There are so many great plank variations out there. And of course I like mixing things up and using a variety to challenge my body, and my mind, in different ways.
BUT I also have my go-to options. Plank moves I like to include way more often not only in my own workouts, but in my clients.
These moves are my favorites because they are functional moves that cover everything I think a core training program needs to get results.
They work the core from every angle.
They work the core in every plane of motion (sagittal, frontal and transverse).
They work everything between your shoulders and your knees aka all of the muscles of your core.
They work not only your abs but also your glutes.
They build shoulder stability.
They are compound moves that even get your blood pumping a bit to help you burn more calories.
They can be easily modified or advanced for any level.
They are a combination of unilateral and bilateral moves.
They force you to learn to engage your core as you balance, twist, turn, bend and even extend!
They even work on improving your mobility and strengthening through that full range of motion!
So what are these 5 Plank Variations I always use!?
(If you’re ready to skip to the good stuff and get some workouts using these plank variations, you’ll want to check out my 28-Day Core Burner Program!)
Plank with Reach Back and Out:
This plank in particular is one of my favorites.
Why?
Because it works on shoulder stability, glute activation, hip extension and core anti-rotational strength.
To do the Plank with Reach Back and Out, set up in a Front Plank from your hands and toes with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. For this move, you will want your feet wider to create a more stable base. Beginners can do this move from their knees.
Then from the Plank position, reach one hand back and across toward the opposite ankle, pushing your butt back and up toward the ceiling as you reach. Then reach back forward and out toward the wall in front of you, dropping your hips back into a nice plank position.
Do not drop your hips too low and feel your low back engage. Keep your core tight to protect your low back as you come back into that nice plank position. Reach back and across with the same hand until all reps are complete on that side.
Side Plank Hip Dips:
So why is the Side Plank with Hip Dips one of my favorites? A. It’s a frontal plane movement. B. It’s a great move to work obliques AND your glute medius (aka a butt muscle) which is an important hip stabilizer.
To do the Side Plank Hip Dips, set up in a side plank from your forearm with your elbow right under your shoulder. Do not let your elbow get way out beyond your shoulder or you will place more strain on your shoulder. By keeping the elbow “stacked” under the shoulder, you allow your back and lat to help support your weight.
You can then either stack your feet and lift up onto the side of your bottom foot or you can place the top foot in front on the ground and lift up onto the sides of both feet. Unstacking your feet will make it a bit easier to balance. Beginners may need to place their bottom knee down on the ground.
Keeping your body in a straight line and your chest open and not rotated toward the ground, drop your hips down toward the ground and then lift them back up into the Side Plank.
Repeat making sure your body doesn’t collapse forward and your chest doesn’t rotate toward the ground. Your top hand can be raised toward the ceiling or on your hip.
Body Saw:
I love this more advanced plank. It shows that to advance the plank you don’t always have to hold for longer or add in weights.
And for a functionally strong core, you want to have core strength and stability even when stretched out. This plank variation will help you learn to brace your abs even as you extend to help you protect your low back. Plus the movement really gets the blood pumping a bit!
To do the Body Saw, set up in a Plank position from your forearms and toes with your feet close together. Your forearms should be right under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels.
Then begin to walk your feet backward, taking small steps. Keep your body in a nice straight line and don’t let your hips sag toward the ground. Lengthen through your triceps and lats as you walk back. Walk back as far as you can while keeping your core engaged.
Then walk your feet back forward until you are back in the Forearm Front Plank. Do not let your butt go up in the air as you walk your feet back in.
Repeat, walking your feet back out. Only walk out as far as you can without your low back engaging. If your low back feels this move, don’t walk out as far. Start with only a few steps.
Plank with Rotational Reach:
This is another great plank to build shoulder stability, but this one instead works on rotational strength. I love this plank variation because it works the entire core and you’ll even really feel it working the muscles around your rib cage!
To do the Plank with Rotational Reach, set up in the high plank position on your hands and knees (beginner) or toes (advanced). Set your feet wider apart to create a more stable base. Then reach one hand under your armpit and toward the far wall beyond your side. You aren’t just reaching under your armpit to pat yourself on the back. You want to really reach toward the wall.
As you reach, make sure your hips stay down. Then pivot open, rotating into a Side Plank as you reach your hand up toward the ceiling. You will reach the hand that reached under your armpit up toward the ceiling, keeping your hips up as you move into a Side Plank. Pivot onto the sides of your feet as you reach or try to open up as much as you can on your knees. Beginners can even move to their feet if they can to do a more intermediate variation.
