A classic planche is that almost superhuman exercise you will often see breakdancers or gymnasts perform, where the entire body is held off the ground (almost perfectly horizontal) with just the hands in contact with the floor.
It’s a true test of strength, balance, and control. It’s definitely not something you can learn overnight, but it can be modified so that those of us who aren’t Zohan can benefit from it. And if your ultimate goal is to become one of these gravity-defying people, this is one way to build up strength and balance in the same muscle groups.
Here are some tips for performing the perfect planche rock to pushup:
1) Start in a hollow position. This means your abs are tightly braced (think of prepping for a punch to the gut). Hips are slightly tucked and the back is not sagging, nor is your butt pointing up towards the ceiling.
2) Shift your shoulders past your wrists in a controlled manner, not losing the positioning in your middle. As you do this, the weight will shift from the balls of your feet to the tips of your toes.
3) Lower yourself by pulling your elbows back. Don’t let them flare out to the sides.
4) Rise up and carefully rock back to the plank/hollow position with abs braced and hips slightly tucked under.
That’s one rep. Add these into your core routine or in place of regular pushups. For superhuman abs, check out The Anarchy Abs Workout.
[“source-menshealth”]
