Plank Variations You Have to Try

These core exercises will take ab workouts to the next level.

The plank’s an exercise that’s been around for some time now, and I’ve used it for years with clients of all ages and abilities. From 75 year old housewives to current UFC champions, the plank exercise is a staple in their workout programs.

What is the Plank?
The Plank, or “hover plank,” is an isometric exercise where you begin face down on the ground. Tuck your toes, engage your torso and line up your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Now lift your abs, hips, and legs off of the ground leaving the only points of contact as your toes and forearms. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise and always breathe.

Why Plank?
The plank is a great core exercise for developing abdominal, shoulder, and spinal stabilizer strength and stability. More importantly, it’s a great exercise for developing muscle endurance. According to research from biomechanics expert Dr. Stuart McGill, improved abdominal muscle endurance leads to decreased risk of lower back pain. If you are sitting in a room with 5 people, chances are 4 of them will experience low back pain in their lifetime. While other movements and mobility drills are needed, if this exercise can help rid people of pain, then it should be included in their routines.

How Long Can You Last?
If you can hold a plank for more than 60 seconds with great form, then I wonder why we continue to do planks? One of my favorite questions when performing any exercise is, “Why?” and you should ask yourself that question with every movement you do. You should be able to “defend” each exercise and explain how it helps you reach your goals.

Research from McGill shows holding the plank for 7-10 seconds with brief rest (2-3 sec) for multiple repetitions, as opposed to longer holds of 30 to 60 seconds, is most recommended for higher quality endurance, so, again, you have to wonder; is there a point to staying in a plank position for minutes on end? What benefits are we getting from holding an exercise for the length of a MMA round?

According to Guiness, the current world record for maintaining the plank position is over 1 hour 20 minutes! And he was 54 years old! Impressive feat? Without a doubt… but unless your training goal is to take this record down, there’s no point to holding the exercise for that long.

Having discussed length, you may now be wondering, “You have a world-class professional athlete perform a plank exercise?!” And the answer is, absolutely. While the traditional plank is considered an “entry level” exercise, the variations below are certainly not. But I can’t stress enough how becoming great at the foundational movement first is essential. But, once you’re good to very good at the plank, give these variations a try. After all, they say it takes 300 reps to instill a new movement pattern, and at least 3,000 reps to break a bad one. Get great at the basics first and we’ll then start to worry about these challenging plank variations:

Variations
1. RKC Plank
First introduced to me by Bret Contreras, it’s amazing how simple adjustments can make such a big difference to the plank. Just check out the video above.

2. Limb Changes
This requires moving your arms and legs in various positions during low or high planks. Examples include shoulder taps, opposite arm & leg lifts, up-up-down-downs, mountain climbers, etc. Don’t worry, the video includes demonstrations of a few variations.

3. Unstable Surface
Adding unstable surfaces such as the TRX, the Core-tex, a BOSU, a stability ball, etc. will drastically increase the intensity of the plank, and the attached clip includes a number of examples.

4. Weighted Planks
While I didn’t include any weighted variations in the clip, they’re often used with my advanced clients. I typically use weight vests or plates on their back to increase difficulty to the plank.

5. Next Level
A number of options could fall into this last category, and most include moving like rope pulls, or seal walks. Both of these examples are included in the video clip.

Final Thoughts
Planks should be a staple in your strength training program, and within your core workouts. Variations of the plank are advanced, and I always recommend safety and competency in the traditional movements before “experimenting” with advanced options. But, once you’re ready, try these variations, and send me feedback! And, if you have other challenging variations, send me a clip! Plank away 1R.