Then reach the hand back down and under your armpit, rotating your hips back down toward the ground and into the Front Plank position. Repeat. Complete all reps on one side before switching and reaching the other way. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag toward the ground as you reach.
Inchworm Plank:
I love this plank because it is the opposite of the Body Saw and requires a lot of core strength to get your feet in closer to your head so that you can get your butt up higher. It also really works on your mobility to be able to walk in further. Plus, the walking in and jumping out will get your blood pumping and heart beating!
To do the Inchworm Plank, set up in a forearm plank from your toes with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels.
Begin to walk your feet in toward your head, keeping your legs straight as you take very small steps forward. Your butt should go up in the air as you walk your feet in to pike up. Walk in as far as you mobility allows. Then jump both feet back out (beginners may walk back out instead).
Do not let your hips sag toward the ground as you return to the forearm plank. Then repeat walking back in before jumping back out.
Ready to build core strength using these Planks and even other fun core moves?
Ready to learn why just holding a plank for LONGER isn’t the answer?
Ready to get rid of that low back pain and get a stronger, killer-looking core?
All too often we go to the gym with the intention of just getting our workout DONE.
We lift the weights and do the movements and try to push ourselves to work hard.
But when was the last time you asked yourself, “Where do I feel this? Are the right muscles ACTUALLY working?”
The sad part is…Most of us haven’t thought about that in awhile. We don’t really think about WHERE we feel a move or what muscles are working.
Because most of what we see promoted in fitness is how much you can lift or what crazy moves you can do…or even how fast you can finish a workout.
It is all about doing something GNARLIER…something better or more advanced.
It’s about pushing harder, doing MORE.
But guess what the often unknown side effect of that push harder, do more culture is?
INJURY!
And it is all because our proprioception SUCKS.
Now I’m not telling you not to work hard in the gym. To not go lift weights. To not have fun taking on crazy new hard challenges.
But what I am telling you is, you also need to include proprioception work in your training.
So what the heck is proprioception?
Well simply put proprioception is our body awareness. Our ability for our mind and body to communicate and understand where our body is in space.
It is our mind’s ability to recruit the muscles of our body to act.
Sounds like something you should be able to do naturally, right?
I mean, if you can squat, your mind and body are communicating properly, right?
So you think this maybe doesn’t relate to you because you can run and squat and deadlift…
WRONG!
We’ve heard sitting is bad for us – that it creates poor posture.
But what we don’t realize is that all of that sitting at a computer, sitting watching TV, hunching over our phones texting or even driving in the car not only leads to poor posture, but also imbalances that kill our proprioception.
All of that forward flexion (aka rounding forward as we sit with our heads forward) causes our mind to want to use the WRONG MUSCLES to perform movements.
So yes, your mind will connect with your body and recruit muscles to perform a squat.
Heck, if you are athletic, it may even recruit muscles so you perform a seemingly PERFECT looking squat.
The problem is YOUR MIND IS CONNECTING WITH THE WRONG MUSCLES. It is recruiting muscles that can’t handle the load to perform a movement!
It is compensating.
Our bodies take the path of least resistance to perform the movements we ask of it.
It is a wonderful and horrible thing. Our mind wants to do what we ask so it recruits the muscles available. Muscles that may be overactive because of our daily posture.
Muscles that aren’t necessarily the best option for the job.
But because those are the only ones your brain can easily recruit, it calls on them. And then you are able to run and squat and do the movements your workouts and daily life require….
However, we can only ask so much of these muscles. And the loads we ask them to carry because we can’t recruit the right muscles is too much for them.
And that is why we end up injured.
The injury may happen when you are doing something seemingly innocent and easy.
Heck, it could happen when bending over to reach for a pencil on the ground.
We’ve all had friends do that…or maybe it has happened to us even. We “sleep wrong.” Or we just turn to look or reach or bend for something and WHAM! pain and injury.
But it wasn’t really that event that injured you. No…that was just the “straw that broke the camels back.”
That final thread just finally snapped.
But it was really a build up of things that caused it. A build up that started because we lacked proper proprioception.
Because we didn’t have that mind-body connection to begin with.
So…long story short…Proprioception is the mind-body connection.
