Parallettes raise your hands and keep your wrists straight. Here are 15 exercises ranked by level, with the goal to reach before moving on to the next. All you need is a pair of parallettes.
What parallettes are for
- Straight wrists. On the floor, your wrist is bent at 90° under your weight. On a parallette, it stays in line with your forearm.
- More range of motion. Your hands are raised: on push-ups, your chest goes lower than on the floor.
- Room for your legs. You can lift off the floor and hold an L-sit or a planche.
The 15 exercises at a glance
| Exercise | Level | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deep push-ups | Beginner | 3 × 8 to 12 |
| 2. Heels-down support hold | Beginner | 3 × 20 s |
| 3. Tuck L-sit | Beginner | 3 × 15 s |
| 4. Pike push-ups | Beginner | 3 × 6 to 10 |
| 5. Planche lean | Beginner | 3 × 15 s |
| 6. Decline push-ups | Intermediate | 3 × 8 to 10 |
| 7. Dips | Intermediate | 3 × 6 to 10 |
| 8. L-sit | Intermediate | 4 × 15 s |
| 9. Shoot-through | Intermediate | 3 × 6 to 8 |
| 10. Frog stand | Intermediate | 3 × 20 s |
| 11. Tuck planche | Advanced | 5 × 10 s |
| 12. Pseudo planche push-ups | Advanced | 3 × 5 to 8 |
| 13. V-sit | Advanced | 5 × 8 s |
| 14. Handstand | Advanced | 5 × 20 s against a wall |
| 15. Handstand push-ups | Advanced | 4 × 3 to 5 |
Hit the goal of each exercise before moving on to the next.
The 5 exercises to start with
1. Deep push-ups
Hands on the parallettes, body braced from head to heels. Lower your chest below the level of your hands, elbows close to your body, then push back up.
Muscles: chest, triceps, shoulders. Goal: 3 × 8 to 12.
2. Heels-down support hold
Sit between the parallettes, legs straight in front of you. Push through your hands, arms straight, to lift your bottom off the floor. Your heels stay on the floor. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Muscles: shoulders, triceps, abs. Goal: 3 × 20 seconds.
3. Tuck L-sit
From the support hold, lift your feet and bring your knees towards your chest. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders down. Too hard? Lift one foot at a time.
Muscles: abs, hip flexors, triceps. Goal: 3 × 15 seconds.
4. Pike push-ups
Feet on the floor, hips high: your body forms an upside-down V. Bend your elbows to lower your head between the parallettes, then push back up.
Muscles: shoulders, triceps. Goal: 3 × 6 to 10.
5. Planche lean
In the push-up position, arms straight. Move your shoulders forward past your hands without bending your elbows, round your upper back, and hold. Each week, lean a little further.
Muscles: shoulders, core, wrists. Goal: 3 × 15 seconds.
TipWarm up your wrists and shoulders for two to three minutes before every session: wrist circles, light presses, a few easy push-ups.
The support holds follow on in this order. Each position prepares the next.
The 5 intermediate exercises
Move up to this level when you can do 12 deep push-ups and hold a tuck L-sit for 15 seconds.
6. Decline push-ups
Put your feet on a step or a chair. The higher your feet, the more your shoulders and upper chest work. You'll find more ideas in our push-up variations.
Muscles: upper chest, shoulders, triceps. Goal: 3 × 8 to 10.
7. Dips
Get between the parallettes, arms straight, legs in front of you. Lower until your elbows form a right angle, then push back up. On low parallettes, your heels stay on the floor: high parallettes give you more room. For full dips, legs hanging free, you need dip bars. The technique is covered in dips for beginners.
Muscles: triceps, chest, shoulders. Goal: 3 × 6 to 10.
8. L-sit
From the tuck L-sit, straighten your legs in front of you, horizontal. Toes pointed, shoulders down, arms locked. Halfway step: straighten one leg, then the other.
Muscles: abs, hip flexors, triceps. Goal: 4 × 15 seconds.
9. Shoot-through
Start in the push-up position. In one movement, bring your knees to your chest and swing your legs through between the parallettes until they're straight in front of you. Come back the same way.
Muscles: core, shoulders, triceps. Goal: 3 × 6 to 8.
10. Frog stand
Squat down, hands on the parallettes, elbows slightly bent. Rest your knees on the backs of your arms, lean forward and lift your feet. The first few times, put a cushion in front of you.
Muscles: shoulders, wrists, core. Goal: 3 × 20 seconds.
The 5 advanced exercises
Move up to this level when you can hold a 15-second L-sit and a 20-second frog stand.
11. Tuck planche
Arms straight, shoulders forward of your hands, upper back rounded. Bring your knees to your chest and lift your feet: your knees no longer touch your arms. It's the first step towards the straddle planche and then the full planche, which take months of work.
Muscles: shoulders, chest, core. Goal: 5 × 10 seconds.
12. Pseudo planche push-ups
In the push-up position, move your shoulders forward past your hands as for the planche lean. Keep that lean and do your push-ups, elbows tucked in.
Muscles: shoulders, chest, triceps. Goal: 3 × 5 to 8.
13. V-sit
From the L-sit, raise your straight legs above horizontal by tilting your pelvis forward. You need strength and flexibility in the backs of your thighs.
Muscles: abs, hip flexors, triceps. Goal: 5 × 8 seconds.
14. Handstand
Kick up to balance on your hands, against a wall to start. Grip the parallettes, push hard through your shoulders, brace your stomach and glutes so you don't arch. Put foam floor tiles around you to cushion failed exits.
Muscles: shoulders, traps, core. Goal: 5 × 20 seconds against a wall, before trying without support.
15. Handstand push-ups
In a handstand against a wall, bend your elbows to lower your head between the parallettes, then push back up. Parallettes take you lower than the floor: start with half reps.
Muscles: shoulders, triceps, traps. Goal: 4 × 3 to 5.
A sample session for each level
| Level | Your session |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Tuck L-sit 3 × 15 s, planche lean 3 × 15 s, deep push-ups 3 × 8 to 12, pike push-ups 3 × 6 to 10 |
| Intermediate | L-sit 4 × 15 s, frog stand 3 × 20 s, dips 3 × 6 to 10, decline push-ups 3 × 8 to 10 |
| Advanced | Tuck planche 5 × 10 s, V-sit 5 × 8 s, handstand push-ups 4 × 3 to 5, pseudo planche push-ups 3 × 5 to 8 |
- Do the static holds first, while you're still fresh.
- Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
- Two to three sessions a week, with a rest day in between.
Parallettes train pushing and core, not pulling. Add pull-ups on a pull-up bar or rings, or follow our full-body programme.
Mistakes to avoid
- Shoulders creeping up to your ears. In support holds, push the floor away from you.
- Bent elbows on static holds. Planche lean, L-sit and tuck planche are done with locked arms.
- Parallettes set too wide. Place them shoulder-width apart.
- A slippery floor. Check your parallettes don't move before you lean forward.
Common mistakeSkipping steps. Trying the tuck planche before you can hold the tuck L-sit means forcing wrists and shoulders that aren't ready. Hit each goal before moving on.
Which parallettes for these exercises
- Low wooden parallettes. For push-ups, support holds, the L-sit and the planche. Lengths: 20 cm, compact and easy to carry; 25 cm, a good compromise; 30 cm, more room for your hands.
- Push-up bars. Enough if you only do push-ups.
If you have big hands or are aiming for skills, go for the longer length.
Mentioned in this guide
Solid Wood Parallettes (Pair)20, 25 or 30 cm · Solid wood · 8.5 cm (20 and 30 cm models)From 28,90 €
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