How Viktor Kamenov Trained For Planche SO FAST Explained

Summary

The video discusses the training style of Victor Kamenov, a calisthenics athlete, focusing on statics, power dynamics, and basics. It emphasizes building foundational strength over aesthetics, explaining how proper form and progressive overload are crucial for mastering skills like the planche. Kamenov highlights the importance of balancing strength exercises, using attempts, weights, and resistance bands, while avoiding overtraining. The video also covers strategies for improving form, breaking plateaus, and the significance of consistency in training to achieve better results in calisthenics.

Takeaways

• 💪 Victor Kamenov focuses on three key training areas: Statics, Power Dynamics, and Basics, with the goal of progressively overloading these elements.
• 🏋️ Building muscle is not necessary for learning static skills like the planche, but foundational strength is essential for mastering advanced calisthenic movements.
• 🔄 Victor's training philosophy emphasizes mastering control of a movement for at least two solid seconds before progressing to the next level.
• 🧠 Mental focus and control are crucial in calisthenics, ensuring proper form and preventing reliance on bad habits such as 'banana planche'.
• ⏳ Avoid perfectionism in static holds; around eight seconds of a good planche is sufficient for moving on to exercises like planche push-ups.
• 🏋️ Resistance bands and weight training are key tools in Victor's training, helping simulate planche positions and progressively overload muscles.
• ⚠️ Avoid overdoing planche attempts in every session, as this can lead to both physical and mental fatigue.
• 📉 Plateaus in hold times can be attributed to poor form, lack of strength in specific muscles, or inconsistency in training.
• 🗓️ Programming flexibility is important: Victor adjusts his sets and rests depending on whether he's preparing for competition or regular training.
• 🎯 Consistency is key in progressing calisthenic skills—having a structured workout plan ensures continued muscle adaptation and steady improvement.

Q & A

What is the training style archetype according to the script?

The training style archetype refers to the way an athlete structures their progression. It could involve combinations, hold times, power dynamics, or other focuses like freestyle and static skills. Victor Kamenov's training style archetype emphasizes statics, power dynamics, and basics.

Why is building general strength more important than muscle aesthetics in calisthenics?

According to Victor Kamenov, building general strength, rather than focusing solely on muscle aesthetics, is more important because it creates the foundational strength required for skills like the planche. Strength allows for functional movement and correct motor patterns, which are key to mastering calisthenics.

What should be the minimum hold time before moving to the next progression in planche training?

The minimum hold time before moving to the next progression should be at least two solid seconds. Victor Kamenov emphasizes the importance of being able to control the hold for at least this duration before progressing further.

Why is maintaining proper form crucial in calisthenics training?

Proper form is crucial because it ensures all muscle groups are being used correctly, which helps prevent the development of weak links. Poor form, such as an arched lower back or bent legs, can hinder long-term progress and may lead to injury.

What role does muscle mass play in planche training?

While muscle mass is not the primary focus, building muscle can help increase the potential to perform strength-based calisthenics skills like the planche. More muscle provides the capacity to hold more weight and handle more intense training.

What are Victor Kamenov's top three exercises for learning the planche?

Victor Kamenov's top three exercises for learning the planche are: planche attempts, weight exercises simulating the planche (such as Zenetti flies), and using resistance bands to simulate the planche while reducing the load.

Why should planche attempts not be done too frequently?

Planche attempts should not be done too frequently because overdoing them can lead to both physical fatigue and mental burnout. It is important to balance training frequency to avoid excessive strain and maintain motivation.

How does Victor Kamenov use resistance bands in his training?

Victor Kamenov uses resistance bands in about 50% of his workouts. They help reduce the load during planche practice while allowing him to maintain the correct form, making them a crucial tool for both strength building and neurological adaptation.

What advice does Victor Kamenov give to those who plateau during their progression?

Victor Kamenov suggests focusing on form, targeting weak points in the body, and maintaining consistency in training to overcome plateaus. A lack of strength in certain areas, like the lower back or glutes, and inconsistency in workout routines are common reasons for plateaus.

How does Victor Kamenov's training approach differ during competitions versus regular workouts?