And hopefully now you’re starting to see that being able to squat or run doesn’t necessarily mean you have great proprioception or even any mind-body awareness for that matter.
Repeating a movement doesn’t mean the right muscles are working.
Ever wonder why you squat but your glutes never change? All you feel is your quads working?
Or ever wonder why people will say their back is sore after rows or pull ups but all you feel is your arms or maybe even your neck and shoulders?
That right there is the sign that you aren’t recruiting the right muscles for the job.
But that requires you to start THINKING about the muscles that are working WHILE you workout.
You can’t simply try to “get through” your workout. You can’t simply try to go fast or lift more.
NOPE!
You’ve got to actually THINK about the muscles that should be working.
That is the first step to not only realize that the right muscles AREN’T working, but also the first step toward getting the right muscles activated.
It is the first step in restoring proper proprioception!
That is why I asked, “But when was the last time you asked yourself, “Where do I feel this? Are the right muscles ACTUALLY working?'”
Because you’ve got to start thinking about what muscles are working when you move. If you think about recruiting the right muscles, you can start to rebuild that connection.
But it can be difficult to start doing that during compound lifts such as the squat or deadlift or even when you run when the muscles are inactive.
You may NOT feel them working. And you may not be able to focus on them working without risking your form breaking down or further compensations.
So to get yourself to be able to start thinking about what muscles are working, you need to include activation exercises in your routine.
You need to return to basics.
It’s kind of like how children learn to walk and then run. They don’t just jump right into running, right?
First they crawl. Then they stand while holding on. Then they stand on their own. Then they stand, but hold on to start walking. Then finally walking a few steps on their own…Until they are able to not only walk, but run.
They had to build that mind-body connection slowly, starting with the basics.
You’ve got to do the same.
It sucks to regress movements…I know…trust me.
But if you want to keep yourself healthy and even lift more and run faster, no matter how advanced you are, you’ve got to return to the basics.
Basic, bodyweight exercises that ISOLATE the muscles you want to get working correctly. Muscles that on their own don’t want to work because of our daily lifestyle.
These aren’t moves you are going to try to load down with tons of weight. These are moves that help you focus on the muscles that should be working so you can get them engaged BEFORE you go do more compound lifts.
By doing these moves, you can help yourself KNOW the muscles are turned on because they may even be “burning” before you go do your workout.
You feel them engage through the isolation of them so you can then more easily think of them working during your lift.
For example, you are going to run or even go deadlift.
And you want to get your glutes activated because you now realize they are inactive and have been causing you some low back and even hip pain.
You struggle to think about them engaging and never feel them during your runs or lifts.
So you decide to try using some activation moves before you workout.
You do bodyweight glute bridges, focusing on extending your hips and squeezing your glutes. You engage your abs and make sure your low back and hamstrings don’t take over. You start to FEEL the contraction of your glutes and they start to burn.
You then add in some fire hydrants and a few other basic moves. Your really feel those glutes “burning” by the end. Not tired. Just really AWAKE.
You go right into your lift and run ALREADY feeling your glutes.
And guess what? When you think about the muscle during your workout, you actually KNOW you are using it because there was already a pump going.
That burn beforehand makes it easier to be aware of what is working.
You are able to make your glutes work because of the basic activation moves that got them engaged. Your brain has established a connection with your glutes before you do more compound moves where it has to recruit more muscles at the same time.
You started restoring your mind-body connection. You started developing proper proprioception!
Exciting, right?!
I mean the right muscles working so you can run faster, lift more and avoid injury!?! HECK YES!
Now while it would be nice if it only took one activation session and BAM! results, it often doesn’t work that way.
I do activation as part of every warm up and have my clients do the same. Especially on days when we are working muscles, like the back and butt, that often don’t want to engage naturally.
And, as you start to turn muscles on, you may need to regress other movements in your workouts so that you don’t cause those newly activated muscles to shut off.
Loading down movements with too much weight or doing a super high volume when you are just learning to get muscles activated may lead you to keep compensating.
If you’ve been doing pull ups with neck pain and decide to start working to activate your back with activation exercises (and maybe even get it working with those moves), but then jump right back in with weighted pull ups or even a super high volume of repetitions, you may still end up with neck pain.
Because you are still overloading a muscle that your brain is still just beginning to learn how to recruit.
And at the first sign of too much stress, guess what?!
Your body reverts back to the easiest to recruit muscles. Your body reverts back to the path of least resistance aka what it knows best!
