Fitness
Spice up ab day.
Ever notice how reverse planks can either feel easy or straight-up impossible?
It all depends on the day, your energy levels, and where youre at in your workout journey.
Luckily there are all sorts of ways to modify the exercise to fit exactly how you feel.
Also like a standard plank, this move firmly falls intofull-body workoutterritory thanks to its manybenefits.
It also engages your core muscles as you work to hold yourself steady.
With that in mind, here are four reverse plank variations to try.
Leg Pulls
To make your reverse plank more dynamic (and difficult), try leg pulls.
Engage your abs and lift one leg up to the ceiling.
Lower it back down with control.
Lift your other leg up to the ceiling.
Keep alternating in this pattern.
ensure your body remains aligned, arms straight, and head neutral.
Tricep Dips
Try adding this movement to give a little extra love to your tricep muscles, Calhoun says.
Start in a full reverse plank position, hands facing forward, arms straight.
From the top, bend your elbows to lower your body down.
Maintain a straight line as you do so.
(Dont let your butt touch the floor!)
- Straighten your elbows to rise back up.
Youll feel the burn in the backs of your arms.
Itll work to target the abs and glutes while also taking the weight off your wrists.
Sit on a mat with your hands planted behind you.
Lean back to rest on your elbows, forearms facing down.
Extend your legs and press your heels firmly into the mat.
Engage your abs and glutes.
Hold for 30 seconds without letting your hips drop.
Repeat 3 times.
Note: Itll still fire up your glutes and triceps.
From a seated position, place arms back behind you, hands facing forward.
Bend your knees and lift your core up into a tabletop position.
Maintain a straight torso.
Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Hold this position.
For an extra challenge, add tricep dips by bending and straightening your elbows.
Studies referenced:
Park DJ, Park SY.Which trunk exercise most effectively activates abdominal muscles?
A comparative study of plank and isometric bilateral leg raise exercises.
J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil.
2019;32(5):797-802. doi: 10.3233/BMR-181122.
