This 6-Move Plank Workout Is Anything but Boring and Will Leave Your Body *Burning*
As much as planks make me want scream/cry/quit going to the gym forever, I've gotta admit: They get the job done. There are few moves that measure up to the full-body muscle builders, seeing as they activate your arms, core, glutes, and pretty much everything in between.
This is why this week's installment of the Well+Good Trainer of the Month Club is all planks, all the time. But even though the full workout is based on a single move, it is anything but boring. Master SoulCycle instructor and EmBody creator Emily Turner has put together a series of planks that will leave your body burning. Before we get into the moves themselves, a few notes on proper plank form. When you're on your forearms, be sure to place your elbows directly under your shoulders, and push away from the floor with your forearms. Tuck your pelvis slightly underneath you to engage your abs, and maximize tension by squeezing your glutes and quads. When you're on your hands, press away from the floor and neutralize your spine by tucking your ribcage and pelvis into a "hollowed" position, while also contracting your glutes and quads. Got that? Now, time to put it into action for the next five days. And don't forget to check back next week for an entirely new workout (with, thankfully, far fewer planks involved).
Do each move for one minute, and cycle through the full series twice.
1. Single-leg plank oblique twist into open side plank, adding arm twist: Starting in a plank, lift your right leg high behind you and pull it in toward your left elbow, twisting your obliques, and return to the starting point. Repeat five times. Then, pulse into an oblique twist five times (without doing a full extension between each pulse). Then, extend your right leg out in front of you and your arm up above, and twist it under your body five times. Repeat on the other side.
2. Walk the plank: Starting on your hands, move down to your forearms one arm at a time, then push back up to your hands one at a time. Be sure to alternate which side goes first to keep things even, and continue for one minute.
3. Forearm plank hold: Hold your forearm plank, and rock forward and backwards, and then side to side. Engage your core as you move, and don't clasp your hands together (which, for what it's worth, is the easiest way to totally ruin your plank form). Continue for one minute.
4. Side plank hold, adding lifted leg: Roll onto your right leg and right forearm to form a side plank, then lift your left arm and leg into the air. Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat on the other side.
5. Mermaid push-ups: Start in a plank position, and do a single full-range push-up. When you reach the top, push back onto your knees (a la child's pose) and raise your arms up over your head. Repeat for one minute..
6. Mountain climber twists: In a plank position, pull one knee at a time in toward the opposite elbow (so, right knee would go to left elbow, and vice versa). Once you've got the move down, increase speed to get a bit of a cardio boost, and continue for one minute.
For more planks that won't bore you to tears, try this 12-minute full-body series. Or, fire up your abs care of Charlee Atkins' 8-minute at-home core workout.
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