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Best Planche Push-Up Progressions — Key Takeaways

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Best Planche Push-Up Progressions

Daniel Vadnal4mNov 4, 2026

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Prioritize straight-arm scapular control with forceful protraction at the top of every rep, and use band-assisted or mechanical advantage variations to train the full planche push-up range of motion before attempting unassisted reps.

Key takeaways

Protract shoulder blades and hollow core at every rep's top to build straight-arm strength

Protract shoulder blades and hollow core at every rep's top to build straight-arm strength

  • Author emphasizes 'forcefully protracting the shoulder blades apart' plus hollowing core at the top of every pseudo planche push-up rep.
  • Scapular control at lockout is described as 'the most important principle for planche push-up success.'

Mechanical advantage push-ups match the strength curve so stress stays even through full range

Mechanical advantage push-ups match the strength curve so stress stays even through full range

  • They increase difficulty at the bottom and reduce it at lockout, like weight training with chains.
  • This evenly distributes stress through the full range of motion, maximizing strength gain in the whole pushing pattern.

Isometric bent-arm planche holds fix a weak bottom position better than grinding reps

Isometric bent-arm planche holds fix a weak bottom position better than grinding reps

  • If the bottom joint angle bottlenecks performance, hold an isometric at that angle to level up.
  • Straight-arm isometric holds are called 'non-negotiable' for earning lockout strength.

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In this video

  1. 1mPseudo Planche Push-Up: Scapula Control Fundamentals
  2. 1mBand Assisted Planche Push-Ups: Value and Limitations
  3. 2mMechanical Advantage Planche Push-Ups: Matching the Strength Curve
  4. 3mIsometric Holds: Straight Arm and Bent Arm Specificity

“We get stronger at the joint angle we train. Consequently, straight arm training improves straight arm positions.”

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How To Do Planche Push-Ups

Use bands to bridge strength gaps in planche push-ups by choosing the thinnest band that still allows full range completion, then add 1-3 second pauses at the bottom to eliminate elastic recoil.

Warning: This Is The Hardest Push-Up You Can Learn

To build the 90-degree push-up, first earn a 30-second handstand, 10-second bent-arm planche, 5 freestanding handstand push-ups, and 10 pseudo planche push-ups, then train with 5-second eccentrics and band-assisted reps before attempting the full movement.

The Forgotten Planche Exercise

Mechanical advantage planche push-ups (MAPU) solve the uneven difficulty curve of standard planche push-ups by starting in tuck at the top and lowering into straddle at the bottom, building bent-arm strength across the full range needed for 90-degree push-ups.

10 Best Push-Ups From Easy To Hard

For maximum push-up overload, pseudo planche push-ups and handstand push-ups both approach 100% bodyweight load — target 3–8 reps per set for strength gains.