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Dynamic strength

Planche Push-Up

A push-up done from a planche: the feet stay off the floor and the body stays level while the elbows bend close to the body and then straighten again. Rulebooks list it, but the sources differ on how low to go and where the hands go, and even on what a tuck planche push-up is.

One repetition drawn in three frames: the top, halfway and the lowest drawn position. The hands never move and the body stays level. The depth is a drawing choice, not a rule: the full form is drawn down to a right angle at the elbow, while the tuck forms stop earlier, where their legs would reach the floor, so their pictures are shallower; the sources give no angle or distance for how low to go. The figure keeps the weight over the hands, which is a model and not a measurement. The legs keep one shape because a straddle cannot be drawn truthfully from the side, where legs spread to both sides would only look shorter, so the straddle has no picture. In the picture the shoulders go straight down, without moving forward or back over the hands; that is a model choice, and the only source that says anything about the lean, a brand page, says it stays constant.
Difficulty
Expert
editorial estimate
Steps to it
3 steps
Advanced → Expert
Usually done on
Floor, Parallel bars
Start with the first stepHow it is done

Prepared by Calisthenics Balkan. Not yet reviewed by a qualified coach. 12 sources

The road at a glance

A short overview with links. Every step is explained in full under Progressions.

Helps to have first

This skill

Planche Push-Up

Leads towards

No movement in the Atlas builds directly on this one yet.

01

What it is

The planche push-up starts in a planche, with the arms straight, the body level and the feet off the floor, and the hands stay where they are while the elbows bend and the body goes down; then the arms push until they are straight again. CaliContest's rulebook is the one rulebook read for this page that describes it: the body goes down in one line, parallel to the floor, and pushes back up until the arms are extended again, and the line of the body must not be lost at any moment. CaliContest's general definition of a push-up (page 12) asks, for a full score, for the shoulders to go down to the height of the elbows, and for the planche push-up (page 24) it asks for the whole body to go below the height of the elbows; the Italian wording is ambiguous and this page does not turn either into a measurement. The static planche is a different thing: the WSWCF rules treat it as a hold on straight arms, so bent elbows there are a fault, while in the push-up they are part of the movement.12

Rulebooks list the element and value it, but they do not explain it. The WSWCF element list gives the planche push-up 0.5 and the straddle version 0.3, the same numbers as the planche and the straddle planche, in a column of its own for moving push elements; the rules do not define how deep it goes. The Austrian SWA rules name the Planche Push Up as an example of strength dynamics and mention a planche held after planche push-ups when statics are judged. The Italian FIF table lists it in the forms tuck, one leg, straddle and full, apart from the planche and the bent planche. The Overcoming Gravity chart has a ladder of planche push-ups by leg position and puts each form one to three levels above the same form of the static planche. These are judging values, not a measure of difficulty.23456

The name tuck planche push-up is used for three different movements. With the CaliContest definition, which this page follows, the element starts from the declared leg position and the line of the body must not be lost, so this page draws the legs keeping their shape through the repetition. Gymnastic Bodies describes a movement that starts in a tuck planche, bends the elbows while the legs and hips open into a straddle, and presses back to the tuck. Handstandpushup.com describes a rounded back, tucked legs and weight behind the hands, which is a different version again. Body Dojo and GORNATION describe a level trunk with the elbows bending in line with it, as CaliContest's definition does. The pictures here follow the CaliContest definition.1791011

Coaching pages describe the lowering in similar words but disagree on the details. GORNATION says the elbows bend close to the body and do not flare, and warns against folding at the hips and sagging; Body Dojo has the torso stay level while lowering. They do not agree on how low to go or on where the hands are, and only one of them says anything about the lean: CaliContest asks for the body to go below the height of the elbows in its own wording, Body Dojo says until the elbows are level with the trunk, and GORNATION gives no depth target. One GORNATION post puts the hands roughly level with the hips at the start, and Body Dojo puts them under the rib cage; the two pages describe different forms (band-assisted full and straddle versions, and the tuck), and neither says how much of the difference that explains. GORNATION also says the lean stays constant while lowering, a statement this page does not repeat because no other source supports it and nothing here measures it.1789

Three other movements are not this page. The pseudo planche push-up keeps the feet on the floor and pushes the shoulders forward past the hands; calisthenics.com presents it as a step towards planche push-ups, and the Overcoming Gravity chart lists it in its ordinary push-up ladder, not in the planche push-up one. It has no page here. The bent-arm planche is a static hold in CaliContest with its own definition, so this page does not use that name for the bottom position of the push-up. CaliContest's 90 degree push-up starts from a handstand. The WSWCF list also names explosive, pelican and one-arm planche push-ups with higher values and no definition, and this page does not describe them.13612

