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Pseudo Planche Push-Up

If you’re looking to test your upper-body strength, you don’t always need a barbell and bench. 

The pseudo planche push-up is considered one of the most demanding push-up alternatives. It forms a great stepping stone when looking to progress to the full-planche exercise.

Engaging numerous upper body muscles, this exercise is the ultimate challenge. It encourages these muscles to take on the task of holding up the lifter’s body weight while performing the push-up. This guide will show you how to do the pseudo planche push-up to upgrade your upper body strength. 

How To Do

  1. Enter a tabletop position with your hands and knees on a mat or towel. 
  2. Position your hands out to the side and near your stomach. Your fingers should point away from your body. Ensure both arms are fully extended with your elbows next to your ribs.
  3. Extend your legs behind you and rise from the mat in a plank position.
  4. Inhale and engage your core. There should be a straight line from your heels to your head.
  5. In a controlled manner, slowly lower down to the bottom position.
  6. Extend your elbows to push back up. Exhale at the same time.

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Tips From Expert

  • Consider these visual cues to maintain proper form while performing the pseudo-planche push-up. Lower the chest to touch the ground or as close as possible. Keep the elbows in to prevent them from hyperextending over the wrists. 
  • At the top of the movement, ensure you protract the shoulders and completely extend the elbows. This part of the exercise is often overlooked because it is the most demanded portion of the movement. It’s demanding on the shoulders and can promote outstanding progress in strength if prioritized. 
  • The direction of where the fingers face in this exercise varies for the lifter. Those who choose to face fingers forward toward the head may find this limits wrist mobility.

Optimal Sets and Reps

Examining your fitness goals is essential for determining the ideal sets and reps of exercises like the pseudo planche push-up.

Training TypeSetsReps
Strength Training3–54–6
Hypertrophy3–48–12
Endurance Training3–415–20
Power Training2–31–5
Optimal Sets & Reps of Pseudo Planche Push-Up

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The pseudo-planche push-up is a variation of the traditional push-up, a common upper-body exercise. It incorporates an arm position that emphasizes more muscle engagement to maintain balance throughout the movement. Because of this, it bridges the gap between the push-up and the planche.

It targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps as the large muscle groups. It can be programmed using different options.  

For muscle-focused splits, the workout program is split into muscle groups. Day 1 could be chest, shoulders, and triceps. The next day could be quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The pseudo-planche push-up would be best incorporated into shoulders or core-focused days. 

In upper and lower body splits, core exercises can be integrated into either. Upper days often consist of chest and arms. Lower body days include all the muscles in the legs, including the glutes and quads. Since this exercise utilizes a lot of upper body muscles, we recommend programming it into upper body days. 

The pseudo-planche push-up is recommended to enhance muscular endurance. If your fitness goal is to increase strength, lower repetitions with greater intensity are also recommended. 

As a bodyweight exercise, loading recommendations are not needed. Change the sets and reps according to your training goal.

*Expert tip: To maximize intensity in this exercise, increase the forward lean by pointing the toes. This places more tension on the muscles to maintain stability.

Primary Muscle Groups

Abdominal Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the bottom of your pectoral region, just above your abdominal muscles.

Abdominal Head

The abdominal head is part of the pectoralis major chest muscle. It makes up the lower section above the abdominals. 

This muscle is responsible for producing extension and adduction of the shoulder. Essentially, this means that this muscle draws the arm towards the body's midline and down.

During the pseudo panache push-up, it helps to extend and adduct the shoulder as you come out of the bottom position. This means that it helps to bring your arm down and towards the midline of the body as you push.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.

Sternal Head of Pectoralis Major

Large muscles located underneath your clavicle head. Makes up most of your chest area

Serratus Anterior

Small, fan shaped muscle that lies deep under your chest and scapula.

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

Clavicular Head

Situated around the collarbone, the clavicular head is also part of the pectoralis major muscle. This muscle is necessary for various upper-body movements, including shoulder flexion and adduction. Actions like lifting the arm down and across the body use the clavicular head to support the movement. 

