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The plank is a fundamental core exercise designed to strengthen your entire midsection, providing stability and support for your overall body strength. While regular planks are effective, you might find them becoming too easy over time. Fortunately, there are numerous advanced variations to increase the difficulty and continue challenging your muscles.
These plank variations not only test your limits but also enhance your core engagement, ensuring continuous improvement and progress in your fitness journey. Here are some challenging plank variations to engage your core from different directions and challenge yourself.
1. Side Plank:
The side plank targets the obliques, the muscles on the sides of your abdomen, which are often neglected in traditional ab workouts.
Muscles targeted: Obliques, shoulders, and hips.
How to: Begin by lying on your side with one forearm directly beneath your shoulder. For increased stability, stack your feet or stagger them. Engage your core to lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from head to heels. Hold for a predetermined duration before switching sides.
Execution:
- Sets: 3-4
- Reps: Hold for 30-45 seconds per side
- Progression: Increase hold time by 5-10 seconds each workout or add leg raises.
2. Side Plank Leg Raise:
This plank variation builds upon the side plank by incorporating leg abduction, further challenging your obliques.
Muscles targeted: Obliques, glutes, and hips.
How to: Assume a side plank position. With your core engaged and a straight body line, raise your top leg as high as possible while maintaining proper form. Lower your leg with control and repeat for the desired repetitions before switching sides.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: Lift your leg 8-10 times on each side.
- Progression: Increase the number of reps with each workout.
3. Side Plank Crunch:
By adding crunches to this advanced plank variation, you work your oblique and core muscles more intensely.
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and shoulders.
How to: Begin in a side plank position. Keeping your hips high, initiate a core twist to bring your top knee towards your elbow. Maintain control as you lower your leg back down. Perform repetitions on one side before switching to the other side.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-10 reps per leg (lift one leg at a time)
- Progression: Increase reps.
4. Front Plank with Arm Lift:
This variation offers a scalability based on hold time. Shorter holds target core stability, while longer holds challenge muscular endurance. It also strengthens the shoulder muscles for improved upper body stability and strength.
Muscles targeted: Core, shoulders, quads and back.
How to: Assume a high plank position with a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core and lift one arm directly out in front, ensuring your shoulder remains aligned with your body. Hold for a few seconds before lowering your arm back down. Repeat with the other arm.
Execution:
- Sets: 4-6
- Reps: 10-15 seconds per arm (alternate arms)
- Progression: Increase sets or hold the arm lift for a longer duration.
5. Plank with Arm and Leg Lift (Alternating):
This dynamic movement elevates your heart rate while strengthening your core. The alternating limb movements challenge core stability and improve coordination and balance.
Muscles targeted: Core, shoulders, glutes, and back.
How to: Begin in a high plank position. Extend one arm straight out in front of you while simultaneously extending the opposite leg straight back. Hold for a few seconds before returning both limbs to the starting plank position. Repeat on the other side.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-10 reps per side (alternate sides)
- Progression: Increase reps or hold the arm and leg lift for a longer duration.
6. Spider Plank:
This dynamic variation incorporates agility into the plank, requiring quick movements while maintaining core engagement.
Muscles targeted: Obliques, quads, hip flexors, and core.
How to: Assume a high plank position. With agility, bring one knee towards your elbow before returning it to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg, maintaining a rapid pace throughout while keeping your core engaged.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-12 reps per side (alternate sides)
- Progression: Increase reps or move faster with controlled movements.
7. Plank Jacks:
This plank variation adds jumping exercises to the core strengthening benefits of planks, making it more dynamic and raising your heart rate for a cardio workout.
Muscles targeted: Core, legs, and shoulders.
How to: Start in a plank position and jump your feet apart, then back together, in a controlled jumping jack motion. Maintain a strong core and keep your back flat throughout the movement.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 10-15 reps (quick jumps with narrow foot stance)
- Progression: Increase reps or jump height (maintain control).
8. Reverse Plank:
This variation targets the posterior chain (muscles on the backside of your body) while also engaging your core. Holding this position for extended durations becomes increasingly challenging.
Muscles targeted: Posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings) and core.
How to: Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front. Place your forearms behind you, fingers pointing forward. Engage your core and push through your forearms and heels to lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from head to heels. Hold for a set amount of time.
Execution:
- Sets: 3-4
- Reps: Hold for 30-45 seconds
- Progression: Increase hold time by 5-10 seconds each workout or add leg kicks.
9. Reverse Plank Kicks:
This variation builds upon the reverse plank by adding leg extension, further challenging your core stability and gluteal muscles.
Muscles targeted: Shoulders, Glutes, hamstrings, and core.
How to: Start in a reverse plank position. With your core engaged and body in a straight line, rapidly lift one leg up towards the ceiling. Lower your leg back down with control and repeat with the other leg.
Execution:
- Sets: 3-4
- Reps: 10-12 kicks per leg (alternate legs)
- Progression: Increase reps or hold the kick for a longer duration.
10. Plank Leg Lift
This plank variation is a great exercise to strengthen the core and target the glutes.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, and core.
How to: In a standard plank position, lift one leg towards the ceiling and hold for a few seconds. Lower it back down and switch legs. Keep your body in a straight line and avoid letting your hips sag.
Execution:
- Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-12 reps per leg (lift one leg at a time)
- Progression: Increase reps or hold the leg lift for a longer duration.
Conclusion
Incorporating these plank variations into your workout routine can significantly enhance your core strength, stability, and overall fitness. Start with the easier variations and gradually progress to the more challenging ones as your strength improves. Remember to maintain proper form throughout each exercise to prevent injury and maximize effectiveness. Happy planking!
