Alright, What do you think is the most effective exercise for your entire body? There are numerous
workouts that target each and every of your muscles, but there’s none better for your
stamina and endurance than planking. (Pirate: Heh-Heh! Shiver me timbers! Time to walk the
plank!) No, not that kind of plank you goof. (Pirate: Sorry, matey! Arrgh! ) Anyway, if
you think plank is a static exercise with little dynamics, then think again! Today I’m
going to tell you about different variations of plank that will bring your exercise routine
to a new level!
Let’s start with the basics and remember what the classic plank is. Lie on the floor
face down, propping your upper body on your hands and your lower body on the tips of your
toes. Your palms should be planted firmly onto the floor right beneath your shoulders.
Keep your arms straight and don’t crane your neck to look forward — you should be
facing the floor as well. Your body should form a straight line from the nape of your
neck to your heels for the entire duration of the plank. Stay in this position for 30
seconds. That’s it! Perfect! The standard plank strengthens your core,
abs, and back. As you progress, it’ll become easier to perform, so when you’re ready,
increase the time you hold the position: first to 45 seconds, then to a minute, and so on
until you reach 2 minutes. The same applies to the rest of the planks you’re going to
see in this video, so just hold it! Okay, now that you’ve learned the ropes,
let’s upgrade your planking routine and make up a super-workout made entirely of different
kinds of planks.
#1. Plank walkdown This variation engages not only your core,
but also your biceps, as well as your back and abdominal muscles. Basically, it’s a
lot like pushups, only modified to make it easier for beginners.
Start in the elbow plank: your lower body is on your tiptoes, but the upper body is
propped on your bent elbows. Your hands should lie flat on the floor, palms down, and your
forearms tense and ready for action. Now pull your right arm from the floor and place your
palm where your right elbow has just been, right beneath the shoulder. Pushing yourself
up with your right arm, pull your left one and do the same. You’re now in the standard
plank. Now reverse the movements: first lower your right forearm back on the floor, then
your left one. Repeat for 30 seconds, gradually increasing the time as you progress.
#2. Tom Cruise plank Or a Spiderman plank, if you like. Whichever’s
your choice, the exercise is all about training your entire body: shoulders, forearms, calves,
thighs, and abs. Start in the classic plank position. Slowly
move your right hand and foot to the right, and left hand and foot to the left. Put them
as far apart as you can, and then lower your body to the floor so that you’re kind of
floating just above it. Your core should be tense by now, and your arms bent at the elbows.
Try to hold the tremor in your core and hold this position for 30 seconds.
#3. Side plank with foot touching This variety is awesome for your shoulders,
arms, and hips. Get into the side plank position: lie on your
side, propping your upper body on the left forearm, and your feet on top of each other.
Stretch your right arm up towards the ceiling. Now swing your right leg up, trying to touch
the tips of your toes with the fingers of your outstretched arm. The swinging leg should
be kept straight all the time! Don’t bend it at the knee, and don’t let your torso
sag to the floor either. Do this for 30 seconds, then turn on your
right side and do the same with your left arm and leg.
#4. Knee to elbow side plank While you’re still in the side plank position,
it’s a good idea to switch to another exercise that targets the same muscles as the previous
one and adds another group to them: your glutes. But, what? Exactly!
Return to the side plank on your left side and put your right hand behind your head so
that your elbow sticks out towards the ceiling. Now bend your right leg at the knee and crunch,
reaching your knee to the elbow. Once again, make sure your core doesn’t sag to the floor.
Continue doing this for 30 seconds, then turn on your other side and repeat the same with
your left arm and leg.
#5. Plank sidewalk This is a lighter exercise to give you a little
breather before the tough stuff. It targets mainly your back and shoulders.
Start in the standard plank position and lift both your right arm and leg from the floor.
Move them simultaneously to the right, plant back to the floor, and move the left arm and
leg to the same side. Now make the same crawling movement back, starting with your left arm
and leg. Make sure your pelvis doesn’t go up and keep your body in a straight line all
the time. As usual, repeat the crawls for 30 seconds.
