10 Best Frog Planche Alternatives for Building Abs
If you can’t hold a Frog Planche, use related bodyweight moves that train the same anterior chain and scapular control. Try tuck planche holds, planche leans, dragon flags, L-sits, or hollow body rocks. Cue: squeeze your ribs down and posteriorly tilt the pelvis to load rectus abdominis and hip flexors for better waist stability.
Original Exercise: Frog Planche
How to Perform Frog Planche
- Start in a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back straight.
- As you lower your body, lift your feet off the ground and bring your knees towards your chest.
- Hold this position for a few seconds, then extend your legs back out and push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Frog Planche Alternatives
1. Clock Push-up
73.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- As you lower, rotate your body to the left, extending your left arm straight out to the side.
- Push back up to the starting position, while rotating your body to the center.
- Repeat the push-up, this time rotating your body to the right and extending your right arm out to the side.
2. Diamond Push-up
73% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, engaging your core and glutes.
- Lower your chest towards the diamond shape formed by your hands, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Close-grip Push-up
72.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands placed close together, directly under your shoulders.
- Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Close-grip Push-up (on Knees)
71.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by getting on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
- Lower your upper body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Pause for a moment when your chest is just above the ground.
- Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Clap Push Up
69.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your core engaged.
- Push through your palms explosively to propel your body off the ground.
- While in mid-air, clap your hands together before landing back in the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Chest Tap Push-up (male)
69.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- As you lower yourself, tap your chest with your right hand.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement, this time tapping your chest with your left hand.
7. Drop Push Up
69.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Once your chest is just above the ground, quickly drop your knees to the ground.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Drop Push
67.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position low boxes or other platforms 2-3 feet apart.
- Move to a pushup position between them, supporting yourself by placing your hands on the boxes.
- With good posture, drop from the platforms by pressing up and moving your hands to shoulder width, cushioning your landing by absorbing the impact through the arm.
9. Close-Grip Push-Up Off Of A Dumbbell
67.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on the floor and place your hands on an upright dumbbell. Supporting your weight on your toes and hands, keep your torso rigid and your elbows in with your arms straight. This will be your starting position.
- Lower your body, allowing the elbows to flex while you inhale. Keep your body straight, not allowing your hips to rise or sag.
- Press yourself back up to the starting position by extending the elbows. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- After a pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
10. Body-up
66.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by placing your hands on a raised surface, such as a bench or parallel bars, with your palms facing down and fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your legs out in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides, until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push through your palms to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Frog Planche Alternative
You may substitute the Frog Planche for several reasons: wrist or shoulder pain from extreme protraction, lacking scapular depression strength, or insufficient straight-arm tolerance. Alternatives let you keep progressive overload while reducing lever length and compressive joint stress. For example, planche leans shift the load posteriorly but still train scapular protraction and serratus anterior, while dragon flags force eccentric control of rectus abdominis and hip flexors. Use a tuck planche to shorten the moment arm—cue: pull your knees tight to your chest and squeeze the lats to maintain a stable ribcage.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose based on your limiting factor: pain, mobility, or raw strength. If wrists or shoulders limit you, pick hollow body rocks or L-sits to train core without heavy shoulder protraction—cue: maintain a posterior pelvic tilt and press your lower back to the floor to recruit deep abs. If you lack straight-arm shoulder strength, use planche leans and progressive tuck planche holds to build scapular depression and triceps capacity. For eccentric control and hip flexor strength, pick dragon flags and lower slowly with a tight midline. Progress by increasing lever length, not by adding momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Frog Planche work?
The Frog Planche heavily targets the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors for spinal flexion and hip flexion, while demanding serratus anterior and scapular stabilizers to maintain protraction. You also recruit triceps and anterior deltoids to support the body in a straight-arm position.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Frog Planche?
For most trainees a tuck planche is the best bodyweight substitute because it shortens the lever and preserves the same movement pattern. Cue: tuck knees to chest, lean forward, and squeeze the lats to maintain a neutral ribcage and train the same core and scapular mechanics.
Can I build muscle without doing Frog Planche?
Yes. You can build abs and waist strength with alternatives like dragon flags, L-sits, and hollow body rocks that overload the rectus abdominis and hip flexors. Focus on slow eccentric control and progressively increasing lever length to stimulate hypertrophy and neural adaptation.
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