The evidence is thin. No peer-reviewed study, no muscle-activity measurement and no injury data for the planche push-up were found, so the page names no muscle and no benefit. Technique rests on one rulebook definition and a few commercial coaching pages, which disagree with each other. The difficulty shown here, expert for the full form and advanced for the two tuck forms, is an editorial estimate. The Overcoming Gravity chart labels its top level for the full form Elite, FIF and the WSWCF give points, and none of these is a difficulty scale that the others share.356

Keep the hands where they are and the body level: bend the elbows close to the body (back along the trunk in the picture) to go down, then press until the arms are straight again.

02

How it is done

  1. Start in the planche shape

    CaliContest starts the element in a planche position: the arms straight, the body in one line and parallel to the floor, the feet off the floor. In the picture the hands are on the floor beside the hips. GORNATION has you lean forward with straight arms until the wrists are roughly level with the hips (its two posts are about band-assisted versions). The pages differ on where the hands sit: one puts them roughly level with the hips, Body Dojo puts them under the rib cage (its page is about the tuck). For the tuck forms the starting shape is the tuck or advanced tuck of the planche.1789

    CueKeep the body in one line, parallel to the floor.1

  2. Bend the elbows back along the trunk

    Lower slowly and let the elbows bend close to the body; in the picture they go back along the trunk, towards the legs. GORNATION says the elbows stay close and do not flare out, and Body Dojo describes lowering until the elbows are level with the trunk. The body stays level and rigid, with no folding at the hips and no sagging (GORNATION), which fits what CaliContest asks when it says the line of the body must not be lost.1789

    CueBend the elbows under control, close to the body.7

  3. Lower to the bottom position

    Go down only as far as you can with the body still level and in line. The sources do not agree on the depth: CaliContest's wording is ambiguous, Body Dojo says until the elbows are level with the trunk and GORNATION gives no target. In the picture the lowest position leaves the whole body clear of the floor, and the full form is drawn at a right angle at the elbow; that is a drawing choice, not a rule. On parallel bars CaliContest scores a deeper push-up, where the shoulders go down to the level of the hands or lower, higher.179

  4. Press back up until the arms are straight

    Push through the palms and straighten the elbows while the body stays level. GORNATION's assisted post says to lock the arms out at the top, while its straddle post says to avoid locking out too aggressively; this page does not choose between them. CaliContest's definition ends the repetition when the arms are extended again, with the body parallel to the floor the whole time. The picture shows the top again as its first frame.178

    CuePress until the arms are straight again.1

03

Progressions

These steps let you record the version you do now. Their order is editorial, following the leg positions of the Overcoming Gravity chart and the planche page; no source prescribes it, and they are not unlocks or a training plan. The straddle is a variation here because a side view cannot show it truthfully. The tuck forms are drawn shallower than the full form because their legs would reach the floor; depth in the pictures is not a rule.

What to have first

  • A planche shape you can start from

    CaliContest starts the element in a planche position, so being able to take the starting shape of the version you choose helps. The catalog lists the planche and the push-up as helpful first movements, not as requirements. No source gives a test or a minimum.1

  • A different, easier movement: the pseudo planche push-up

    calisthenics.com presents the pseudo planche push-up, with the feet on the floor and the shoulders pushed forward past the hands, as a step towards planche push-ups. The Overcoming Gravity chart lists it in its ordinary push-up ladder, not in the planche push-up ladder. It is a different movement and has no page here.612

  • Wrists and elbows warmed up

    GORNATION calls the movement advanced and says it asks a lot of the elbows and wrists, without giving a source. This page has no test or measure for it. If a wrist, elbow or shoulder hurts, get individual advice from a qualified person first.78

  1. Step 1Advanced

    Tuck planche push-up

    The planche push-up with the knees drawn to the chest, the body and legs keeping that shape through the repetition. The Overcoming Gravity chart lists it first in its ladder by leg position, at its intermediate band, and FIF lists it among its intermediate elements; the advanced rating on this page is an editorial estimate, as on the planche page. The name is used for different movements: Gymnastic Bodies and Handstandpushup.com describe other versions, and this page uses the CaliContest definition. CaliContest also defines the tuck positions of the planche separately on page 11.

