Go Plank Yourself 2

Happy Workout Wednesday all ya’ll beautiful people!

Today, I’m continuing my plank series by going over a couple more variations: side and single-leg planks. They both can be performed using the forearm position or with straight arms. I find that in forearm position the side plank is much easier to hold (still hard but easier to keep your balance). However, straight arms are better for doing the single-leg plank (I feel a tighter squeeze on my glutes), but that’s me. Experiment and find what works best for you.

You should start by doing a standard plank—on your knees, forearms, or straight-arm position—for as long as you can or however long you set your timer for and then do one or both of these exercises.

SIDE PLANK

side-plank
Picture courtesy of WorkoutLabs.com

Beginner:
1. Lower yourself down on your mat, take a couple to 10 seconds rest if necessary.
2. Roll to your side with your legs stacked on top of one another.
3. Squeeze your abs and lift yourself up onto your forearm or hand for as long as you can or for a set amount of time.
4. Lower yourself and switch sides.

Advanced:

1. From the standard plank position, lift one arm and roll yourself to the side without lowering yourself to the ground or taking a rest between planks.
2. Hold for recommended time and then switch sides without breaking your plank.

THIS EXERCISE IS HARD!!!! You can make the move easier by crossing the upper leg in front of the body and planting your foot for additional support.

 

SINGLE-LEG PLANK

single-leg-plank
Picture Courtesy of WorkoutLabs.com

1. From your chosen plank position lift one leg toward the ceiling as far as you can without torquing your body out of position.
2. Hold for as long as you can or however long you set your timer to, then switch legs and repeat.

 

That’s it for this week! I’ve got a ton more plank variations so stay tuned!

Crush the day!
~emmy

Meet Emmy Gatrell

Hi! I’m Emmy, a 42-year-old Stay-At-Home-School-Mom to two teenage boys, nine dogs, and a husband. I write and publish fiction in multiple genres including epic fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dystopian, speculative fiction, and supernatural horror ranging from young adult through four-flame +18. As you can tell I love all things that go bump in the night ;) I also love food. I’ve published the first five cookbooks of my No Frills Cookbook Series. My first coffee table cookbook TACO FREAKS (52 Recipes and Thoughts about the Best Day of the Week) publishes soon!