Planche Lean and Frog Stand

The planche lean and frog stand are your first two planche-specific exercises. The planche lean develops the shoulder strength and forward balance required for every subsequent progression, while the frog stand teaches you to balance your body weight over your hands. Together, they form the entry point into planche training.

The Planche Lean

Setup and Technique

Starting Position:

• Hands flat on the floor (or on parallettes), shoulder-width apart
• Fingers spread wide with middle fingers pointing forward
• Start in a pushup position with arms locked
• Protract your scapulae fully (push the ground away)
• Engage posterior pelvic tilt (tuck tailbone under)

Executing the Lean:

• Keeping your arms locked and body rigid, shift your weight forward
• Your shoulders will move past your wrists
• The further you lean, the more your toes will lighten on the ground
• At maximum lean, your toes should barely touch the ground
• Hold the position, breathing steadily

Key Technique Points

• Arms stay locked: Any bend in the elbows changes the exercise entirely. If you cannot maintain locked arms, reduce the lean
• Full protraction throughout: Do not let your shoulder blades collapse together as you lean forward
• Posterior pelvic tilt: Your body line should be straight or slightly hollow, never arched
• Head position: Look at the ground between or slightly behind your hands
• Breathing: Breathe steadily. Holding your breath increases blood pressure and reduces hold time

Common Mistakes

• Bending the elbows: Usually a sign of insufficient straight-arm strength. Reduce the lean
• Piking at the hips: Raising the hips to make it easier. Keep the body in a straight line
• Losing protraction: Shoulder blades pinching together under load. Focus on pushing the ground away
• Excessive wrist pain: The lean may be too aggressive for current wrist conditioning. Use parallettes or reduce lean distance
• Holding breath: Creates unnecessary tension and limits hold time

Progression Standards

Progress to the next level when you can hold the current level for 4 x 30 seconds:

1. Level 1: Shoulders directly over wrists (essentially a protracted plank). Target: 4 x 30s
2. Level 2: Shoulders 5 cm past wrists. Target: 4 x 30s
3. Level 3: Shoulders 10 cm past wrists, toes very light on the ground. Target: 4 x 30s
4. Level 4: Maximum lean, toes barely touching. Target: 4 x 20s

When you can hold Level 4 for 4 x 20 seconds, you have the shoulder strength to begin tuck planche work.

The Frog Stand

Setup and Technique

Starting Position:

• Place hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width
• Fingers spread and pointing forward or slightly outward
• Squat down with knees outside your arms

Executing the Hold:

• Place your knees on the backs of your upper arms, near the armpits
• Lean forward, shifting your weight onto your hands
• Slowly lift your feet off the ground
• Balance with your knees resting on your arms
• Hold the position

Key Technique Points

• Gradual weight shift: Do not throw yourself forward. Slowly shift until you find the balance point
• Finger pressure: Use your fingers to make fine balance adjustments. Press harder with fingertips when tipping forward, shift to palm when tipping backward
• Head position: Look at the ground about 30 cm in front of your hands
• Arm position: Elbows bent at approximately 90 degrees, upper arms roughly parallel to the floor
• Breathing: Short, controlled breaths. Deep breathing will shift your center of gravity

Common Mistakes

• Throwing yourself into position: Leads to face-plants and wrist strain. Transition slowly
• Placing knees too low on arms: Knees should be high on the triceps, near the armpits, not on the elbows
• Insufficient forward lean: If you do not lean forward enough, you cannot find the balance point
• Gripping too hard: Excessive grip tension fatigues the forearms quickly. Use a firm but not maximal grip

Progression Standards

1. Level 1: Hold for 5 seconds consistently. Target: 5 x 5s
2. Level 2: Hold for 15 seconds consistently. Target: 4 x 15s
3. Level 3: Hold for 30 seconds consistently. Target: 4 x 30s
4. Level 4: Hold for 30+ seconds and begin lifting knees off arms momentarily

The frog stand primarily develops balance and confidence. Once you can hold for 15+ seconds, the balance skills transfer directly to tuck planche attempts.

Combining Planche Lean and Frog Stand

Sample Training Session

Warm-Up (10 minutes):

• General movement: 3 minutes
• Wrist warm-up routine: 5 minutes
• Scapular pushups: 2 x 10
• Hollow body hold: 2 x 15 seconds

Skill Work (15-20 minutes):

• Planche lean holds: 5 x 15-30 seconds (rest 90 seconds between sets)
• Frog stand holds: 5 x 10-30 seconds (rest 90 seconds between sets)

Supplementary Work (10-15 minutes):

• Pseudo planche pushups: 3 x 5-8
• L-sit holds: 3 x 10-15 seconds
• Hollow body holds: 3 x 20 seconds

Cool-Down (5 minutes):

• Wrist stretches
• Shoulder stretches
• Light chest and anterior deltoid stretching

Training Frequency

• Skill work (planche lean + frog stand): 3-4 times per week
• Rest between sessions: At least 48 hours between planche-specific sessions
• Supplementary work: Can be performed more frequently (4-5 times per week)

When to Progress

You are ready to move to tuck planche work (Lesson 8) when:

• Planche lean Level 3 is achieved (4 x 30s with shoulders 10 cm past wrists)
• Frog stand Level 2 is achieved (4 x 15s)
• Wrist conditioning is well-established with no pain
• Hollow body hold: 30+ seconds
• These benchmarks are typically reached in 4-8 weeks of consistent training

Troubleshooting

"I keep falling forward in the frog stand"

• You are leaning too far forward. Start with less lean and gradually find the balance point
• Place a pillow in front of you for safety while learning
• Focus on pressing with the fingertips to control forward tipping

"My wrists hurt during planche leans"

• Use parallettes to eliminate wrist extension stress
• Reduce the lean until the wrist conditioning catches up
• Ensure you are performing the wrist warm-up before every session

"I cannot protract fully under load"

• Your serratus anterior needs more development
• Add extra sets of scapular pushups throughout the day
• Start with less lean to practice protraction under lighter load

"My shoulders fatigue very quickly"

• This is normal in the beginning. The anterior deltoid is working in an unfamiliar pattern
• Keep holds short (10-15 seconds) and add more sets rather than longer holds
• Ensure you are resting at least 90 seconds between sets

Conclusion

The planche lean and frog stand are the building blocks of planche training. While they may seem basic, mastering them thoroughly sets the stage for faster progression through the more advanced holds. Do not rush through this phase. The shoulder strength and balance skills developed here are the foundation for everything that follows. In the next lesson, we will progress to the tuck planche.