Jacob A plank can be a simple exercise for the core but can also be used for many other activities. You could use it to work your arm muscles with a partner or as an additional challenge for your legs and glutes when doing lunges or squats.
Here are the 10 Best Plank Variations
1. Flutter Kicks
Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your legs straight. Now jump up as high as you can, bring your right leg back onto the ground, and perform ten flutter kicks to work the glute and hamstring muscles.
2. Side Plank Jacks
Start in a side plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and then jackknife the upper body like a jack-in-the-box by extending the body up while keeping both legs straight. Use portions to support yourself while performing ten rapid side planks followed by ten fast jack-in-the-box push-ups.
3. Flutter Kicks with Biceps Curls
This is the same as Flutter Kicks, but pump it and make it a bicep curl. Come up with a biceps curling motion.
4. Push-Up Plank
Start in a push-up position on your hands and toes, then hold the plank position and do ten full push-ups.
5. Mountain Climbers:
Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body straight from head to toe like a mountain, then bring one leg forward towards the ceiling and get it back towards your hands while keeping the rest of your body stationary (like you’ve just gone for a jog). Bring your other leg forward, bring it back to your hands and repeat with the rest of your body.
6. Side Plank Jacks:
Start in a side plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and then jackknife the upper body like a jack-in-the-box by extending the body up while keeping both legs straight. Use portions to support yourself while performing ten rapid side planks followed by ten rapid jack-in-the-box push-ups.
7. Up and Down Plank Jumps
Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, then jump up and do ten up-and-down plank jumps.
8. Foot Plank Jacks:
Start in a side plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, then jackknife like a jack-in-the-box by extending the body up while keeping both legs straight. Use portions to support yourself while performing ten rapid foot planks followed by ten rapid jack-in-the-box push-ups.
9. Flying Lunges:
Stand straight in front of a bench with one foot on the bench and one foot on the floor. Keep your core tight and back straight as you bend at the knee and come down with your front leg until it touches the bench. Then jump back up to the starting position and repeat ten times.
10. Plank Push-Up:
Start in a push-up position, then lower yourself to a plank position before popping back up so that you’re doing a push-up again. Repeat ten times.
