Core exercise for Planche

Question

I have been into bodyweight/calisthenichs training for 1 year now. After working on basic exercises (+30 pull ups/+40 dips/50 pushups/10ish handstand pushups to wall), I decided to start training for skills like planche and front lever.

After learning how to front lever (I can actually hold 10+ sec of full front lever), I decide to start working for the planche. After a while I realized that my main problem is the lack of activations in the abdominal part,probably caused by the executions of the planche in the propaedeutics (mainly tuck planche).

Do you have any exercises to learn correct activation of the abdominal area in the planche? Are there any specific exercises to train the core for the planche?

For the moment, the only exercise that I feel lightly in my abdominal area is the famous "Planche lean", should it be effective for the abdominal?

Answer 1

Absolutely incorrect about abs not being used - abs are extremely important here to maintain a hollow back. If the abs are not contracted then the lower back will arch and you will not be able to hold and maintain a straight body from the hips to the toes. Also, if the lower back contracts then the glutes will be less active. Glutes and abs are most important core muscle groups to be trained to achieve the planche. Practice hollow body holds (progress to weighted), transition from tucked planche into tucked handstand, hollow body dragonflags, etc just to name a few for abs. Glutes and hamstrings are also very important to train - in order for the legs to hold out. Focus on strengthening these - one of my favourite exercises is to lie on a bench up to your waistline and wrap your arms around the bench to have a stable position. Contract your abs inwards to maintain hollow back and with your legs mimick a planche position with your legs out in the air. Do slow reps of moving your legs out to straddle position and back into a straight position. When 10 controlled reps is easy, add ankle weights for progression. This will help focus on the glutes in the planche position without any strain on shoulders. Very important to keep abs contracted for entire during to maintain hollow body - remember an arched back causes tension and reduces the activity in the glutes - which is what you must avoid. Good luck

Answer 2

The planche does not require any contraction of the abdominal muscles, so that's extremely unlikely to be what's limiting you. The natural tendency of gravity in the planche is to pull your hips down, causing your spine to flex. This is the same movement that is performed by the abs, so it is actually the opposite muscles that must be activated in a planche in order to resist gravity.

In order to hold a planche, your shoulders (anterior deltoids) must be strong enough to hold your arms away from your body, in slight flexion, when loaded with your entire bodyweight (extremely difficult), your spinal erectors must be strong enough to hold your torso straight against the weight of your hips and legs (not difficult), and your glutes must be strong enough to hold your legs up (easy). It's worth noting that as this technique is pretty much the opposite of a front lever, it uses all the opposite muscles, so those developed by training front levels (lats, abs, and hip flexors) will not be of use here.

So in pretty much all cases, anterior deltoid strength is the limiting factor. I'd recommend training this through a progression of increasing difficult planche variations, starting with the tuck planche and progressing to extending your hips and legs more and more. If you have access to weights, you could also supplement this with some decline bench front raises, performed with a supinated grip (palms facing upwards) and a bench set up at the same angle that your arms would be in in a planche (i.e. just above horizontal).