 times per week
Stop 1–2 reps before failure
Pair with static holds, not max sets

If your planche holds start regressing, your volume is too high.