    Technical note: The picture stops where the legs would reach the floor, so it is shallower than the full form; that is not a rule.1561011

  2. Step 2Advanced

    Advanced tuck planche push-up

    The same push-up from the advanced tuck, with the hips higher and the legs starting to open out of the tuck, as on the planche page. The Overcoming Gravity chart lists it second in its ladder, between the tuck and the straddle, and the drawn legs are the planche page's. CaliContest's own definition of the advanced tuck (page 11) puts the front of the thighs at 90 degrees to the line from shoulders to hips with the knees bent under 90 degrees, which is a different hip angle from the one drawn here (about 50 degrees).

    Technical note: Its picture also stops where the legs would reach the floor, which is earlier than the tuck's, so it is the shallowest of the three; that is not a rule.16

  3. Step 3ExpertGoal

    Planche push-up, legs together

    The planche push-up with the legs together and straight and the body in one level line from the shoulders to the toes. It is the form in the hero picture. The Overcoming Gravity chart puts it at the top of its ladder of planche push-ups and labels that level Elite; the WSWCF list gives it the same number as the planche. The expert rating here is an editorial estimate.

    Technical note: Full describes the position, not a number of repetitions or a hold time. The picture is drawn to a right angle at the elbow, a drawing choice.36

04

Community

0reached it
2working on it
0tips

Who is at which step

  1. 1. Tuck planche push-up0 athletes
  2. 2. Advanced tuck planche push-up0 athletes
  3. 3. Planche push-up, legs together0 athletes
  4. Working on it, step not stated2 athletes
    • P

Only public profiles of adult athletes are counted. The numbers grow as people add skills to their profile.

Tips from the community

Tips are personal experience, not medical advice or a training plan.

There are no tips for this movement yet.

05

Common mistakes

  • Losing the line of the body

    GORNATION warns against bending at the hips and against letting the hips sag, and CaliContest's definition says the line of the body must not be lost at any moment. Body Dojo asks for the torso to stay at a horizontal angle while lowering. The body stays level and rigid for the whole repetition.179

  • Letting the elbows flare out

    GORNATION says the elbows should bend close to the body and not spread out to the sides; Body Dojo describes lowering until the elbows are level with the trunk and does not mention spreading. This is the pages' description of the form, not a measurement.79

  • Rushing or bouncing

    GORNATION's post on the straddle version says to focus on slow, controlled repetitions instead of bouncing, and its other post lists rushing the movement as a mistake. It is a brand page's advice, with no source behind it.78

  • Not finishing with straight arms

    CaliContest's definition has the repetition end when the arms are extended again; GORNATION's assisted post says to lock the arms at the top, and its straddle post says not to lock out too aggressively. Stopping short leaves the repetition unfinished by CaliContest's definition.178

06

Variations and related skills

  • Straddle planche push-up

    Stance

    The same push-up with the legs apart. The Overcoming Gravity chart lists it between the advanced tuck and the half lay or one-leg form, the WSWCF list gives it 0.3, FIF lists it among the intermediate and advanced elements, and GORNATION has a page on a band-assisted version. This page does not draw it: seen from the side, legs spread to both sides would only look shorter, so a side view cannot show a straddle truthfully.3568

  • One-leg planche push-up

    Stance

    FIF lists a one-leg form next to the tuck among its intermediate elements, and the Overcoming Gravity chart names its step half lay or one leg. Only CaliContest describes the leg positions in words (page 11): in the one-leg form one leg is straight and the other knee is bent close to the chest with the thigh against the abdomen, and in the advanced one-leg form the foot of the bent leg rests beside the straight knee. The sources do not order the forms alike: CaliContest and FIF value the one-leg forms below the straddle, while the chart puts its half lay or one-leg step above it. This page does not draw the one-leg form.156

  • Archer planche push-up

    CaliContest defines an archer push-up as a push-up in which one arm stays straight for the whole movement, and lists it as a dynamic component that can be added to an element; its example of two repetitions of the same element names a straddle planche archer push-up. How the planche version is done beyond that is not described in the text read for this page, so this page does not describe or draw it.1

  • Surface and grip

    Equipment

    The pictures show the floor. GORNATION says parallettes ease the wrists, with no source behind it. The WSWCF rules mostly count a change of grip or surface as the same element, and CaliContest says a change of grip or of the leg position does not make a new element, giving a full planche push-up with a neutral grip followed by a straddle planche archer push-up as two repetitions of one element. On parallel bars CaliContest scores the deeper form, with the shoulders at hand level or lower, higher.127

  • Pause in the movement

    Range

    The WSWCF rules rank a pause in a planche push-up with the elbows extended above one with the elbows bent; they do not say where in the movement the pause is held. The same rules say more repetitions do not give a higher value. These are judging rules, not training advice, and this page gives no time.2

Related skillsElbow LeverHandstand Push-Up

On Calisthenics Balkan

07

Sources

12 sources

What this page relies on. Titles and publishers are written as published.

