Get a Strong Core with my Ultimate Plank Challenge!

If you want strong abs and a strong core, the one move you need to master is a perfect PLANK! Fix your plank mistakes and learn some sizzling variations to make it more effective with my Ultimate Plank Challenge! Are you in??

Mastering the Basic Plank

The plank is a very effective move, if you know how to do it right. The plank targets not only your abs, but your entire core, back and even your shoulders. It is a very foundational move to build total-body strength!

Here’s how to check your own plank to make sure you are doing it right and getting the most out of this full-body move!

• ELBOW PLANK: Make sure your shoulders are aligned directly above your elbows in an elbow plank. You can clasp your hands together, or keep them shoulder-width apart for a greater challenge.
• FULL WRIST PLANK: Make sure your shoulders are aligned directly above wrists.
• Picture the back of your knees pushing up the the ceiling. This will help keep your body in a straight line.
• Lightly press your heels back behind you to keep your body aligned and prevent yourself from sliding forwards.

Common Plank Mistakes

As you get tired, you may lose the correct plank position without realising it:

• Your body may SAG in the middle, as your core cannot support your bodyweight. If you find your hips dropping towards the floor, PUSH YOUR HIPS UP, or drop your knees and take a short break so you can recover and fix your form.
• Your hips may LIFT to form a mini-mountain. This is a way to cheat so you don’t have to use your core as much! Drop your hips so you are back in a straight line.

If you need to, do your plank in front of a mirror so you can look at your alignment and keep your hips level. Or, ask a friend to watch your plank and tell you when your form is getting sloppy! Try to work your plank up to at least holding for 1 minute, and then try some of my variations below to make it more fun!

Variations to Make Your Plank MORE Challenging & Exciting! 

1. Start in an elbow plank, and push yourself up using your hands into a full wrist plank. Hold for a second and transfer back onto your elbows into elbow plank. Repeat going up and down between elbow and wrist plank for 25 repetitions.
2. Hold an elbow plank and reach forward with one hand. This adds greater instability to your plank and forces you to use your core to stabilise your body even more! Do NOT let your hips rotate as you reach! Alternate reaching with either arm for 25 reaches.
3. Hold a full wrist plank and step one leg out to the side. Then, step the foot back in. To make this even more difficult, do NOT touch the foot on the ground – swing it out to the side and pull it back in, with one smooth motion. Switch legs and repeat for 10 leg swings on either side.
4. Plyometric plank: While holding a full wrist plank, jump your feet in and out, as if you are doing a jumping jack. This is a major calorie burner!
5. Bonus – ULTIMATE PLANK: Grab a basketball or a stability ball, and put your feet on the ball and step into an elbow plank. Your feet are elevated, and this makes the plank EXTREMELY challenging! If you can do 2-3 minutes of plank easily, you will find 1 minute of elevated-feet plank very difficult! Try doing 3 sets of 1-minute each elevated-feet plank.

If you’d like more workout tips and super-effective exercises you can do at home without ANY equipment, click below to get my free Top 10 Cardio Exercise Guide! I teach you my favourite method for getting in a short workout at home with exercises for all activity levels!

Did you try any of these plank variations? How many did you do? Tell us in the comments!