During competitions, Victor Kamenov increases the number of sets with less rest to simulate the intensity and endurance needed for combinations. In regular workouts, he focuses on longer rest periods and typically does 3 to 4 sets of exercises, though this can vary depending on how he feels.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Victor Kamenov's Training Style Archetype

This paragraph introduces Victor Kamenov's approach to training. It discusses how athletes choose a training style or 'archetype,' which defines how they progressively overload their strength. Kamenov focuses on statics, power dynamics, and basic exercises, and the importance of knowing your personal training goals is emphasized. The discussion touches on the balance between building muscle for aesthetics versus focusing on general strength, especially in calisthenics training.

05:02

🧠 Form and Progression in the Planche

This section explains the importance of form and progression when training for skills like the planche. Kamenov advises training with a progression that can be held for at least two solid seconds, allowing for better control and mind-muscle connection. The importance of ensuring proper form before moving on to more advanced progressions is stressed. Athletes are encouraged to correct weak points and avoid developing poor habits, such as 'banana' form, that can hinder long-term progress.

10:03

🔄 Striving for Balance: Form vs. Perfectionism

In this paragraph, Kamenov warns against over-focusing on achieving perfection in the planche. While form is important, chasing excessively long holds, like 20 seconds, is not necessary. Kamenov recommends aiming for an average of 8-second holds and progressing towards more advanced skills like planche push-ups. He highlights the importance of balance between improving form and steadily increasing strength without overdoing it.

15:04

🏋️‍♂️ Top Exercises for Planche Progression

Here, Kamenov outlines his top three exercises for learning the planche: (1) attempts at the planche, (2) weight exercises like Maltese presses that simulate the planche, and (3) resistance band exercises. He emphasizes that while attempts are crucial, they should not be overdone. Weight exercises provide a systematic way to track progress, and resistance bands allow for proper form training while reducing load, making them ideal for both strength and neurological training.

📅 Sets, Frequency, and Planche Training Volume

Kamenov's approach to training sets and frequency is discussed in this paragraph. He typically does 3–4 sets for attempts in regular workouts, but if he’s at a calisthenics park or preparing for competition, he may do up to 15–20 sets. The volume of sets depends on the goal—whether it’s competition training or a regular workout. Kamenov also integrates 'undulating training,' where heavy training days are followed by lighter days to maintain technique without overloading the body.

📈 Programming Insights and Customization

This section explores Kamenov’s programming philosophy, including adjusting the number of sets based on competition readiness and training for different goals. It highlights how elite athletes like Kamenov often train based on feel and manage their workload intuitively. The paragraph also mentions other athletes' training styles, such as Thomas Kurganov’s approach to undulating training, and invites viewers to request similar content on these alternative methods.

Keywords

💡Training Style Archetype

A 'Training Style Archetype' refers to the specific approach or methodology an athlete adopts to progress in their training. In the video, Victor Kamenov's archetype focuses on three main elements: statics, power dynamics, and basics. This concept is central to understanding how Kamenov tailors his workouts to build strength and mastery in calisthenics.

💡Statics

In calisthenics, 'Statics' refers to exercises that involve holding a position without movement, such as the planche or front lever. These exercises require significant strength and control. For Victor Kamenov, statics are a core part of his training focus, as they help build foundational strength necessary for advanced calisthenics skills.

💡Power Dynamics

'Power Dynamics' in this context refers to exercises that involve explosive movements and the ability to generate force quickly. This includes dynamic moves like muscle-ups or explosive push-ups. Kamenov emphasizes power dynamics as part of his training to develop overall strength and control, which are crucial for mastering advanced calisthenics skills.

💡Basics

'Basics' refers to fundamental exercises in calisthenics, such as push-ups, pull-ups, and dips. These exercises build the foundational strength and motor patterns needed for more advanced movements. Kamenov prioritizes basics in his training routine, progressively overloading them to ensure continuous strength development.

💡Progressive Overload

'Progressive Overload' is the principle of gradually increasing the intensity, duration, or difficulty of exercises to continually challenge the muscles and promote strength gains. In the video, Kamenov applies this concept by progressively increasing the difficulty of his exercises, whether by adding weight, increasing hold times, or refining technique.

