How to get the straddle planche from scratch

In this article we are going to explain how to make straddle planche from scratch

How to get to do the Straddle Planche with Easypull:

Welcome to this new Blog post. Today we are going to explain how to train and how to get the Straddle Planche using the help of Easypull.

The straddle planche is a characteristic element of male artistic gymnastics. Over time, this element would be imported into calisthenics training. The Straddle planche is an exercise of great complexity, since you must hold your entire body horizontally and in the air using mainly the strength of the arms and your core.

To get the straddle iron it is necessary to apply a force equal to or greater than that of your own corpora weight. This ability is conditioned by what is called relative strength, that is, the strength you have in relation to the weight of your body.

index:

1. Technique and position of the Straddle planche.
2. Musculature involved in straddle iron.
3. Factors that limit performance.
4. Progressions to get the straddle iron.
5. Programming the training to get the straddle planche.

1. Technique and position of the Straddle planche:

To get the straddle planche you must start knowing the technique, that is, how to place your body and how to apply the force.

• Your hands should be placed as you feel most comfortable, usually at the width of your shoulders approximately. If you do it on the ground it might help you turn your hands out a bit. This will make it not as demanding at the level of wrist mobility.
• The scapulae should be in protretion. You must push the ground hard, as if you want to separate yourself from it at all times. This will help to prevent the stress on passive structures (bones, ligaments, etc.)
• The hip should be in extension and abduction, that is, legs parallel to the ground and open. For this, it is important to work the extensive and abductor muscles of the hip (mainly major and middle buttocks).
• The legs should be extended and the feet in extension. This helps to generate tension throughout our body and keep it as a block. The tension helps to maintain the blockage to get the straddle ironing.

To apply the force correctly when making a straddle planche you must think about pushing the ground and performing a shoulder flexion. This force is isometric, but we must apply it in that direction in order to hold our body horizontally and parallel to the ground.

1. Musculature involved in straddle iron.

The musculature involved in making the Straddle Planche can be classified into two groups:

• Agonist or main musculature: They are responsible for supporting the body by applying maximum isometric force.

- Kinetic chain (deltoids, pectoralis, biceps): this muscular kinetic chain is responsible for flexional the shoulder and applying force against the ground, functioning as a fulcing point to keep the body horizontal when making the straddle iron.

- Buttock major: it is responsible for keeping the legs horizontal and parallel to the ground.

- Middle buttock: responsible for keeping the legs as open as possible in the straddle planche.

• Stabilizing musculature: They are responsible for stabilizing the joints to be able to apply force in the optimal direction.

- Anterior serrate and pectoralis minor: they are responsible for maintaining the abducted or protrated scapula. Together with the kinetic chain of the arm (deltoids, pectoralis major and biceps) they help to generate tension in the upper limb to make the straddle planche.

- Transverse of the Abdomen: the central musculature is activated automatically and reflexed to help stabilize the center or core area.

1. Factors that limit performance:

The main factor that limits us to be able to make the straddle planche is the relative strength, that is, the strength we have in relation to the weight of our body.

Relative strength, in turn, depends on two factors:

• Anthropometric factors: these are the factors related to the morphological characteristics of a person and therefore are related to the performance in the straddle planche.
  • Weight: The higher the body weight in relation to strength, the greater the difficulty in executing the straddle planche.
  • Height: The higher body height, generally, the greater the difficulty in executing the straddle planche.
  • Limb length: The length of the limbs, mainly that of the lower train, can help or make it difficult to make the straddle iron. The very long legs generate more lever arm and, therefore, suppose a greater weight to lift to make the straddle iron.
    % body fat: adipose or fatty tissue is non-shrink tissue. Therefore, each gram of fat is a burden that will complicate us to perform straddle planche.

• Conditional factors: these are factors related purely to the conditional capabilities necessary to be able to execute the straddle planche. From the directly practical point of view there are two:
  • Isometric force production: another fundamental factor to achieve the straddle planche is your ability to produce isometric force. This force must be equal to or greater than the weight of your body for your legs to rise from the ground. The most important muscles are the shoulder flexors, since they represent the support point on which our entire body rests.

• • Range of motion: a much forgotten aspect in straddle planche is range of motion training. If you want to get the straddle planche from scratch it is important that you incorporate flexibility work into your routine.
  • Why is comprehensive or flexible work important? If you perform a straddle planche and you have the ability to open your legs a lot, you will find it easier to get the straddle planche done. This is because the length from shoulder to foot is shortened (lever arm). When this distance is shortened the weight of gravity on our body is reduced and, therefore, it is simpler. This is the main reason why you will find it much easier to make tuck planche than fulll planche.