#6. One-armed plank Remember about the tough stuff? Here goes!
This plank variety is not exactly for beginners, so don’t feel frustrated if you can’t
hold it even for 30 seconds. It will make your core and especially your shoulders burn.
Start in the elbow plank position and lift your left arm off the floor. Place it along
your body, propping yourself only on your right forearm. Try not to shake and don’t
let your torso or pelvis rock to the side. Keep this position for 30 seconds (or as long
as you can), and then repeat with the other arm. Remember, keeping the form is key!
#7. Plank side jumps This exercise works wonders for your hips,
glutes, calves, abs, and back. It also acts as a moderately effective cardio exercise,
getting your heart rate up, which is always nice
Get into the standard or, if you’re not yet confident, the elbow plank position. Put
your feet together and start jumping from side to side, moving your lower body from
the pelvis down. Make sure your core remains stable, though, and increase the swing when
you feel you could do it. Just don’t jump too high! 30 seconds should be easy for this
exercise, so feel free to extend it as you see fit.
#8. Side-to-side plank Your back, glutes, and thighs will thank you
for this rock-n-roll variety of a plank. (Thank you, thank you, etc.) you’re welcome guys!
Get in the elbow plank position and roll your hips to the side. Try touching the floor with
your hip before going back up, get back to the center position, and roll on to the other
side. Make sure your core doesn’t sag or lift, and your feet shouldn’t move either,
rolling with the rest of your lower body but remaining in their place. Continue doing this
for 30 seconds.
#9. Leg lifting plank This is a mix of planking and stretching,
which helps you avoid injuries and do some endurance training at the same time. Leg lifting
plank targets your obliques, glutes, and latissimus dorsi, or the biggest back muscles, nicknamed
“lats” . Start in the elbow plank position. Keep your
legs straight and raise your left leg up, bent only at the foot. Stretch until you feel
slight tension in your hamstring and glutes, but don’t overdo it — if you feel pain
or unpleasant sensation, you’re probably trying too hard. Lower your leg back to the
floor and repeat with your right leg. Continue switching legs for 30 seconds.
#10. Plank forward slide This one looks simple but hey, you know better
already, right? Forward slide plank will train your calves, abs, and biceps.
Elbow plank is your initial position once again. Push your entire body with the tips
of your toes so that you slide forward, and then return to the starting position by pushing
back with your forearms. It’s very important not to let your back arch or sag and to keep
your abs tense. Continue sliding back and forth for 30 seconds.
#11. Cross-step plank Another plank variation that gets your muscles
stretched while strengthening your core, back, and legs. Ooh, a two-fer, or three-fer!
Start with the classic plank position. Now lift your left leg off the floor, turn your
pelvis to the right and try reaching your left knee to the right elbow. I know, it sounds
impossible, but if you do everything correctly, it should be a piece of cake to you! Return
to the initial position and repeat all that with your other side. Keep going until your
30 seconds are up.
#12. PPT plank PPT stands for posterior pelvic tilt, which
probably still doesn’t make any sense. Anyway, what this exercise is about is building a
lot of tension in your core, activating your abs like nothing else.
Start in the elbow plank position. The thing is, this plank doesn’t involve actual movement:
you should press your forearms and toe tips hard to the floor and pull them together,
all the while resisting with your core so as not to fold like a book. At the same time,
squeeze your abs as hard as you can. This is your plank position — hold it for 10-15
seconds. If you do everything right, you’ll probably not be able to keep it much longer
anyway. Relax and repeat after 10 seconds. Well done!
So that’s it for today’s planking workout! I bet your muscles are aching right now, and
they should be — after all, plank is a real endurance exercise, and what you’ve done
today is a lot of extra training! Repeat this workout two or three times a week, and you’ll
see your body transforming within a month!
Do you know any other plank variations that might be useful to add here? Let me know down
in the comments! If you learned something new today, then give this video a like and
share it with a friend. But – hey! – don’t go anywhere just
yet! We have over 2,000 cool videos for you to check out. All you have to do is pick the
left or right video, click on it, and enjoy! Stay on the Bright Side of life!