A plank is anything but basic. The move simultaneously works the upper body and core without needing a single piece of equipment to do so. Adding the move into your regular routine will help you become stronger and leaner and can help offset everyday aches and pains. But why stick to the same old, same old every day when there are dozens upon dozens of exercises that take the traditional plank up a notch? Some task you with an added element of cardio, while others use weights to add even more resistance to an already-challenging move. If that's not enough, be prepared to work your balance and, in turn, feel parts of your core you didn't even know were there.
With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don't let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
Start an all fours and walk your hands forward until your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees. Keep you abs lifting away from the floor and do not allow your pelvis to sag.
Lift your feet toward your butt, to engage your hamstrings and glutes.
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Elbow Plank
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Start on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
Step your feet out one at a time, coming back into plank position.
Contract your abs to prevent your booty from sticking up or sinking. Your spine should be parallel to the floor, with your abs pulling toward the ceiling.
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Circling Plank
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Begin in an elbow plank with your forearms resting on the top of a ball.
Keeping your core strong and your body still, use your arms to roll the ball in small counterclockwise circles in each direction.
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Elbow Plank With Knee Drive
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Start in an elbow plank, and bring your right knee into your nose; your pelvis will rise toward the ceiling. Place right foot back on the ground.
Alternate sides, and bring your left knee into your nose. Place right foot back on the ground. This counts as one rep.
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Spiderman Plank (aka Creepy Crawler)
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Start in plank, and bring your left knee to your elbow; place left foot back on the ground.
Alternate sides, bringing your right knee in to your elbow; place right foot back on the ground. This counts as one rep.
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Elbow Plank With Donkey Kick
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From elbow plank position, bend your knee, flex your heel, and press your foot up toward the ceiling without moving your pelvis. Lower the bent leg slightly. This counts as one rep. Repeat on each side of the body.
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Elbow Plank With Side Step
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Start in an elbow plank and alternate stepping your legs to the side keeping your toes off the floor. To modify, tap your toes to the floor.
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Plank Jacks
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Begin in plank position with your feet together. Keep your upper body stable and engage your abs.
Begin doing jumping jacks with your legs. Hop them wide, then hop them together. Jump as quickly as you want.
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Mountain Climbers
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Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight in your toes.
With your core engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your basic plank. Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
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Plank With Bunny Hop
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Begin in a plank position with the feet together.
Pull your abs in, and jump your feet to the right, bringing your knees toward your right elbow. Your torso will twist to the right.
Jump your feet back to plank to complete one rep.
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Plank to Pike Jump
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Begin in plank position with your feet together. Keep your upper body stable and engage your abs. Don't let your lower back arch.
Keep the weight in your hands as you draw your navel toward your spine.
Use your abs to pull your your hips directly up while keeping your legs straight, and jump your feet forward, landing in pike position.
Jump your feet back to plank, keeping your core tight and stable. This counts as one rep.
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Frogger
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Begin in a plank position. Jump your feet to the outside of your hands, coming into a deep squat and keeping your hands on the floor.
Jump your feet back to a plank. This counts as one rep.
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Plank Side Walk
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Begin in plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders, body in one straight line.
Simultaneously cross your right hand over your left, as you step your left foot to the left. Then simultaneously step your left hand and right foot to the left, so you're back in plank position. Your hands move together as your feet step apart.
Repeat this for five steps to the left, and five steps to the right to complete a rep. Be sure to keep the hips low as you move, drawing the navel toward the spine.
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Plank With Lateral Arm Reach
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Start in a plank position.
Keeping your torso stable, slowly reach your left arm out to your side. Brace through the abs by pulling your navel to your spine. Hold this position for five seconds. If you feel too unstable, try moving your right hand so it is under the center of your chest rather than under shoulder right shoulder.
Keeping your torso stable, bring your arm back to the plank position. Do not round your back or twist your spine.
Repeat this same motion on the other side, extending your right arm to your side.This counts as one rep.
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Arm Circle Planks
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In a plank position, reach your left arm back and then circle it overhead, bringing your palm back to the floor; repeat on the other side. This counts as one rep.
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Plank With Shoulder Tap
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Begin in a plank variation with your feet slightly wider than your hips for added stability.
Keeping your torso stable, bring your right hand to your left shoulder, then return your right hand back to the mat.
Bring your left hand to your right shoulder and return it to the mat. This counts as one rep.
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Plank With Alternating Shoulder and Knee Tap
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Begin in a plank variation with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
Bring your right hand to your left shoulder, then place that hand back on the mat. Bring your left hand to your right shoulder and return it to the mat.
Bring your right knee and your left hand toward one another under your body. Return to a plank, and switch sides so your left knee meets your right hand. This counts as one rep.
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Two-Point Plank
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Start in a plank position. Cheat your right leg toward your center line, and lift your left leg off the ground so your heel is even with your pelvis.
Keeping your torso steady, reach your right arm forward. Really brace through the abs by pulling your navel to your spine.
Hold this position for up to 10 seconds before returning to plank position. This completes one rep. Be sure to perform on both sides of the body.
Come into an elbow plank position and roll to your right side allowing your feet to roll too, so you're balancing on the outside of your right foot, stacking your left foot on your right.
