Planche

A planche is a static strength hold where the body is suspended parallel to the ground, supported entirely by the hands. It is widely recognized as one of the most difficult upper-body isometric skills to master.

The planche demands exceptional strength in the chest, shoulders, arms, and core to maintain the body parallel to the ground. Because it is a strict isometric hold, developing the necessary upper-body stability takes years of progressive training.

The extreme difficulty comes from the leverage required to balance your entire body weight parallel to the ground using only your hands. It requires immense upper-body strength and isometric stability to prevent the feet from dropping.

Athletes usually train for this static strength hold by moving through progressively harder positions, such as the tuck planche and advanced tuck. These progressions slowly build the immense upper-body isometric strength needed to hold the body parallel to the ground.