And you’ll still end up with aches and pains.
So what does this all mean?
It means you’ve got to regress to progress and put ego aside.
It freaking sucks. I know. None of us want to go “backward.”
But it isn’t going backward.
It’s taking one step back…Ok maybe like 10 steps back…But we are taking those steps back to end up 20 steps ahead of where we were!
So stop allowing aches and pains and injuries to hinder your workouts. Stop letting the desire to do MORE or be gnarly(…aka our ego…yes we all have it…I know I do!) hold us back from ACTUALLy lifting more or running faster in the long run.
Regress to progress.
Start being conscious of your body during your workouts and stop just powering through. Especially powering through the pain.
Ask yourself, “Where do I feel this? What muscles are working?” and start rebuilding your mind-body connection. Restore proper proprioception and start moving and feeling better TODAY.
And if you need some help, you’ll want to start with a 3 part process – Foam Rolling (Self Myofascial Release), Stretching AND Activation. This is what I call the RStoration Method.
You are relaxing those muscles that want to try to engage and carry a load they can’t. So you are relaxing them so your brain doesn’t want to recruit them. And then you are getting the right muscles for the job engaged and working.
Through that three part process, you can eliminate pain for GOOD and get more out of your workouts.
Here are some great articles to help you get started covering each of the three part in the RStoration Method!
Keeping our training routine interesting and fun is key if we want to stay consistent and dedicated while constantly progressing forward and getting results.
That doesn’t mean we should mix up our workout every day or just throw together random moves. But it does mean progressing and introducing not only new movements, but also new training tools into our routine so that we avoid plateaus and challenge our bodies in new ways.
One great way to challenge your body and add some variety to your routine is by creating an unstable training environment. This can be done with unilateral loads or by using a balance board.
By forcing your body to work harder to stabilize during movements, you not only help build functional strength but you get all of those stabilizer muscles engaged and working. Plus, you can improve your mind-body connection for better coordination, stability AND strength!
If you’re looking for a new challenge and a great way to really improve not only your full-body strength, but also core stability, you should try adding in Balance Board exercises to your workout routine.
When I pick tools, I also like to make sure they are versatile enough that if I have only that SINGLE ITEM and my bodyweight, I can get in a variety of workouts. The balance board not only allows you to do that, BUT if you have the Revolution FIT, you can also use one of the rollers as a foam roller!
Love added bonuses like that! A workout and recovery kit all in one 😉
Below I’ll go over 16 Balance Board Exercises you can do. I’ll use the Revolution FIT Balance Board to show you how you can get in a great full-body workout with just this one tool!
16 Balance Board Exercises For A Balance Board Workout – Revolution FIT
Side to Side Forearm Plank (1:00):
Planks are an ESSENTIAL core move to include in your routine. And if you want to take them up a notch and really get your obliques working hard, you’ll want to try the Side to Side Forearm Plank on the Balance Board.
For this move, you’ll use the board and roller. Set up with your forearms on the board about shoulder-width apart and your feet wide. Draw your belly button in toward your spine and make sure your body is in a nice straight line. Engage your quads and glutes and make sure you aren’t shrugging.
Then slow roll the board over the roller to the right. Keep your core engaged as you shift your forearms to the side. Do not let your body rotate or butt go up in the air. Shift as far to one side as you can and then bring your forearms back under your body before shifting toward the other side.
Offset Push Up (1:12):
Push ups are a killer chest, shoulders, triceps and core move. But you can make them exponentially harder, but doing them on the board with your weight offset. Talk about a killer anti-rotational move that even isolates each side of your upper body by having your weight offset on the board!
Again using the board and roller, set up so the roller is under one side of the board and your hands are each on an edge. Set up with your feet about hip-width apart. A wider base with your feet will help with balance.
Start at the top of the push up with the board offset on the roller (aka under one side) and your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels.
Then perform a push up without letting either side of the board touch the ground. Drop your chest as close to the board as possible with your body moving as one unit before pressing back up. Do not let your hips sag or butt go up in the air.
While this is a wider grip push up, do not let your elbows flare way up by your head and make sure not to shrug. Perform two push ups then roll the board across so that the roller is on the other side. Then perform to push ups focused on your other side!
Balance Push Ups (1:25):
If you’re looking to advance the basic push up, but not yet ready for the Offset variation, you should try the Balance Push Up. It is a great way to build core stability while strengthening your chest, shoulders and triceps!