💡Form

'Form' refers to the correct alignment and technique used during exercises. Maintaining proper form is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of an exercise and preventing injury. Kamenov emphasizes the importance of form, noting that poor form can lead to suboptimal progress and may cause long-term problems in mastering advanced skills like the planche.

💡Muscle Activation

'Muscle Activation' involves engaging the correct muscles during an exercise to ensure they are working effectively. In the context of Kamenov's training, proper muscle activation is crucial for performing static holds and dynamic movements with control. He highlights that inadequate activation due to poor form can hinder progress.

💡Resistance Bands

'Resistance Bands' are elastic bands used to provide varying levels of resistance during exercises. They are especially useful in calisthenics for assisting in movements like the planche by reducing the load. Kamenov integrates resistance bands into his training to help simulate full planche positions while gradually building strength.

💡Plateau

A 'Plateau' in training refers to a period where progress stalls despite continued effort. Kamenov discusses plateaus in the context of increasing hold times in static exercises. He suggests that form, strength imbalances, or inconsistencies in training routines are common reasons for hitting a plateau, and offers strategies to overcome them.

💡Undulating Training

'Undulating Training' is a method where the intensity or volume of workouts varies throughout the week to prevent overtraining and promote recovery. Kamenov's approach includes alternating between heavy training days and lighter days focused on technique, which helps maintain progress while avoiding burnout.

Highlights

Victor Kamenov's training style focuses on three key areas: statics, power dynamics, and basic calisthenics.

Kamenov emphasizes building general strength over purely aesthetics for calisthenics skills, with a foundational focus on push-ups, pull-ups, and dips.

Victor's primary approach to learning static skills like the planche involves mastering foundational movements before progressing to advanced skills.

He advises only working on a progression when you can hold it for at least two solid seconds, stressing control and mind-muscle connection.

When progressing in calisthenics, Victor suggests focusing on form, avoiding overtraining, and progressively overloading exercises for consistent improvement.

To overcome plateaus, Kamenov suggests focusing on weaknesses, maintaining consistency, and ensuring proper form, especially in critical muscle groups like glutes and lower back.

He recommends using weighted exercises like Zenetti flies to systematically overload calisthenics movements and make measurable progress.

Resistance bands play a key role in Kamenov's planche training, helping reduce load while practicing proper form and motor control.

Victor Kamenov believes in incorporating attempts, weighted exercises, and resistance bands for a balanced and effective planche training routine.

He cautions against performing too many attempts in a single workout, as this can lead to mental and physical burnout.

When progressing from shorter to longer hold times, Victor emphasizes the importance of achieving at least 8 seconds with proper form before moving to more complex variations.

While striving for long holds is beneficial, Kamenov warns against overdoing it; 8 seconds is usually sufficient for moving forward with more advanced exercises like planche push-ups.

Kamenov discusses the importance of stepping back to correct form when necessary, even if it means regressing from advanced skills to basic progressions.

Consistency is crucial in planche progression, with Kamenov advocating for structured training plans rather than random home workouts.

Victor’s planche training program is flexible and varies based on his competition prep. For general training, he typically does 3-4 sets per exercise with longer rests between.

Kamenov uses undulating training, incorporating heavier workouts followed by lighter sessions to balance strength building with recovery.

