An elite gymnastic straight-arm hold with the body horizontal and arms out near the hips in a straddle, demanding extreme core tension, straight-arm strength, and full-body control.
CoreBodyweightStraight-arm hold
Start
End
Primary
Pectoralis majorRectus abdominis
Secondary
Anterior deltoidsBicepsSpinal erectorsGlutes
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Straight-arm hold
Setup
01Train on rings, parallettes, or a Maltese trainer with spotting or band assistance.
02Warm up the biceps, elbows, and shoulders thoroughly with straight-arm prep work.
03Set a false or standard grip with wrists stacked and elbows locked.
04Establish a hollow body with the straddle set before leaning.
Execution
01Lean far forward with locked arms, letting the hands travel back toward the hips.
02Lower the straddled body toward horizontal while pressing down hard through the arms.
03Hold the horizontal line with the arms roughly beside the hips.
04Exit by lifting the chest and raising the hips back out of the hold.
Checkpoints
-Elbows stay completely locked with the elbow pits facing forward.
-The body forms one horizontal line from head to pointed toes.
-The straddle stays wide and the glutes stay squeezed.
-Scapulae stay actively depressed and protracted.
Common mistakes
-Bending the elbows to survive the lean, which trains the wrong pattern and loads the joints badly.
-Piking at the hips instead of holding a flat body line.
-Progressing to this hold without years of planche and straight-arm base work.
-Skipping biceps and elbow conditioning and getting tendon issues.
Programming notes
-Train with heavy band assistance or a Maltese trainer for 3 to 5 holds of 3 to 8 seconds.
-Treat it as a multi-year progression after a solid straddle planche; do not rush loading.
-Keep total weekly straight-arm volume low and monitor elbow and biceps tendon health.