Set up with the roller in the middle of the board and a hand on each edge of the board for a wider grip push up. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, but you can bring them closer together to create more instability, and your body should be in a nice straight from your head to your heels.
Start at the top of a push up and then lower your chest to the board without letting either side of the board touch the ground. Press back up and repeat. Do not let your hips sag or butt go up in the air. Do not tuck your chin. Keep your body in a nice straight line and make sure everything moves as one unit.
Beginners can also do this from their knees.
Forward Backward Rolls (1:33):
The Forward-Backward Rolls are another great way to advance the plank. And not only is this a great move to work your abs, glutes, quads and shoulder, but you can even use it to work your triceps and lats.
When you pull the roller back under after extending forward, focus on feeling your triceps and lats work to pull yourself back into that plank position!
Set up with the roller lengthwise under the board and your forearms on the board. Your elbows should start under your shoulders. Set your feet about hip-width apart with your body in a nice straight line and your abs engaged.
The slowly roll the board out in front of you. Extend forward as far as you can without your hips dropping or letting low back engaging. Then roll it back under, bringing your elbows back under your shoulders or even a little past. Feel your lats and triceps work to pull that board back under. You’ll also feel your abs engage so you don’t round or sag.
Repeat the roll back out and under. Move at a steady pace.
Single Leg Push Ups (1:40):
The balance board alone creates instability, forcing our body to work harder to stabilize as we move. But if you want to take things up even another notch, you can force your core to have to work harder to prevent rotation by making any movement a unilateral move.
By raising one leg as you do your push ups, you can force your core to work even harder to stabilize!
Set up on the board with the disc underneath. Place both hands on the board just outside your chest and raise one leg as you set up in a high plank position at the top of the push up.
Keeping any edge of the board from touching the ground, perform a push up, dropping your chest as close to the board as possible. Make sure your body moves as one unit. Do not let your hips sag or butt go up in the air. Also, do not let your elbows flare way up by your head. You do not want to shrug, but instead keep your back engaged to support your shoulders.
Press back up and repeat, keeping the leg lifted the entire time.
Balance Frogger (1:53):
The Frogger is a great core exercise and by doing it on the board, you can add in a little extra instability and make it a little more challenging.
Set the board on the disc and sit on top with your hands behind you on the ground. Turn your hands out to the side or have your fingers face toward your body. Extend your legs out straight in front of you as you lean back, bending your elbows.
Then straighten your arms as you sit up and tuck your knees in toward your body. Crunch everything together then open back up as you bend your elbows.
Repeat, moving quickly to crunch and extend.
Balance Lunge (2:01):
The balance board not only creates instability but it also allows us to increase the range of motion in which we can perform moves like the lunge.
When you place your front foot up on the board with the disc under it, you force your body to work hard to stay balanced and stabilize, but you also help yourself strengthen your legs through a bigger range of motion. This is why it is important that, when you add in the board, you still try to drop your back knee to the ground. If you don’t, you won’t be getting the full benefit of the extra few inches you could add to your range of motion!
We retain the flexibility we build with stretching when we strengthen through the full range of motion!
Set up in a lunge on the board with your front foot up and back foot back. Make sure your front foot is flat on the board as you stand tall. Without letting any edge of the board touch the ground, sink down into a deep lunge, trying to touch your back knee to the ground.
Keep your chest up as you sink and make sure your front knee stays basically aligned over your ankle. Feel yourself loading your front glute as you sink down. Then drive fully up to standing and repeat. Stay in this staggered stance until all reps are complete then switch sides.
Side Lunge (2:14):
Just like with the Balance Lunge, the Side Lunge done on the board can force your legs and core to work hard to stay balanced and stabilize. And this move is a great way to move and work in a different plane of motion to develop functional strength.
Set up on the board with the disc underneath. Stand to the side of the board. Place one foot on top and step the other one out to the side so you are in a wider stance.
Stand tall then sit down and back, bending the knee of the leg on the board. Push your butt back to load your glutes and really sit back in your heel. Keep the other leg straight as you sink into the side lunge. Do not round forward although you can lean slightly forward and hinge at the hips to help load your glutes. Keep both feet pointing straight ahead as you sink and then drive back up to standing.
Complete all reps before switching and placing the other foot up on the board.
Down, Across, Up (2:22):
This is a great move if you want to work your legs and even start to learn how to balance on the board better.