The small numbers in the text point to the entries below

  1. Regolamento CaliContest 2025-2026CaliContest (Italian calisthenics competition circuit) · PDF in Italian; re-read 23 Oct 2026; page 24 (the definition of the planche push-up), page 12 (the push-up, the deep push-up and the archer push-up), pages 5 to 6 (dynamic components; a change of legs or grip does not change the element) and page 11 (its own definitions of the tuck positions); translations here are this page's, the depth phrase is ambiguous, and the points and percentages are the circuit's own values and are not used (research S-0083)
  2. WSWCF Calisthenics Freestyle World Championship: Official Competition Rules (2025)World Street Workout & Calisthenics Federation (WSWCF), head freestyle judge Ákos Szarka · PDF, 12 pages; re-read 23 Oct 2026; sections 7.7.1.2 (accepted form of isometric elements: bent elbows are a deduction; a planche is the example), 7.7.1.4 (a pause in a dynamic element), 7.7.1.6 and 7.7.1.7 (repetitions, grip and surface); it does not define how deep a push-up goes (research S-0081)
  3. Freestyle Elements Code of Points (WSWCF), sheet CE26-SzarkaWorld Street Workout & Calisthenics Federation · spreadsheet uploaded May 2026; re-read 23 Oct 2026; names and values only, in the columns 'push move' (planche push up, straddle) and 'isometric push' (planche, straddle planche), and the names of the explosive, pelican and one-arm versions without any description; a ranked list for judging, not a difficulty scale (research S-0092)
  4. Calisthenics Championships 2025: Freestyle Calisthenics Regulations V.2.0Calisthenics & Street Workout Association Austria (SWA; the document calls the body 'Austrian Association for Calisthenics & Street Workout') · PDF, 29 pages; re-read 23 Oct 2026; sections 6.3.4 (Planche Push Up named as an example of strength dynamics) and 6.1.3 (a planche held after planche push-ups in the statics category); it defines no technique (research S-0082)
  5. Calisthenics Skills Challenge: Codice dei punteggi (2023)Federazione Italiana Fitness (FIF) · PDF in Italian, page 1; re-read 23 Oct 2026; a points table that lists the planche push-up in the forms tuck, one leg, straddle and full, separately from the planche and from the bent planche; the points are not a difficulty and are not used, and the table has no description (research S-0249)
  6. Overcoming Gravity, 2nd edition: progression charts (public spreadsheet)Steven Low · Google Sheets export; re-read 23 Oct 2026; the columns of planche push-ups on the floor or parallel bars and on rings, the ladder by leg position and its levels, and the legend that places the pseudo planche push-up in the ordinary push-up ladder; levels only, no technique text, and the book itself was not read (research S-0093)
  7. Learn The Assisted Planche Push UpGORNATION (calisthenics equipment and training brand; byline not explicit) · 25 Sep 2025; opened 23 Oct 2026; a brand blog that sells parallettes and bands, with no references; it describes the band-assisted version, says the lean stays constant while lowering, gives no depth, and its claims about safety and benefits have no source (research N5A-C1)
  8. The Assisted Straddle Planche Push UpGORNATION (brand blog, byline not explicit) · 22 Sep 2025; opened 23 Oct 2026; the band-assisted straddle version, with product links and no references, no depth target, and benefit claims without a source (research N5A-C2)
  9. Tuck planche push upsThe Body Dojo, LLC (calisthenics training site; no author or date shown) · opened 23 Oct 2026; a short exercise page with no sources; hands under the rib cage and lowering until the elbows are level with the trunk, as short points; its progressions are members-only (research N5A-C3)
  10. Tuck Planche Push-UpGymnastic Bodies · no author or date shown; opened 23 Oct 2026; a short exercise entry for a different movement under the same name (from a tuck planche, bend the elbows while the legs and hips open into a straddle, then press back to the tuck), classed as advanced, with no references (research N5A-C4)
  11. Tuck Planche Push-Up TutorialHandstandpushup.com · no author or date shown; opened 23 Oct 2026; a commercial tutorial with affiliate links and an anecdote, for a third version under the same name (rounded back, legs tucked, weight behind the hands); used only to show that the names differ (research N5A-C5)
  12. Pseudo Planche Push-Up on Parallettescalisthenics.com (brand site with affiliate links; no byline or date) · opened 23 Oct 2026; an exercise page about a different movement, with the feet on the floor, used only for the difference and for its remark that it is a step towards planche push-ups; its sets, repetitions and elbow angle are not used (research N5A-C6)

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