German Plank Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Incline German Plank

   • Set rings at about chest to shoulder height — the higher the rings, the easier the incline

   • Face the floor in a plank position, gripping rings behind your back with arms extended

   • Keep elbows completely locked throughout — do not let them bend

   • Maintain a straight line from head to toes — squeeze glutes and engage core

   • Depress the shoulders — push them down and away from your ears

   • Maintain hollow body with posterior pelvic tilt — no arching in the lower back

   • This is the entry-level progression — master this before lowering ring height

2. 02

   Low Incline German Plank

   • Set rings at about hip to knee height — lower than the incline version for more horizontal loading

   • Face the floor in a plank position, gripping rings behind your back with arms extended

   • Keep elbows completely locked — the lower ring height increases shoulder demand significantly

   • Maintain a straight line from head to toes — squeeze glutes and engage core hard

   • Depress the shoulders — push them down firmly away from your ears

   • Maintain hollow body with posterior pelvic tilt — the more horizontal position makes this harder

   • If you cannot maintain the straight line, raise the rings slightly until form is clean

3. 03

   Sprinter German Plank

   • Set rings at about hip height, face the floor gripping rings behind your back

   • Place one leg forward and bent (like a sprinter stance), the other extended straight behind you

   • The bent front leg provides ground support, allowing you to hold a more horizontal position

   • Keep elbows completely locked and arms straight throughout

   • Maintain a straight line from head through back leg — do not let the hips sag

   • Depress the shoulders firmly — push them down away from your ears

   • Alternate the lead leg between sets for balanced development

4. 04

   German Plank

   • Set rings at hip height — this is the full horizontal German Plank

   • Face the floor, gripping rings behind your back with straight arms, body fully horizontal

   • Keep elbows completely locked — this position mimics the back lever shoulder loading

   • Legs together and fully extended — squeeze quads and point toes

   • Maintain a perfect straight line from head to toes — no sagging or piking

   • Depress shoulders firmly and maintain hollow body with posterior pelvic tilt

   • This is the most demanding German Plank — builds the specific shoulder strength for the actual back lever

5. 05

   Leg-Supported Tuck Back Lever

   • Start from the German Plank position with rings at hip height

   • Lift your legs off the ground, tucking knees toward your chest

   • Allow your upper body to rotate backward, aiming for a horizontal tuck back lever position

   • Press feet against a wall or elevated surface to assist with the hold

   • Keep elbows locked straight throughout — do not let them bend

   • Maintain shoulder depression and hollow body — round upper back, tuck tailbone

   • This bridges the gap between German Plank and the actual tuck back lever on rings

6. 06

   Reverse Partial Skin The Cat

   • Start in the leg-supported tuck back lever position

   • Gradually remove leg support, briefly holding the unsupported tuck back lever

   • Slowly lower body further past horizontal, increasing shoulder extension stretch

   • Control the descent — this is a partial skin-the-cat movement in reverse

   • Use leg support again if you lose control at any point

   • Return to the start position with control — do not swing or kip

   • Keep elbows locked straight throughout the entire movement

   • This builds the shoulder flexibility and strength needed for the full back lever entry

Common mistakes

• Arched Lower Back
• Bent Elbows
• Shoulders Shrugged Up
• Incorrect Ring Height
• Skipping Shoulder Warm-Up