Set up on the board with the half roller underneath. Place one side of the board on the ground and step onto the board with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Stand tall then squat down. Try to sink to about parallel to the ground.
In this squat, press down on the board to make the raised side drop to the ground. Do not stand up or round over as you seesaw to the other side. Once the other side is down, stand up out of the squat. Then repeat, squatting back down before shifting back to the first side and standing up.
To make the move harder, move slower so you have to spend more time in the squat!
Squat Balance Hold (2:35):
Isometrics are a great way to build stability. They can also help you become more comfortable being uncomfortable, which is so key both mentally and physically for achieving results.
And you can now make the basic squat hold even more challenging by doing it on a balance board! Your legs and core will thank you for sure!
Set up on the board with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. You can use the half roller, disc or full roller for this. The half roller is a great place to start for beginners.
Standing tall without the board touching the ground, sink down into a squat. Do not round over as you squat down. Sink to about parallel and hold, trying to stay balanced on the board without any side touching down!
Plank Sit Thrus (2:42):
We move in every direction in everyday life. We twist, turn and pivot. Which is why it is so key that we do the same in our workouts. That is why I love the Sit Thru in all of its wonderful variations, including this one with added instability off of the balance board!
Set the board on top of the half roller and place your hands on each edge while you set up in the high plank position with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels.
Without letting any edge of the board touch down, jump and rotate one leg under your body, twisting open toward one side. If you are rotating toward the right, you will jump your left foot under your body and your right foot back. You should end up in a side plank position with your lower body while your hands stay on the board.
Then jump back into plank and rotate the other way. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag as you jump and twist. Keep alternating sides. Beginners can step instead of jumping.
Mountain Climbers (2:53):
Mountain Climbers are a great cardio-core exercise. They work everything from your shoulders to your knees while getting your blood pumping. And by doing them off the balance board, you force your core, especially your abs and shoulders, to have to work even to stabilize.
Beginners can do this off the half roller, but to make it more challenging, place the board on the disc and your hands on the board under your shoulders. Set up in a nice high plank position from your hands and feet with our feet closer together.
Keeping your core tight, bring one knee in toward your chest. Feel your abs engaging to tuck your knee in. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag. Also, do not shrug or tuck your chin. You want a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Keep the board balanced and don’t let any side touch down.
Tuck your knee in then extend and bring the other knee in. You can change the tempo to make the move more strength or more cardio oriented!
Plank with Kicks (3:04):
Working your core to help you move better and feel better, means not only working your abs and your frontside, but also your backside. Your glutes are KEY to running faster, lifting more and preventing injury, which is why I love any core move that also activates and works them!
The Planks with Kicks is a great anti-rotational exercise to engage and activate those glutes.
Set the board on the disc and place your feet up on the board on top of the disc. Your hands should be under your shoulders and your body should be in a nice high plank position. Brace your abs and engage your glutes as you slowly lift one leg up.
Do not swing the leg or hyperextend your leg to lift it up higher. Squeeze the glute and extend your hip to lift. Pause then lower and lift the other side. Move slowly and really focus on engaging the glute and not just lifting the leg as high as you can. Height doesn’t matter as much as extending the hip and activating the glute. If you feel your low back taking over, focus more on your abs and on using your glute to lift.
Push Up Rocks (3:20):
Push Up Rocks are a great way to isolate each side and make your body press in a more functional way (plus it is just so fun “seesawing” back and forth!).
As great as push ups are, often we aren’t pushing against even surfaces in every day life so one hand may be higher or we may be on a slight incline as we press. That is why it is great to practice pressing with other variables involved, like on the board.
But because this push up isn’t as unstable as some of the others, it can be a great one for beginners to even use, especially when done from their knees.
Set the board on the half roller with one side down and the other up. Place your hands just outside your chest on the board and set up in a high plank position. Place your feet about hip-width apart or even closer together.
Perform a push up with one hand on the raised side and one on the lower side. Press back up to the top then rock the board to the other side and perform a push up. Press back up and seesaw back before performing another push up.
Plank Jacks (3:35):
Plank Jacks are another great cardio-core move like the Mountain Climbers and using the board creates more instability so your core has to work harder.
Set up in with the roller under the board in a nice high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and feet together. Keeping the board from touching the ground, jump your feet out wide then back together.
