Shoulders · Bodyweight
Full Planche
How to do the full planche, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Expert
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Place your hands flat on the floor under your shoulders with fingers spread, then lean your weight forward and lift both feet off the ground. Press the floor away and hold your body in a straight horizontal line parallel to the ground, legs fully extended behind you with no support. Brace your shoulders, core, and glutes to maintain the line for the allotted time.
- 1Shoulders and chest driving down to keep your body afloat
- 2Core and glutes locked tight to hold a flat horizontal line
- 3Hands pressing hard into the floor as you lean forward
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag or pike up out of the straight line
- Bending your elbows; keep your arms locked and straight
- Holding your breath; breathe steadily under the high tension
Muscles worked
The full planche mainly works the front delts, upper abs, and lower abs, with the forearms, mid chest, lats, lower traps, obliques, glutes, triceps, upper chest, lower chest, lower back, upper traps, mid traps, quads, side delts, and hip flexors assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid ChestSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the full planche for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.