Place your left hand gently behind your head. Press your left inner thigh up into your right inner thigh; this helps stabilize you even more.
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Side Plank
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Come into a plank position (the top of a push-up) and roll to your right side allowing your feet to roll too, so you're balancing on the outside of your right foot, stacking your left foot on your right.
Reach your left arm toward the ceiling and lift your waist away from the floor to make your obliques fire away.Press your left inner thigh up into your right inner thigh; this helps stabilize you even more.
To take pressure off of your wrist, press your left fingertips into the floor. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
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Side Plank Dips
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This exercise is great for whittling the waist. As a bonus, it works the lat, the largest muscle in your back, too.
Begin in a side elbow plank on your right side with straight legs and your feet stacked.
Inhale and lower your pelvis to the floor, so your right hip hovers just off the floor. Exhale and press up through your right waist to lift your pelvis and return to side plank. Pull your right shoulder blade down your back to stabilize your shoulder.
Repeat for a total of 10 to 15 reps to complete a set, then switch sides. Do three sets.
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Side-Plank Crunch
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Begin in a side elbow plank with your left elbow down and your right hand behind your head.
Keeping your torso stable and your waist lifted, bring your right leg up toward your shoulder to lightly tap your right elbow.
Lengthen your right leg back to the starting position to complete one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
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Elbow Plank With a Twist Right
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Start in side elbow plank on your right side, with your feet stacked one on top of the other. Keep your weight on your right elbow with your fingers reaching away from your body.
Place your left arm behind your head, and inhale to prepare.
Exhale, and pull your navel to your spine and engaging your deep abs. Rotate your left ribcage toward the floor, bringing your left elbow to your right hand.
Return to the starting position to complete one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
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Push-Up and Rotate
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From a plank position, perform a push-up. At the top of the push-up, rotate to the left, coming into a side plank and reaching the right arm to the ceiling.
Return to the plank position, do another push-up, and rotate into a side plank on the right. This counts as one rep.
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Side Plank Leg Lift
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Place your right elbow on the ground. Extend both legs out so that your body is in one straight line and you're balancing on the outside edge of your right foot.
Flex both feet if you can, and either rest your top hand on your upper hip or extend it in the air. Keeping your spine lengthened and your abs engaged, lift your left leg up just higher than your top hip. Then slowly lower it back to your bottom leg. This completes one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
Come into a side plank on the left side. Flex both feet and lift your right arm straight in the air.
Keeping your spine lengthened and your abs engaged, lift your right leg up as high as you can without letting your waist sink to the ground. Then slowly lower your right leg back to the starting position. This counts as one rep. Perform the exercise on both sides of the body.
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Reverse Plank
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Begin sitting on your butt with your legs straight. Bring your palms a few inches behind you, fingertips facing the toes.
Press into your feet and lift your butt off the ground. Try to keep your body in one diagonal line. You can also do this exercise on your elbows if it bothers your wrists.
Really squeeze your butt to help keep your pelvis from sagging.
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Reverse Plank With Leg Lift
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Begin sitting on your butt with your legs straight. Bring your palms a few inches behind you, fingertips facing the toes.
Press into your feet and lift your butt off the ground. Try to keep your body in one diagonal line. You can also do this exercise on your elbows if it bothers your wrists.
Alternate between lifting your right leg up and then your left. This counts as one rep. Move with control, making the movements slow and steady, and keeping the hips lifted.
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Plank Row
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Start in a plank position with your legs wider than hip distance; the wider stance makes you more stable. Hold onto your dumbbells, keeping your wrist locked to protect the joint.
With your core tight and your glutes engaged, exhale, stabilizing your torso as you lift your left elbow to row; feel your left shoulder blade sliding toward your spine as you bend your elbow up toward the ceiling.
Keeping your neck long and energized, return the weight to the ground, and repeat the movement on your right side. This counts as one rep.
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Plank With Triceps Kickback
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Start in a plank position holding a weight in each hand. Bend your left elbow and pull it up so it's in line with your shoulder.
Pull your navel toward your spine to engage your abs, which will help you stay balanced.
Exhale as you do a triceps kickback by extending your left hand behind you. Inhale to bend your elbow. This counts as one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
Start in a plank position holding a dumbbell in each hand. Open your feet wider than hip width for a stronger base of support.
Lift your left arm behind you as high as you can. Bring the left arm back into plank to complete one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
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Plank and Rotate
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Begin in a plank position holding a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your wrists stiff to protect the joints. Open your feet a little wider than hip distance.
Lift your left hand to the ceiling, twisting through your entire torso. Your pelvis will rotate, but keep it level.
Bring your left hand back to the floor, and repeat this action on the other side to complete one rep.
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Plank Row and Rotate
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Start in a plank position holding a weight in your right hand.
Keep your torso stable as you pull your elbow toward the ceiling, squeezing your right shoulder blade toward your spine.
Rotate the torso and raise the right arm into the air.
Lower the weight to the floor with control to complete one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
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Side Plank With Reverse Fly
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Start in a side plank on your left side, holding your weight in your right hand with your right arm parallel to the floor.
Exhale and pull your abs toward your spine to stabilize your torso as you raise your right arm to the ceiling. Do not let your hand travel behind your shoulder. Lower the weight back to starting position to complete one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.