Transcripts

Boys in no time straight into it we're

going to break down the full one hour

interview I did with Victor kamenov into

a quick little video so you guys can

find out how exactly you guys can train

like Victor kamenov or possibly even

better than him first let's break down

what I like to call his training style

archetype the training style archetype

is the former progression that athlete

chooses in order to progress their

strength so for example some athletes

like to use combinations as a form of

their progression so they'll eventually

get to longer and longer combinations

some athletes like to increase their

hold times some athletes like to

increase their power dynamics some

athletes train many different things

such as freestyle and Statics and

flexibility and Mobility work balance

skills as well so the training style

archetype explains how exactly do they

like to train what are they

progressively overloading and what are

their goals what are they focused on in

the interview with Victor kamenov he

stated that his training style archetype

in other words his focus in his training

is three things that Statics power

dynamics and Basics those are the three

main things he's focused on

progressively overloading getting better

at and focusing and getting stronger so

those are his overarching goals and

that's going to affect how he trains

because if he was focused on

combinations because maybe a competition

was coming up maybe he would train

slightly differently so you need to take

that into account with your own training

what's your training style archetype are

you focused on combinations at the

moment or are you focused on individual

static skills so quickly I want to talk

about body composition because when

people get into calisthenics it's

usually because of Aesthetics they want

to improve their physique their body

Aesthetics by gaining muscle and that's

usually hypertrophy training but they'll

have the long-term goal of learning the

plunge so I just wanted to ask Victor

okay do you need to be focused on

building muscle in order to build that

strength that basis for learning the

skills because some people think okay do

I need to be muscular in order to learn

the plant and this was his response yeah

it's important to catch the muscles like

all those fundamental things that they

said but it's more important to have

General strength not only your muscles

but in general that is something that

you built exactly with those

preparational exercises so when Victor

started calisthenics and maybe you're

starting calisthenics too he wasn't too

fixated on the Aesthetics and the

muscular part of training he was focused

more on the strength part he wanted to

learn those cool skills he was seeing

online that's the main thing he was

focused on and that's why he was focused

on the basics so you know push-ups

pull-ups dips Pike push-ups getting to

learn the handstand as well as muscle up

to it was those kind of fundamental

calisthenic skills this provided him

with the basis to start learning the

skills and this is also why he still

does Basics and just progressively

overloads it so now it's still difficult

he can do heavy heavy dibs it's still

difficult and he still makes progress so

as Victor kaminov said it's very

important that you build up that

foundational level of strength so your

body is functional you can functionally

move do those push-ups pull-ups and dips

with the correct motor patterns it's not

too important how much muscle you're

putting on although this will help your

strength of capacity in the future if

you do want to focus on that and do want

to build strength but if your focus is

the static skills you don't need to

focus on this it's more important that

you build up the foundational levels of

strengths and work on your Basics but I

have to make it clear if you watch my

other videos on strength principles for

calisthenics and you watch my video on

the equation to build strength for the

planche you'll know that building muscle

goes into that equation the more muscle

you build the easier it's going to be in

terms of your potentiality to learn the

planche so it's not going to hurt if you

do want to focus on building muscle as

well we do also know Victor kamenov

started working on freestyle skills

while he was learning some of these

basic static skills you know learning

the front lever learning the hands down

and hand to them push up but we're not

going to focus too much of that in this

video because we'll focus more on

strength aspects rather than the

freestyle skills so now let's move on to

his approach to learning the planche the

Victor kamenov approach now when you're

learning the plants you need to know

what progression should you be working

on and should you be training and when

can you move on to the next progression

this is a very common question many

people have but don't really know the

answer to he said you should only be

working on a variation or progression if

you can hold it for at least two seconds

at a minimum and I'm stressing at least

a two solid seconds not one two but a

solid one two here's his explanation go

for a variation that you can hold for at

least two seconds because if you can

hold it it means that you can apply

control it's also mind work it's not

only go for it and hold it because yeah

maybe you can go for a full flash but it

will be around zero seconds and you have

not enough physically the time to

control it and it's really important go

for progression that will allow you to

have the enough physical time to really

have that control have that mind and

muscle connection and after that you can

think about growing those seconds into

the current progression once you of

course get the the requirements uh like

let's say eight or nine seconds for

