Pseudo Planche Push-ups
How to do Pseudo Planche Push-ups?
Pseudo planche push-ups are an advanced push-up variation that mimics the position of a planche, requiring greater strength and core stability. This exercise emphasizes the shoulders and upper body, pushing the body to engage muscles differently than in standard push-ups.
Pseudo planche push-ups are a fantastic, advanced bodyweight exercise that can help build immense strength and improve your shoulder and core stability. As a scalable exercise, they provide a challenging progression path for those aiming to achieve the full planche or simply looking to diversify their upper body workout routine.
Steps to Perform a Proper Pseudo Planche Push-up
1. Hand Placement:
• Begin in a push-up position but with your hands rotated slightly outwards and positioned lower on the torso, closer to your waist. This forward hand placement is what distinguishes pseudo planche push-ups from regular push-ups.
2. Body Alignment:
• Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core and glutes to maintain this alignment. Your feet should be hip-width apart or together.
3. Engage Your Shoulders:
• Lean forward so that your shoulders are slightly in front of your wrists. This forward lean increases the intensity on the shoulders and chest, simulating a planche position.
4. Lower Your Body:
• Inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering your body toward the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body to avoid shoulder strain. Lower your chest until it is just above the ground.
5. Push Back Up:
• Exhale and press through your palms to extend your arms and lift your body back to the starting position, all while maintaining the forward lean.
Benefits of Pseudo Planche Push-ups
• Builds Shoulder Strength: This exercise places a greater emphasis on the shoulders compared to regular push-ups, helping build impressive shoulder strength.
• Enhances Core Stability: The forward lean requires significant core engagement, which helps improve core strength and stability.
• Improves Wrist and Forearm Strength: The wrist and forearms work hard to stabilize your body due to the unique hand placement and forward lean.
• Progression to Planche: Pseudo planche push-ups are an excellent stepping stone for progressing to the advanced planche hold, a high-level gymnastics skill.
• Functional Strength: By engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously, pseudo planche push-ups help develop functional, whole-body strength that translates into various physical activities.
• Challenges Upper Body Endurance: The increased load on the chest, shoulders, and triceps challenges your endurance, making this an excellent exercise for those looking to push their strength limits.
Tips for the proper execution of Pseudo Planche Push-ups
Start With a Small Lean: If you’re new to this exercise, begin with a slight forward lean and gradually increase it as you build strength and shoulder mobility.
Elbow Positioning: Keep your elbows close to your body for better shoulder protection and to engage the triceps more effectively.
Core Tightness: Maintain a tight core throughout the movement to prevent your lower back from sagging or your hips from rising.
Forward Hand Placement: Ensure your hands are positioned lower on your torso, around the waist, to simulate the planche position.
Control the Descent: Lower yourself slowly and with control to ensure proper muscle engagement and to reduce the risk of injury.
Muscles worked when doing Pseudo Planche Push-ups
Primary Muscles:
•Shoulders: Anterior deltoids (front shoulder muscles)
•Chest: Pectoralis major and minor
•Triceps: Triceps brachii (back of the arms)
Secondary Muscles:
•Core: Abdominals and obliques (for stabilization)
•Back: Serratus anterior, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi (for shoulder stability)
•Forearms: Used for wrist stabilization due to the forward lean
•Glutes and Legs: Actively engaged to help maintain body alignment
Primary Muscle(s):
Anterior delt
Middle chest
Secondary Muscle(s):
Triceps
Abdominal
Equipment needed for Pseudo Planche Push-ups
No equipment needed for this exercise.
Adjust the difficulty of Pseudo Planche Push-ups
How to make Pseudo Planche Push-ups harder?
How to make Pseudo Planche Push-ups easier?
How to make Pseudo Planche Push-ups harder?
To make Pseudo Planche Push-ups harder:
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Increase the Forward Lean: Lean further forward, bringing your shoulders well in front of your wrists. This increases the load on your shoulders and chest, making the exercise significantly more challenging.
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Elevate Your Feet: Place your feet on a raised surface (such as a bench or a step) to increase the angle and difficulty of the exercise.
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Add a Weighted Vest: Wearing a weighted vest adds resistance and makes the push-up harder, requiring more strength to complete each repetition.
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Move Toward Full Planche Push-ups: Progress further by incorporating exercises that develop planche strength, such as tuck planche holds, and work towards eventually performing full planche push-ups.
How to make Pseudo Planche Push-ups easier?
To make Pseudo Planche Push-ups easier:
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Reduce the Forward Lean: Start with only a slight forward lean rather than leaning your shoulders far in front of your wrists.
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Perform Knee Pseudo Planche Push-ups: Keep your knees on the ground to reduce the amount of body weight you need to push, while maintaining proper form and hand placement.
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Increase Hand Placement: Position your hands slightly closer to your chest, reducing the pressure on your shoulders while still maintaining the pseudo planche position.