1. Progressions to get to make the straddle planche: to get to make the full planche from scratch it is important that you follow the following steps:
   1. Iron with supported feet: start with this exercise to become aware of your core and scapulae. Improve until you can hold comfortable 20-30 seconds and with good posture.
   2. Planche read: Work this exercise until you are able to hold 15-20 seconds with good postural control.
   3. Tuck iron: Train this exercise until you are able to hold 12-15 seconds with good postural control.
   4. Straddle Planche: Train the easypull assisted ironing straddle or an elastic band until you get 8-10 seconds.
   5. Remember to improve the flexibility for the straddle to make it easier and get the straddle ironed from scratch before.

1. Example of training to get the straddle planche from scratch:

If you want to get the straddle planche from scratch it is important that you know how to schedule a workout. For this we will take into account the following parameters and then we will see how to use them.

1. Volume: it would be the series and the seconds per series that we endure the progression of iron that we are working on.
2. Intensity: we are going to measure it from 0 to 10, where 0 is effortless and 10 a lot of effort.
3. Frequency: is the number of days we are going to train the planche.
4. Recovery: it is the rest time that we are going to leave between each series.
5. Weight of help: it is the weight that we use to help us make the straddle planche (the difference in weight between what you use and what you weigh, would be what you lack to get it done).
6. Technique: we are going to measure it by recording with a video camera. We will look at: body parallel to the ground, protrated scapulae and the height of the hip with respect to the shoulders.

The key would be to use easypull to help you in that progression where you have difficulties. The goal would be to get to do the straddle ironing without help.

Training frequency:

• Novice: 2 sessions per week.
• Intermediate person: 3 sessions per week.
• Advanced person: 4-5 sessions per week.

recovery:

If you want to get the straddle planche you must improve your isometric strength production. To do this you must leave a recovery of 90'' between sets. This is super important to be able to work each series at the maximum possible intensity.

technique:

Use your mobile camera to record yourself. You have to look at your posture. Recording will help you improve and also allows you to know when to stop training if the technique deteriorates throughout the series.

Phases of training:

• Activation phase: it is the phase in which we do the specific heating. You will work only the exercises that you can already do without problem, with a good posture. You're going to do 2 series in this phase. The goal is to warm up and not get too tired. In this phase you should not go beyond a 5-6 out of 10 intensity.

• Novice: 2 sets of 15 seconds of iron supporting feet (30 seconds between sets).
• Intermediate person: 1 series of 15 seconds of iron and 1 series of 12 seconds of lean ironing.
• Advanced person: 1 series of 12 seconds of lean ironing and 1 series of 10 seconds of tuck planche.

• Approach phase: it is the phase where you start working the progression that is difficult for you, but you do it with a weight that helps you a lot to warm up and have very good technique. In this phase you should not go beyond 6-7 out of 10 intensity.

• Novice person: 2 sets of 12-second lean ironing (1st series with enough weight of help and 2nd series removing weight of help).
• Intermediate person: 2 sets of 10-second planche tuck (1st series with enough weight of help and 2nd series removing weight of help).
• Advanced person: 2 sets of straddle planche of 8 seconds (1st series with enough weight of help and 2nd series removing weight of help).

• Main phase: it is the phase in which you lower the weight of the aid, it already costs you enough and allows you to improve the strength to get the straddle iron. In this phase you must stop training when you reach an 8 of effort out of 10 as you take the weight off in each series.

• Novice person: 3-4 sets of 10-second iron tuck (you would have to remove 1-2kg in each set).
• Intermediate person: 3-4 sets of straddle planche of 8 seconds (you would have to go removing 1-2kg in each series).
• Advanced person: 3-4 sets of straddle planche of 6 seconds (you would have to go removing 1-2kg in each series).

conclusion:

1. The technique to achieve the straddle planche consists of hands at the width of shoulders, scapulae in protraction and open and extended legs. The whole body should be kept in block and parallel to the ground.
2. The main muscles that work to make the straddle planche are: deltoids, pectoral and biceps brachial (in the upper train) and gluteal major and middle (in the lower train). In addition other stabilizing muscles such as anterior serrate or deep transverse of the abdomen have a very important role.
3. The main factors limiting performance are: % fat, limb length, weight, height and strength relative to body weight, specifically the ability to produce isometric strength.
4. The main progressions are: iron with supported feet, lean planche, tuck planche and straddle planche. We will use easypull or an elastic band when we get stuck in one of them.
5. Training programming to get a straddle planche: you have to take into account the frequency according to your level, perform 3 phases in each session to warm up well and avoid injuries and record yourself with a camcorder to improve posture and understand how your technique deteriorates throughout the series.

If you liked this article we also leave you a video on how to make the straddle planche from scratch:

We also leave you a 20-minute webinar in which we talk about training programming to get the straddle iron from scratch: