9 Plank Variations You Have to Try

I am sure you have all probably heard of a basic plank, but what about these challenging plank variations?

Planks not only work your abs, but also recruit your legs, arms, shoulders and your entire core. Plank-based movements are the foundation of my training and really help build total body strength.

Why? Because you are not isolating a single muscle group. You are integrating a lot of different muscle groups in a way that is functional and mimics real-life movement.

Good to know: Strengthening that core can really help alleviate back pain and improve other movement imbalances as well.

Not convinced you can get in an effective workout in only 5 minutes?

Then you haven’t tried planking. I have 9 of my favorite variations to share with you today so that you can really understand the power of a plank.

1. Side Star Plank

2. Low Plank Arm Reach

3. Reverse Plank

4. Low Side Plank

5. High Side Plank Knee Tuck

6. Low Side Plank Crunch

7. Extended Plank

8. Confused Plank (forearm or hand, or both)

9. Wide Plank

How should you incorporate these into your workout?

Choose 3-5 of these plank variations and try to do them for 30-60 seconds. Then, repeat 2-5x if you can. I know that seems like a short amount of time but, trust me, it’s challenging and you will probably need some breaks. Oftentimes, I do an entire workout based on plank variations like these. It goes perfect after running or biking. Plus, you can really plank anywhere and everywhere. If you have room to lay down, you have room to plank.

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