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Switch it Up with 15 Essential Plank Variations

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Ramp up your ab routine with some new exercises! Try out these 15 plank variations to gain greater core stability and improve your exercise form

woman doing single arm plank

Is your ab routine getting ho-hum? If your planks are great but you need to take it to the next level, try stepping it up with some new plank variations and hit some other muscles groups at the same time.

Here is a great fitness how-to video featuring my 15 favorite plank variations to add some variety to your exercise routine! The plank is an excellent way to build your core strength, but you can amp up any plank exercise by adding movement and engaging more muscle groups – i.e. fitness multitasking!

Adding plank variations to your workouts are great for several reasons:

  1. Fitness multitasking = more muscles engaged = more calories burned
  2. Engages your stabilizing muscles more than a regular plank
  3. Improves balance and coordination

Not only does the plank exercise help to strengthen all areas of your core, but you’ll also work your shoulder muscles and your glute muscles if you’re holding your plank correctly (no sagging low back or slumping shoulders!).

Here are a few more plank variations to add to your routine, I’ve made videos of each to help you with proper form and variations within each exercise to modify or progress each exercise:

Plank kick through exercise

Another plank variation I didn’t add in the video is the plank sweep or plank kick through (more details on this exercise in my 30-minute abs and glutes workout). If you’ve done PiYo classes or videos, you’ve probably done this one before.

Ramp up your ab routine with some new exercises! Try out these 15 plank variations to gain greater core stability and improve your exercise form - @TheFitCookie #fitness #plank #exercise

6 thoughts on “Switch it Up with 15 Essential Plank Variations”

  1. what a great post! these are some great moves! Planks are so essential to life and your core! I don’t do them nearly as much as I should!

    Reply
    • I don’t do enough planks either! I started doing some new yoga DVD’s this week that have plenty of planks in them. It made me realize that I need to be doing the plank more (and it made me realize how tight my hips are)!

      Reply

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