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Planche: spot and fix your mistakes

In the planche, SkillTrack checks four mistakes: bent elbows, shrugged shoulders, legs below horizontal, and sagging hips. Each has a different cause and needs a different exercise. SkillTrack is a web app that analyzes your phone video on your device and tells you which of these mistakes you have.

How do I spot a mistake in my planche?

A video of yourself shows which of these points is off:

• Elbows bent: the arms don’t hold the weight straight.
• Shoulders shrugged: they move toward the ears instead of forward toward the chest.
• Legs below horizontal: the legs don’t stay at height.
• Hips sag: the body lacks tension (from the straddle stage on).

Why are my elbows bent in the planche?

Strength: your arms can’t hold the weight straight yet.

Tip: Lock your elbows out before you shift your weight forward.

These exercises help against bent elbows

• Straight-arm support hold: Learn locked arms before you take weight forward. The elbows stay fully straight, even if the arms shake.
• Planche Lean: Lean far forward in the support, the earlier progression of the planche. The shoulders stay actively pushed forward and don’t sink, the elbows stay straight, the body stays one straight line.
• Lying 45-degree raise: Loads the straight arms in the angle position of the planche. The elbows stay fully straight, the weight is light enough that you move it with control.

Why do I shrug my shoulders in the planche?

Push yourself away from the floor and lean forward. The shoulders belong forward toward the chest, away from the ears.

Tip: Push actively away from the floor until your neck feels long.

These exercises help against shrugged shoulders

• Scapular Push-up: The movement that pushes you out of your shoulders. The elbows stay straight, only the shoulder blades move.
• Protraction in the Planche Lean: Practice the shoulder position of the Planche Lean on purpose. Only the shoulder blades move, the arms stay straight and the lean doesn’t change.
• Planche Lean: Lean far forward in the support, the earlier progression of the planche. The shoulders stay actively pushed forward and don’t sink, the elbows stay straight, the body stays one straight line.

Why do my legs hang below horizontal in the planche?

Strength: you still lack the strength in shoulders and torso to hold the legs at height.

Tip: Lean further forward, then the legs come up more easily.

These exercises help bring the legs up

• Planche Lean: Lean far forward in the support, the earlier progression of the planche. The shoulders stay actively pushed forward and don’t sink, the elbows stay straight, the body stays one straight line.
• Elevated Pike Hold: Brings the shoulders over the hands and the hips up. The hips are over the shoulders, the elbows are straight.
• Hip lift on parallettes: Learn to raise the hips by leaning forward, the progression for the Tuck Planche. The arms stay straight, the hips rise through the lean, not through swing.

Additionally at the advanced tuck stage

• Tuck Planche hold: Hold the earlier progression cleanly before the legs get longer. The hips don’t drop below the shoulders, the elbows stay straight.
• Protraction in the Planche Lean: Practice the shoulder position of the Planche Lean on purpose. Only the shoulder blades move, the arms stay straight and the lean doesn’t change.
• Band-assisted Planche: You practice your progression with less weight, but in clean form. Choose a band where the form stays clean, and use a thinner one over time.
• Negative Tuck Planche: Practice the way into the planche slowly from top to bottom. The arms stay straight, the way down takes as long as possible.
• Planche Lean with elevated feet: More weight on the hands without the legs getting heavier. The elbows stay straight, the shoulders stay pushed forward and the body stays one straight line.

Additionally at the straddle stage

• Advanced Tuck Planche hold: Hold the earlier progression cleanly before the legs open up. The shoulders stay in front of the hands and the hips don’t drop.
• Band-assisted Planche: You practice your progression with less weight, but in clean form. Choose a band where the form stays clean, and use a thinner one over time.
• L-Sit to Straddle Pulse: Briefly bring the legs to planche length without carrying the full weight. The arms stay straight, the movement is short and controlled.
• Straddle Planche Lean: Practice the spread legs and the forward lean before the feet leave the floor. The legs stay straight, so do the elbows, and the shoulders move in front of the hands.

Why do my hips sag in the planche?

Not enough tension. Belly and glutes tight.

Tip: Squeeze belly and glutes tight before you take the position.

These exercises help against sagging hips

• Hollow Body Hold: Active belly tension while lying down, which later keeps the body in line. The lower back must never come off the floor. If it does, bring your knees closer.
• Lying pelvic tilts: The lower back learns to lie flat on the floor. The movement is small and comes from the belly, not from the legs.
• Arch Body Hold: Tense the back of the body, which keeps the hips up. The glutes stay tight, the neck stays long, you don’t hold your breath.

How does SkillTrack check my Planche?

You film yourself with your phone or pick an existing video. The analysis runs on your device: the video and the body points do not leave it.

SkillTrack recognizes the angle you filmed from and checks only the mistakes that can be measured from that angle. If the angle does not fit, the app rejects the recording instead of judging it wrongly.

You get the finding in one sentence, the reason behind it, and matching exercises.

What comes next?

In SkillTrack the way to the planche has four stages: tuck, advanced tuck, straddle and full. Which mistakes are measured depends on the stage.

What does SkillTrack cost, and what can it not do?

• Free: one skill of your choice with three analyses.
• After that, currently a one-time payment of €9.99 (founder price), no subscription. Then you can check as often as you like, for every skill.
• SkillTrack does not replace a coach and is not a medical product.
• You need a phone with a camera or an already filmed video. On first start the app downloads the recognition model once.

Frequently asked questions

Check my planche in SkillTrack

Last updated: 10.10.2026