The clavicular head is engaged in the pseudo panache push-up as it flexes the shoulder as you lower into the bottom position. It also helps to adduct the shoulder as you push back up, meaning it brings your arms closer to your midline.

Sternal Head

The sternal head is the middle part of the pectoralis major, also known as the middle chest. 

The sternocostal, or sternal, head of the pectoralis major is the largest of the two heads. It assists in adducting the arm to move the arm toward you and extending the arm at the shoulder joint. 

In the pseudo-planche push-up, it functions alongside the other heads to control the descent and power back up.

Anterior Deltoid

Your shoulders are made up of three deltoid heads. Located at the front of the shoulder, the anterior deltoid flexes the shoulder, bringing it up and forward.

In the pseudo-planche push-up, the anterior deltoid is raised in front of the body. It flexes your shoulders, helping to lower the descent, and keeps them stable as you push.

Consider other front-delt exercises to add to your gym routine to improve physical aesthetics and strength.  

Triceps Lateral Heads

The triceps lateral head is one of three muscle groups that comprise the tricep muscle. Located on the back of the arm, this muscle is necessary to extend the elbow.

The triceps lateral heads are engaged in the pseudo-planche push-up to extend the elbow. They are primarily activated in the second half of the pushing movement. Before performing this exercise, consider performing tricep stretches to warm them up. 

Triceps Medial Heads

The triceps medial head is another of the three tricep muscle heads. It supports stability and movement in the arm. Like the lateral head, it also primarily performs elbow extension.

Alongside the lateral head, it helps to extend the elbow as you push up from the bottom position. Compared to the other two tricep heads, it is active in all forms of elbow extension.

Triceps Long Heads

The triceps long head is the largest of the three muscle groups of the tricep brachii. It extends from the elbow joint to the shoulder blade. This attachment to the shoulder blade explains its function of elbow extension and shoulder stabilization.

Due to the positioning of the pseudo planche push-up, the triceps long head is crucial for promoting movement in the shoulder and arm. It extends the elbows whilst stabilizing the shoulders. This keeps you in the correct push-up position and helps to prevent injury.

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior is a broad fan-shaped muscle situated between the chest wall and the shoulder blades, or scapula. It stabilizes the scapula, playing a crucial role in supporting arm movements.

The serratus anterior is incorporated as a secondary muscle in the pseudo-planche push-up. It stabilizes the shoulder joint to hold proper form and perform the push-up motion.

Equipment

Bodyweight

Bodyweight

Requires bodyweight resistance and additional equipment for proper execution.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Push-Up

T Push-Up

Push-Up to Shoulder Tap

Clap Push-Up

Plyo Push-Up

Chair Chest Dip

Grasshopper Push-Up

Spider Push-Up

Knee Push-Up

Incline Push-Up

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Barbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Bench Press

Chest Dip

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

Cable Chest Fly

Chest Fly Machine

Smith Machine Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Fly

Chest Press Machine

Barbell Decline Bench Press

Who Should Do?

Gymnasts

A gymnast is someone who trains in gymnastics, a sport involving incredible body strength, flexibility, and mobility. These athletes must train extensively to increase full-body strength, and balance, and enhance athletic performance. 

The pseudo-planche push-up is a phenomenal exercise for gymnasts as it can help these athletes enhance upper body strength. This exercise is a variation of the full-planche push-up that gymnasts use to progress to performing places and handstands. 

Calisthenic Athletes

Calisthenics involves exercise that relies solely on body weight as a form of resistance that can be done anywhere. It uses your body weight to perform functional movements.

Many calisthenics athletes have become famous on social media for their incredible strength and displays of full-body strength. These athletes incorporate various calisthenics exercises, such as push-ups and pull-ups, to improve balance, stability, and strength. 

The pseudo-planche push-up is considered a bodyweight exercise and acceptable as a calisthenics-based movement. Calisthenic athletes would benefit from this exercise because it improves upper body strength and stability. 

