Planche Progressions

Some of you may have noticed the recent emphasis on handstands and S-L-O-W-L-Y lowering from handstands. 

THIS IS your planche progression. 

Practice lowering slowly from the handstand with bent hips, knees, and arms. Practice until you can lower very, very, slowly. Slow enough and you will have developed the strength AND balance to press to a handstand and NOT before. (The interplay of balance and strength is a marvel accentuated by the CF perspective of strength being not just contractile potential but the productive application of force.)

After you can press to a handstand with bent knees, arms, and hips, practice lowering slowly from the handstand with straight arms and straight legs. Slowly enough and you will be able to press to a handstand with straight arms and legs. (The interplay this time of balance, strength, AND flexibility is another marvel.) This is the “stiff-stiff” press to handstand. 

Next comes straight body (hips), bent arm, and straight leg press to handstand. It doesn’t have the flexibility demands of the “stiff-stiff” press but requires greater strength and is similar in difficulty. Again, practice for increasingly slow lowering until you can press up. This is the “hollow-back” press to handstand. 

And finally the straight arm, straight body, straight leg or “planche press” to handstand. Same progression - slower and slower until you can press. 

You will not be able to do a planche before you can press to a handstand. You won’t press to a handstand until you can lower very slowly to the ground from the handstand. You won’t get a planche before you can do a “stiff-stiff” press to a handstand. You won’t get a planche before you can do a “hollow-back” press to a handstand. You won’t be able to hold a planche until you can lower slowly from a handstand with straight arms, body, and legs. 

Train eccentric or “negatives” for slower and slower movement until the static or “isometric” movement becomes possible and then with longer and longer static holds the “positive” or concentric movement becomes possible. 

The gymnastics strength progression is eccentric then static then concentric. This is the efficient and effective manner to develop front lever, iron-cross, planche, etc. 

I’ll offer somewhat facetiously that the best reason to do handstands is to lower from them. 

DAMN!!!! #lifegoals