Build Strength, Stability, and Endurance With This 30-Minute Plank Variation Workout

Workouts that include plank variations are incredibly effective for building strength, stability, and endurance. Planks engage your entire core—abs, obliques, and lower back—while also working your shoulders, arms, and even glutes. Adding variations like side planks, plank jacks, or forearm planks keeps your routine dynamic and targets different muscle groups.

They improve posture, balance, and overall functional fitness, making everyday movements easier and safer, per the Cleveland Clinic. Planks are adaptable to all fitness levels, require no equipment, and deliver maximum results in minimal time.

That’s why Or Artzi, CPT, a lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors, created this plank variation workout—that includes other muscle-building moves as well—to help you crush your goals.

Join the club

If you’re following along with our January 2025 Good Moves Club Winter Challenge (sign up here if you haven’t already!), this is the workout for day 16, week 3. You can follow along with Artzi and the full-length workout below. This efficient workout includes a warmup and six strength-based exercises.

The warmup

Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Complete one round. 

1. Walkout

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. 2.
   Hinge forward at your hips and reach toward the floor.
3. 3.
   Keeping your feet in place, walk your hands forward and come into a high plank so that your shoulders are over your wrists.
4. 4.
   Pause, engaging your core.
5. 5.
   Walk your hands back to your feet, then return to standing.
6. 6.
   Repeat.

2. World’s greatest stretch (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Start in a high plank with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
2. 2.
   Step your right foot forward and place it outside of your right hand.
3. 3.
   Keeping your hips square, lift your right hand toward the ceiling, rotating your chest toward your right leg. Allow your gaze to follow your fingertips.
4. 4.
   Pause, then return your right hand to the floor and extend your right leg back to plank position.
5. 5.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
6. 6.
   Continue alternating sides.

3. Cat-cow pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)

1. 1.
   Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. Align your elbows and shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. 2.
   Slowly arch your spine, dropping your belly toward the floor. Look up as you draw your tailbone toward the ceiling (cow pose).
3. 3.
   Slowly transition into a rounded spine, tucking your chin toward your spine as you tilt your pelvis forward (cat pose).
4. 4.
   Continue alternating between cow and cat poses.

4. Deep squat with thoracic twist (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands clasped in front of your chest. 
2. 2.
   Inhale, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that’s comfortable).
3. 3.
   Exhale, pressing evenly through your feet as you place your left hand on the floor and lift your right arm up to the sky while still in a deep squat.
4. 4.
   Twist your torso toward your right hand, reaching for the ceiling.
5. 5.
   Pause, then return your torso to center. 
6. 6.
   Repeat on the opposite side. 
7. 7.
   Continue alternating sides.

5. Hamstring sweep (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down by your sides.
2. 2.
   Bend your left knee slightly and step forward with your right foot, flexing your toes up. Your right leg should be straight.
3. 3.
   Lean your torso forward until it’s nearly parallel to the floor, reaching your arms behind you.
4. 4.
   Then, sweep your arms forward and up so your biceps are next to your ears. You should feel a stretch in the muscles behind your right thigh.
5. 5.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
6. 6.
   Continue alternating sides.

6. Jumping jack

1. 1.
   Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides.
2. 2.
   Jump your legs out to the sides while lifting your arms up over your head.
3. 3.
   Finish the rep by jumping your feet back together and returning your arms to your sides.
4. 4.
   Stay light on your toes and keep a soft bend in your knees as you jump.
5. 5.
   Repeat.

The workout

You’ll need a hand towel and resistance band to complete this workout. Perform each exercise one time through, then rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next round. Do 2-4 rounds total.

• Beginners: Do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
• Intermediate: Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
• Advanced: Do each exercise for 60 seconds, then move on to the next exercise.