It can be added to an at-home shoulder workout for athletes looking to improve upper body strength. 

Those Wanting To Improve Upper Body Strength

For those seeking to improve upper body strength, performing the pseudo-planche push-up is a great idea. This is because the pseudo-planche push-up actively engages different muscles in the upper body to perform the movement. It also requires full-body coordination and balance.

Prioritizing upper body strength through exercise is crucial for maintaining upper limb coordination, reducing injury risk, and emphasizing proper posture. Incorporating exercises like the pseudo planche push-up is an active decision to strengthen the upper body and support one’s health. 

Who Should Not Do?

Those With Injuries In The Shoulder Or Wrist

The pseudo-planche push-up is unsuitable for anyone with shoulder or wrist injuries. This exercise places a lot of tension on the joints and muscles around the shoulders and wrists. The added strain can stress pre-existing injuries unnecessarily and possibly cause more damage. 

Instead, consider incline push-ups. Because of its incline positioning, this variation places less tension on the shoulder and wrist joints. 

*Expert tip: If you notice shoulder or wrist pain when moving them through their full range of motion, stop the exercise immediately. Speak to a healthcare professional who will perform a detailed diagnosis.

Beginners

The pseudo-planche push-up can be extremely challenging for the most experienced lifters. For beginners, it’s advised to consider performing a variation or an easier version of the exercise. 

An easier movement would involve placing the knees on the ground for added balance and support. A variation of the pseudo-planche push-up would be a traditional push-up. 

Benefits Of The Pseudo Planche Push Up

Builds Strength

Various methods are used in exercise programming to encourage improvements in strength. From one to three times a week, actively exercising can promote strength gains in individuals. This includes the pseudo-planche push-up and upper body strength. 

The pseudo-planche push-up is a challenging exercise that targets the chest and shoulders. It increases the workout intensity to enhance strength development. 

Various muscles, like the anterior deltoids, are activated in the pseudo-planche push-up to support the up-and-down movement. This engagement of numerous muscles encourages improvements in strength gains for lifters who prioritize this exercise. 

Enhances Shoulder Stability

Improving shoulder stability is important in reducing injury risk to the joint. A stable shoulder supports healthy movement and function in the arm. Poor stability of the shoulder joint can make it more susceptible to injury.

Performing the pseudo-planche push-up in one’s program can enhance shoulder stability by strengthening surrounding muscles. Muscles like the serratus anterior and anterior deltoid consistently work to aid shoulder stability. Each muscle is engaged in the pseudo-planche push-up to promote strength gains and enhance shoulder stability. 

Improves Balance 

Balance is an often overlooked aspect of everyday life that can be detrimental if unhealthy. For example, older adults will find a decline in balance than in the younger years. This plays a prominent role in accidents and injuries in older adults. 

One of the best ways to maintain balance and coordination as we age is to prioritize preventative measures like exercise. The pseudo-planche push-up engages multiple muscle groups to preserve form and posture. It’s also a challenging exercise that requires a high degree of balance to keep the correct form.

Regular performance helps to improve balance and keep muscles strong to support stability in day-to-day activities and life. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are pseudo-planche push-ups good?

Pseudo-planche push-ups are good for individuals who want to challenge their upper body strength and balance. This push-up variation is a step up in intensity. It forces the muscles to engage and support the body’s weight during the movement.

What is the hardest type of push-up?

Quite a few push-up variations are considered some of the hardest. From the two-finger push-up to the planche push-up, countless demanding variations test the strength of the muscles.

Do pseudo-push-ups work the lower chest?

The pseudo-planche push-ups can work the lower chest depending on the position of the hands and body. Lowering the hands below the chest and keeping them close to the hips better activates these muscles.

Is the pseudo-planche push-up bad for joints?

This push-up variation isn’t necessarily bad for the joints but can strain them due to the hand position. If performed incorrectly, injury can be a risk. By prioritizing quality exercise forms, this issue can easily be deterred.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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