progression then you can go for the next

one drop again back to two seconds and

so on and by this way you have one

healthy progress before you move on to

that next progression make sure you have

the form you want in that progression

before moving on so even if you have the

solid amount of seconds that you need

which we'll talk about in a minute you

need to make sure that form is where you

need it to be compare it to other

athletes of higher level and see your

own is that the form I want is it at

that level yet and then you want to move

on working on not the proper position

from the beginning will make you the

world champion in not the proper

position working on the banana from the

beginning the world champion into the

banana planche you'll be the best into

the banana flash but you'll never get

the real clutch you know that's that's a

deal so just saying if you guys have

been progressing really well really fast

you've been able to go from Advanced

like to stratum now working on full

punch whatever it may be make sure your

form is still keeping up with you make

sure you're not getting weak links so

say maybe your lower her back is arching

maybe your legs are bent maybe your arms

are bent as you keep doing the holds but

you're still progressing really well

make sure you're tackling those weak

links because even though you're

progressing fast other muscle groups may

not be getting the attention that they

need sometimes it's better to go a few

steps back maybe not go on a full

planche maybe not even go on a stroke

Branch or swing yourself even more but

go and position that you have all your

uh body parts into the right place and

you also have the enough time to control

it and to feel it exactly where it

should be slowly to gain that strength

slowly to increase those seconds and

after that you think about okay I extend

my body extend my body and so on like

this is The Logical way of how things

should be trained this is exactly what I

realized and I had to take my full

planche I was doing full planche presses

all of that and I had to take it all the

way back to a stratoplanche you have to

get rid of that ego if you want to

increase your form and actually progress

the way you should now look how much

better my form is in the plant on the

flip side of this coin don't become too

much of a perfectionist as Victor

kaminov explains here but also there is

the other uh side of the coin which is

not to overdo the things like there is

some minimum requirements as I said

let's say okay you get the three four

seconds of a good planche then there is

no need to be aiming for those 20

seconds really in order really to start

training the push-ups of the press so

even to learn variations of the plants

like the plant push-up you know plant

presses you don't need crazy like 20

seconds hold that's a bit of Overkill

eight seconds around eight seconds on

average is gonna be good Remember full

punch is the goal so we don't want to be

getting held up on Advanced Turk trying

to get 50 seconds that's not the aim the

aim is full punch so we need to start

working towards it as we're getting

better and better and still perfecting

our form and working our weak links but

in order to increase those hold times

how do you do this and this will come

down to Victor kamenov's exercise

selection the top three exercises Victor

kaminov recommends and that he does to

learn the plunge is gonna be first of

all attempts then it's gonna be any

weight exercise that's simulating the

planche or Maltese or Maltese presses

things like that and then lastly it's

going to be resistance band using a

resistance band to also simulate the

full planche don't go crazy doing

attempts but I know it's one of Victor

kamino's favorites for learning the

plunge and it is important but don't do

it every session like I know some of you

have been doing I know some of you have

been trying that straddle every session

don't be doing that here's him talking

about attempts and how you shouldn't do

too many too frequently well look that's

one of the mistakes I used to make for

example every time on every training I

go for the same attempts and so on and

even going too much through the punches

let's say five times a week six times a

week and so on and every day doing the

same thing and firstly you get physical

dark and secondly even more important is

you get mentally tired of doing the same

thing now let's talk about exercises

with weights that simulate the planche

like zenetti flies these are great

because they're so easy to progressively

overload or to track how much you're

progressively overloading and

progressively overloading is just making

an exercise harder and harder by loading

it harder and harder and that's quite

hard to do in calisthenics because we're

working with our body weight so it's

really hard sometimes to estimate okay

how much load am I actually putting on

these muscles

etc etc it's much easier with weight

which is why it's so great and why it's

one of Victor Cameron's favorites for

learning the plant you can

systematically go through okay gonna do

eight kilograms for three weeks four

weeks whatever it is or at like 15 reps

then we're gonna move on to nine

kilograms then ten etc etc so start

training like Victor Cameron off and

start introducing these exercises into

your training program now lastly

resistance bands Victor kamenov even

mentioned he does 50 of his workouts

with resistance band ends and for me

personally every workout has at least

one exercise where I'm using the

resistance band to learn the planche or

to learn the planche form better that's

because you're in the plunge position

just with a bit of assistance this is

how gymnasts do it this is what you're

doing if you use weights you're just

