# Planche Push-Up

An advanced bodyweight push-up done from a full planche, with your body held horizontal on your hands and feet off the floor. It loads the front delts, chest, and triceps heavily and requires a solid planche hold first.

- Expert · Compound
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/full-planche-push-up/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/planche-push-up/

## Muscles worked

- Front delts: 10/10
- Mid chest: 8/10
- Triceps: 7/10
- Serratus anterior: 7/10
- Forearms: 5/10
- Biceps: 4/10
- Traps: 4/10

## How to do the Planche Push-Up

1. Hold a full planche, body horizontal and feet off the floor.
2. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels throughout.
4. Push back up to the starting position, straightening your arms fully.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Place your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart with fingers turned out or back toward your feet.
2. Lean your shoulders forward past your hands and lift your feet off the floor into a full planche.
3. Straighten your legs, squeeze your glutes, and keep your body in one line.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit until your chest nears the floor.
5. Keep your elbows close to your ribs and your feet off the floor at the bottom.
6. Press through your palms until your elbows are fully extended.
7. Finish in the planche with your shoulders ahead of your hands before the next rep.

## Common mistakes

- Feet touching down during reps
- Hips sagging below the shoulders
- Piking hips on the way up
- Shoulders drifting back behind the hands
- Stopping short of full depth

## Form cues

- Shift weight forward
- Body moves as one
- Keep body in one line
- Press through the palms
- Glutes tight throughout

## How much to do

- **Strength** (best fit): 3–5 sets of 1–5 reps · rest 3 min · 1–2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 4–8 reps · rest 2 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s
- **Endurance**: 2–3 sets of 6–10 reps · rest 2 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Resistance bands**: [Band Assisted Push-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/band-assisted-push-up/)
- **Weight plates**: [Weighted Push-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/weighted-push-up/)
- **Medicine ball**: [Lying Medicine Ball Chest Press](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-medicine-ball-chest-press/)
- **Dumbbells**: [Dumbbell Push-Up](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-push-up/)

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Planche Push-Up work?

Primary: Front delts 10/10, Mid chest 8/10. Also works: Triceps 7/10, Serratus anterior 7/10, Biceps 4/10, Forearms 5/10.

### When should I do the Planche Push-Up in a workout?

Main lift. Goes first after the warm-up, while you are fresh. ≈ 14 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Planche Push-Up?

Strength: 3–5 sets of 1–5 reps, rest 3 min, 1–2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 4–8 reps, rest 2 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 6–10 reps, rest 2 min, 2–3 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Planche Push-Up?

Resistance bands: Band Assisted Push-Up. Weight plates: Weighted Push-Up. Medicine ball: Lying Medicine Ball Chest Press. Dumbbells: Dumbbell Push-Up.

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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