Pseudo Planche Push-Ups

The pseudo planche push-up is a push-up done with your hands low by your hips and your shoulders leaned far forward past them. That heavy forward lean shifts your weight onto the front of your shoulders and forearms, which makes it one of the best bodyweight moves for building strength toward a full planche.

How to do a pseudo planche push-up

1. Start in a push-up position, then walk your hands back so they sit next to your hips or lower waist rather than under your shoulders.
2. Turn your fingers out to the sides or point them back toward your feet, whichever feels kinder on your wrists.
3. Lean your shoulders forward so they travel well past your hands. Your body should feel tilted toward the floor in front of you.
4. Keep your body in one straight line from head to heels, with your core braced and hips level.
5. Hold that forward lean as you bend your elbows and lower under control.
6. Press back up while keeping your shoulders ahead of your hands. Don't let them drift back over your wrists.

Muscles worked

The forward lean loads the shoulders hard, so your front deltoids do most of the work. Your chest and triceps assist on every rep, while your forearms and wrists work overtime to hold the leaned position. Your core stays switched on the whole time to keep your hips from sagging.

Benefits

• Planche progression. It teaches your shoulders to carry weight in front of your hands, the exact skill the planche demands.
• Shoulder strength. The lean builds strong, stable front delts that carry over to other pressing moves.
• Wrist and forearm strength. Holding the leaned position steadily builds the wrist stability you need for more advanced skills.

Common mistakes

• Not enough lean. If your shoulders stay over your hands, it's just a regular push-up. Push them forward until you feel the load shift to the front of your shoulders.
• Hands too high. Hands up near your chest take the lean out of the move. Keep them down by your hips or waist.
• Pushing through wrist pain. This position asks a lot of the wrists. Build up gradually, warm them up first, and back off if something hurts rather than powering through.

Difficulty and progressions

To make it easier, lean forward a little less so your shoulders sit only slightly ahead of your hands, then increase the lean as you get stronger. You can also start from your knees while you learn the position.

To make it harder, lean further forward so more weight sits over the front of your shoulders, or elevate your feet on a box or bench to load the shoulders even more. Both moves take you a step closer to the full planche.

Explore all push-up variations, brush up on proper push-up form, or start the 100 push-ups programme.