The reverse planche is one of the hardest skills in calisthenics that only a few people in the world can do but none of them with the perfect form.
In this article, you will learn what reverse planche is, its progressions and why it is so hard to do
What is reverse planche?
The reverse planche is a highly advanced calisthenics move that in perfect form is considered impossible. It’s a harder version of victorian where the body and arms are straight and horizontal, but here the arms are point down at an angle
an ideal form
here’s one of the best attempts
why reverse planche is so hard
This skill requires crazy triceps and core strength and shoulders mobility. To develop that level of strength it takes years of consistent training, you not only need dedication and discipline to achieve that but also appropriate body structure, if you’re too tall or have a small upper body and big legs then it will be a lot harder or even impossible for you to achieve reverse planche
prerequisites
before you even start thinking about reverse planche you should be able to do:
- front lever
- victorian
- impossible dip
- dragon press
- if you can do manna that too would be helpful
approaches and progressions
there are a few approaches to learning reverse planche:
The first approach would be to start from the victorian and raise your body increasing your arm to floor angle. In this approach, you progress by increasing your arm to floor angle each training.
Another strategy is to start from the manna and lower your legs. This way you progress by increasing your body to legs angle. Because manna requires a lot more mobility and flexibility that’s why it’s more suitable for gymnasts rather than calisthenic athletes
The last approach is to start from the handstand and arch your back. You progress by working on your mobility and with each training, you arch your back more
For calisthenics athletes the best approach would be the victorian one, you don’t need that much mobility and flexibility as in manna.
The thrid one isn’t recommended, arching back like that could be harmful to you if done incorrectly
Conclusion
The calisthenics community is still growing and every year athletes are getting stronger, what was once impossible now is done with no effort, the same will be with the reverse planche and in the coming years, someone will achieve perfect form.