reducing the load same with the plants

you're just reducing the load with the

resistance band but you're learning the

full position it's great for the

neurological part of learning the punch

and it's great for the strength part top

tier exercise in my opinion I do it

every workout and if you need a set of

resistance bands check out gordonation

they've got a whole set of resistance

bands I use these every workout I use

them to warm up with with the heavy

bands and then my working sets are with

the lighter band so you're going to need

some bands like this throughout your

punch Journey so check them out in the

link in the description below and use

the code Jack then for minus 10 off you

guys know so now you guys know if you

want to be trained like Victor camera if

you want to be doing the progressions

you can hold for at least two seconds

get this up to eight seconds move on to

the next progression don't do too many

attempts but do enough so you can kind

of gauge how you're progressing and

sometimes when you're feeling strong you

can push it a little bit you want to

keep in mind the form remember to watch

that and then you also want to use

weights bands and attempts all smartly

but what happens when you want to try

and increase that two second hold to

eight seconds and you hit a plateau you

know you're maybe you're stuck at four

seconds what do you do so the first

reason is your form you're not watching

your form too much you have bad form so

you're not getting the muscle activation

you need so that's number one like I

said before watch the form number two

you're lacking strength somewhere you're

not working on that weak point maybe you

have one major weakness in the lower

back the glutes or something especially

in the straddle I see a lot of people in

the straddle they have weak glutes and

they're not working on it they're still

working on their shoulders that's not

going to help with that issue if it's

the glutes so make sure you're targeting

all the muscle groups that are used in

that hold in that static hold that

includes the legs as well lastly this

was a big one for him and I think it's

the main one that he felt was why people

put a toe and it's inconsistency he says

that he sees a lot of people that are

skipping workouts maybe they don't have

a workout plan so they're not really

sticking to a routine the body needs a

routine that it needs to that repeated

stimulus to keep creating adaptations

and then periodically switch it up so it

still gets those adaptations from a new

stimulus you need a training plan to do

that effectively so if you don't have a

training plan you've just been doing

homework out and doing whatever you feel

but you've been hitting that Plateau

maybe it's time to make a workout plan

and change that okay the last section of

this video we're going to go on to

programming so what kind of things in

the programming world does Victor

kaminov do in terms of his planche

progression you know how many sets is he

doing what frequency of workouts is he

doing a week all that we're going to

cover now so firstly let's talk about

sets how does he decide how many or what

number of sets he's going to do for a

specific attempt or planche exercise and

really he said this depends on whether

he's training for competition or not

because depending on whether he's

training for a competition or if it's a

regular workout that really changes his

programming and how many sets he's doing

if it's for a competition he's going to

be doing a lot of sets with less rest

this is going to simulate more of

combinations and the sets he's going to

be doing a competition this is

specificity and if he's doing a regular

workout well he's going to have longer

rests between sets and he's going to

have maybe three to four sets usually

for attempts he said so I think it's in

that ballpark but he also said that

usually when he's training at the

calisthenics Park he'll maybe even do 15

to 20 sets sometimes if he has the time

and he'll just look at his watch and be

like okay I need to get on with the next

thing and then move on to the next

exercise so really it depends I think I

think it goes off feel a lot when you're

that Elite you can kind of go off feel

so really just make sure it's between

three to four sets and I'll say over a

week make sure you're getting about 15

to 10 sets in a certain exercise for a

certain muscle group that's generally

good place to be in terms of volume and

number of sets this is very similar to

how Thomas kurganov trains he says he

does about three days of hard heavy

training and then the following days a

really light training so he can recover

but still work on planche technique this

is called undulating training if you

want to learn that or if you want a

video like this one on the training

style for Thomas kirganov and how he

trains for the punch let me know down in

the comments below now with that said

let me know in the comments if you want

that video on Tom's kirganov and how he

trains for the planche or if you want

that video on undulating training I can

also do this on gymnasts as well and how

they use undulation in their training

let me know down in the comments thank

you to all my channel members remember

if you become a channel member you're

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personal training I made this as cheap

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actual personal training make sure you

join the Discord and watch this video

because this is going to explain how

Valentine Blanc trains and his training

style because there's no best one

training style for calisthenics there's

just many different approaches and maybe

the approach or the training style of

Valentine Blanc suits your style better

and maybe it'll help boost your

performance even more