June ’26 Gymnastics Skill Work: Piked Plate Lifts
by Coach Jackie
Piked Plate Lifts
Why it’s important:
Being able to compress your core while maintaining straight legs and pointed toes (tension) is a skill that transfers to many gymnastics movements, including handstand push-ups, toes-to-bar, and even higher-skill movements like a press to handstand.
Prescription:
- 2–3x per week
- 2–3 sets of 10 reps
- Treat it as a warm-up or cool-down exercise
Variations & Scales:
Another thing to note is that the higher the object your hands are placed on, the easier the movement will be. To make it more challenging, keep your hands on the floor. Focus on your breathing throughout the movement, and avoid holding your breath.
The first part of the video shows a scaled option where your heels/feet maintain contact with the ground. To make it more challenging, try lifting into an L-sit position. You can also meet somewhere in the middle by allowing one leg to lift at a time and alternating sides. The main focus is creating space between your body and the ground, so really press down into the plates and work toward getting into that compressed L-sit position.