1. Single-leg Romanian deadlift (each side separately)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Tuck your right elbow into your right side as if you were running. Extend your left arm by your side.
2. 2.
   Drive your left knee up to hip height so your left thigh is parallel to the floor. You should be balancing on your right leg. 
3. 3.
   Engage your core and simultaneously lean forward, extending your left leg behind you. Press your right foot into the floor while doing so, and keep your right leg slightly bent. 
4. 4.
   At the same time, lower your right arm down by your side and tuck your left elbow into your left side as if you were running.
5. 5.
   Continue lowering until your torso is parallel to the floor or you feel a pull in your right hamstrings (whichever comes first).
6. 6.
   Press into your right foot, squeeze your glutes and reverse the movement to return back to the standing start position.
7. 7.
   Do all reps on one leg before switching sides.

Alternate Option

Hold a dumbbell in each hand to make this move more challenging.

2. Figure-7 plank

1. 1.
   Start in an all fours position, with shoulders stacked over wrists, and hips stacked over knees. 
2. 2.
   Engage your core to flatten your back, then step back one foot at a time, tucking your toes to come into a high plank position. 
3. 3.
   Bring your right knee in toward your left wrist.
4. 4.
   While your knee is still forward, swing your right knee to the right toward your right wrist. 
5. 5.
   Then extend your right foot back to your high plank position.
6. 6.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
7. 7.
   Continue alternating legs for the allotted amount of time.

Alternate Option

Do a standard high plank.

3. Sprinter sit-up

1. 1.
   Lie faceupwith your legs slightly bent and your heels resting on the floor. Extend your arms toward the ceiling.
2. 2.
   On an exhale, quickly lift your torso off the floor and rotate through the spine to the right while simultaneously driving your right knee toward your chest. Allow your gaze to follow through the rotation.
3. 3.
   Tap your left hand to your right foot. Then, reverse the movement, rotating through your spine back to center and lowering your torso and right heel back to the floor.
4. 4.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
5. 5.
   Continue alternating for the allotted amount of time.

Alternate Option

Do a bicycle crunch.

4. Eccentric sliding hamstring curl (single side)

1. 1.
   Lie faceup with your heels on a hand towel. Press your upper arms and elbows into the floor and bend at your elbows so your arms form 90-degree angles. 
2. 2.
   Lift your right foot off the floor and drive your right knee in toward your chest. 
3. 3.
   Push through your left heel to drive your hips up toward the ceiling until you form a diagonal line from knees to hips to chest.
4. 4.
   Extend your left leg. 
5. 5.
   Pause for a moment, then lower your hips back down to the floor and slide your left foot back to the starting position. 
6. 6.
   Repeat.
7. 7.
   Do all reps on one leg before switching sides.

5. Half-kneeling single-arm row with resistance band with pulse (each side separately)

1. 1.
   Start in a half-kneeling position with your right foot in front. 
2. 2.
   Place one end of a long-looped resistance band underneath your right foot and grab the other end with your left hand. 
3. 3.
   Lean forward and place your right forearm on your right knee. 
4. 4.
   Pull your left elbow up toward your side until it touches your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blade to your spine.
5. 5.
   Lower your left elbow down halfway. 
6. 6.
   Then pull your left elbow up toward your side until it touches your ribs. 
7. 7.
   Return to start, extending your left arm down toward the floor.
8. 8.
   Do all reps on one side, then switch.

6. Twist jump to plank

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart. 
2. 2.
   Place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, then hop your feet back into a high plank. 
3. 3.
   Hop your feet forward, then stand back up.
4. 4.
   Immediately jump and twist to the right, then jump and twist to the center. 
5. 5.
   Place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, then hop your feet back into a high plank. Your body should make a straight line from your heels through your hips to the top of your head.
6. 6.
   Hop your feet forward, then stand back up.
7. 7.
   Immediately jump and twist to the left, then jump and twist to the center. 
8. 8.
   Continue repeating, alternating which side you jump and twist to.

Alternate Option

Slow the move down or take out any jumping. You can also do a plank on your knees.