Are Planche pushups a Chest or a Shoulder exercise ?

[Mouclier Victor]

Hi ! the title says it all.

 

I feel my front delts to be working the most in planche pushups but i've read about them and a lot of people are saying that the motion is similar to a bench press and should then be considered as a chest exercise.

 

What do you think ?

 

Personnally my chest tend to get big quite easily and i find it very ugly...  so should i avoid planche pushups in my training ?

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Bosco

[Toni Laukkavaara]

since being in a hollow position, i'd say no

[Edoardo Roberto Cagnola]

Both (and much more). The body doesn't work that way. Especially with strenuous exercise like PL pushup, your body will use all the muscles that it can to fight the weak leverage. It even works your biceps when you are in the top position.

If your goal is to get stronger at bodyweight training I would not skip planche training just because it makes your chest bigger, since it's an essential foundation movement. If you don't want to get bigger just eat at your maintenance calorie level and you won't gain weight.

[Rebelos]

  On 6/23/2015 at 12:14 PM, Bosco said:

Hi ! the title says it all.

 

I feel my front delts to be working the most in planche pushups but i've read about them and a lot of people are saying that the motion is similar to a bench press and should then be considered as a chest exercise.

 

What do you think ?

 

Personnally my chest tend to get big quite easily and i find it very ugly...  so should i avoid planche pushups in my training.

 

Thanks in advance.

Actually Planche push ups don't simulate at all the bench press, it's really different exercise and yes it recruits mostly shoulders. Of course it hits chest too but not as much as bench press, also I think planche push ups with this close-to-body elbows recruits more upper chest than the bench press exercise

Edited June 23, 2015 by Rebelos

[Wesley Tan]

PPP's work the shoulders, chest,  elbows, wrists and core if they are performed correctly. You will feel the majority of work in your shoulders and chest but don't forget all the small pointers too, protraction of scapulae at top (this will hit serratus anterior), PPT working the core, nice deep lean means all the spinal muscles have to engage too. 

 

Hardly any Gymnastics exercises are isolateded to one body region, thats the beauty of it. The body really has to integrate well to achieve fluidity. 

[Euan]

1)  They are a pushing exercise, working lots of groups of muscles.  Coach Sommer said in BtGB that planche push-ups are like a 'super bench press or a full body press. If there is a part of the body that is not tense and under strain during these, I have yet to discover it. In addition to working the triceps, chest and front delts, you also have a full contraction of the lats, middle back and lower back as well as the traps. The triceps and the forearms are also working hard stabilizing the elbow joint. Core strength is extremely taxed as the upper and lower abs, obliques, serratus and hip flexors all struggle to maintain the elevated body position.'

 

2) Don't avoid them just because they work the chest - just don't eat a surplus and you shouldn't gain any more chest muscle.  

 

3)  Planche PUs are not the same as a bench press, in planche PU the scaps are free to move whereas in bench the scaps should be locked in place.  Bench press is an open chain exercise (moving your hands and the weight) but planche PUs are closed chain (hand is fixed in space, body moving).  However they are both vertical pushing movements.  Planche PU is the most similar bodyweight exercise to the bench press in terms of vertical pushing, apart from weighted push-ups.  As Wes says above, planche push-ups will develop strength throughout the whole upper body.

[Francesco Pudda]

  Quote

However they are both vertical pushing movements.  Planche PU is the most similar bodyweight exercise to the bench press in terms of vertical pushing, apart from weighted push-ups.

 

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[Léo Aïtoulha]

Planche mostly works anterior delts, biceps, upper and middle trapezius, chest, serratus anterior, abs.

Push-Up mostly works anterior delts, triceps, chest.

--> Planche Push-Up works anterior delts, biceps, triceps, upper and middle trapezius, chest, serratus anterior, abs. The more you hold the top position, the more you will work the muscles involved in a Planche.