Hello to all,
I hope you are well!
After having written an article on how to get the Flag, the Front Lever or to succeed in holding in Handstand, we are going to approach another mythical figure of the Street Workout: the Straddle Planche.
Straddle Board on Elevation BarsIn this article, we will discuss the prerequisites to succeed in this figure, we will also see the best possible training structure, the alternatives, the equipment to have or the techniques to limit injuries.
Let's go it's on! 🔥
PREREQUISITE STRADDLE BOARD
For the prerequisites of the plank, it is preferable to hold the Tuck Plank for 12 to 15 seconds, this will be essential for your muscles which will get used to this position but also for the perception of your body in space.
Have a good Handstand and Back Lever will help you greatly, it will strengthen your elbows and teach you to put them in the right direction.
Finally, having strong and flexible wrists will be essential for obtaining this figure, we do not want the wrists to limit our performance.
WARM-UP
Before starting the Straddle Plank, we advise you towarm up your shoulders, elbows and wristsproperly because they will be under a lot of stress during the effort.
You can perform scapular push-ups, classic push-ups, pull-ups, Handstand or Tuck Planche.
That's it, you're ready to get started! 💪
THE EXECUTION OF THE STRADDLE BOARD ?
If you are a beginner, there are several important steps to follow.
Before each level, we recommend that you remember to place your hands outwards to avoid putting too much tension on them.
To move from one level to another, you can film yourself to make sure the position is perfect. Here we go!
Level 1:
In squatting position, you have to put your hands on the paddles and place your knees at the same height as your elbows. In order to have a better center of gravity it will be necessary to advance slightly the shoulders towards the front.
As you repeat, you will be able to hold on longer and longer and find your reference points more easily.
Level 2:
You will have to do the same by removing this time the support of the knees, the legs must be inside the arms. You will notice that the difficulty will be felt but don't panic, you will have to get used to it and repeat the movement as much as possible. The Plank is one of the hardest Street Workout exercises there is, so you'll be proud of yourself as you work your way through the steps.
The goal will be to increase the angle thigh / bust, the idea is to move the thighs away from the bust as much as possible to end up at 90 °.
Level 3:
Once step 2 is well consolidated, the goal of this level will be to spread your thighs when you are at 90 degrees. Try to hold this position as long as possible and you will be ready for the last step.
For levels 3 and 4, it is possible to use an elastic band to be placed on the pelvis to stay in levitation and have a glimpse of the final result.
Level 4:
You are almost there! Now you will have to spread your legs and tighten them as much as possible.
This step is difficult but there is no reason why you can't do it, the more you repeat the movement, the more you will progress to the ultimate step: getting your full board.
Straddle Board with elastic band
EQUIPMENT TO HAVE
When making the board, the hands will be under a lot of strain. Therefore we recommend to use low rollers or high to relieve the strain on your hands, depending on your preference.
Whether you have fragile wrists or not, this equipment will be of great importance. It is not very pleasant to put your hands on the floor, the ground can be cold or hot depending on the season or simply dirty.
STRADDLE BOARD TRAINING
Exercise 1:
We start the workout with the most difficult: 4 sets of your max time. You can start lifting the plank via the floor or the handstand. We advise you to go down from the handstand, it's a better way to enter more progressively in Straddle with a better form.
Exercise 2:
We pass now on the Tuck Board Push Ups with 3 series of your maximum. Alternating between isometric, negative and straight/bent arm work allows you to work efficiently and be as complete as possible.
Remember to keep track of the number of reps on each set on your phone so you'll want to do more the next time!
Exercise 3:
In the third exercise: the Back LeverIf you are very comfortable you can do it with one arm but we advise you to be strong enough with two arms.
You can film yourself to see your execution and improve it if it is not good. For information, the back should not be hollowed out and your whole body should be covered.
Exercise 4:
We start again on max Tuck Planche, we will want to give everything and work its mental. Your goal will be to achieve 45 to 60 seconds of Tuck Planche over all your sets. If it takes you 6 or 7 sets, you should not stop before reaching your goal.
Exercise 5:
Finally, the Facing Wall HSPU is a great exercise to train your shoulders. You can do 2-3 sets of your maximum reps.
You now have the routine to have and improve your Straddle Board, you just have to apply it.
LIMIT INJURIES
To limit injuries, having the proper equipment such as parallettes will be important because it will limit the strain on your joints.
Strengthening your flexors and extensors is a good way to avoid injury, you can incorporate exercises into your routine such as push-ups on the back of the hands, work on your false grip with pull-ups or slow muscle ups. Finally, you can use an elastic band to extend your wrists.
That's it for this article about the Straddle Planche.
I hope you will have liked it! Don't hesitate to visit our store to get the best equipment for your quest for this emblematic figure of the street workout.
To find my video on this subject : it's here.
See you soon,
Eric Flag