Keep your core engaged and your hands under your shoulders as you jump your feet in and out. Do not let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag. Beginners can do this move by stepping instead of jumping.
Balance Burpees (3:40):
Burpees are the move we all love to hate. They are full body and very cardio. Using the board you can not only create more instability BUT also give yourself a light weight to press.
Set the board on top of the roller and grab the board on each side. Start in a high plank position. Then jump your feet in toward your hands, grab the board off the roller and stand up, pressing the board overhead.
After quickly pressing the board overhead, squat down and place the board back on the roller before jumping back out into the high plank position. You can add a push up here to advance the move or simply jump back in and repeat, pressing the board back overhead.
Start by moving slowly to make sure you balance in the high plank position after putting the board back down on the roller.
Using these 16 Balance Board Exercises you can get in a killer full-body workout! Which are your favorite moves!?
And if you now are so excited to try these moves and want the board I’m using, check out Revolution Balance Boards. I’m using their Revolution FIT and LOVE IT!
P.S. As you can tell from the photo…even Coconut was curious about the board 😉
Often we feel limited when we workout at home, especially if we don’t have any exercise equipment.
We think we can’t really challenge ourselves at home.
But not only are there TONS of challenging bodyweight exercises you can do, BUT there are even some great household items you can use to add variety and extra challenge to your home workouts.
And one of those household items is a TOWEL!
Using a towel you can reduce traction and make some basic bodyweight moves even more challenging. Below are 5 of my favorites to combine into a full-body workout. (And if you don’t have hardwood or tile floors, you can even do these on carpet with paper plates or furniture movers!)
5 Towel Exercises For A Full-Body Workout
Towel Burpees – Get your blood pumping and whole body working with this core-intensive Burpee variation!
To do Towel Burpee, start standing tall with your feet close together and the towel/towels under your feet. Then squat down and bend over to place your hands on the ground. As you place your hands down on the ground, slide your feet back on the towels until you are in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
Then quickly slide your feet back in toward your hands and stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top. You can reach your hands up overhead as you stand up. Quickly repeat the move, placing your hands back down on the ground as you slide back into a plank position before sliding back in and coming back up to standing.
This is a great core-intensive burpee variation that is super challenging, but also low-impact.
To make the move harder, perform a push up after you slide back and before you slide back in to stand up!
Fly Push Ups – If you want to smoke your chest, shoulders, tricep and core, you need to try the Fly Push Ups! Beginners will want to start by sliding only one hand out to the side before performing the push up OR they may want to do the variation below from their knees instead of toes.
To do the full Fly Push Up, place a towel under each hand with your hands close together under your chest and your body in a nice straight line from your head to your heels.
Keeping your body in a nice straight line, slide both hands out wide to perform a fly and lower down to the bottom of a push up. Do not shrug your shoulders as you slide your hands out. While you want to slide out wide, do not go so wide that you really shrug or tuck your chin.
Then slide your hands back together, pulling your hands back in using your chest as you come back up to the top of the push up. Feel your chest and shoulders working to pull your hands back in and together as you come to the top of the push up. Make sure your body moves as one unit and your core is braced. Do not tuck your chin or let your butt go up in the air or your hips sag.
Repeat the move, sliding both hands out as you lower back down.
Alternating Side Lunges – This is a great move to not only get your blood pumping but also really target your glutes AND your inner thighs.
To do Alternating Side Lunges, place a small towel under each foot. Start standing tall with your feet together.
Then slide one foot out to the side, bending your standing leg as you sit your butt back. You can lean forward slightly to hinge at the hips and sit your butt back, but don’t round over. Slide out as far as you can. You can also reach your opposite hand down toward the foot of your standing leg to help yourself load your glute.
Drive back up to standing and slide your leg back in. Feel the glute of the standing leg work to drive up as you pull your foot in with the inner thigh.
If this is your first time, just make sure you don’t slide out too far or you may end up in the splits!
2-Way Plank Wipers – I love both Towel Plank Jacks AND Towel Plank Wipers so I figured…Why not combine them into one movement. Therefore we now have the 2-Way Plank Wipers! Beginners can break down the move and just do one or the other or even do this move without the towels.
To do the 2-Way Plank Wipers, set up in a plank from your forearms with a towel under each foot. Keeping your core braced, slide one leg up and out to the side. While your hips may rotate a bit, you don’t want them to sag or let your butt go way up in the air.
Slide the foot out and up then slide it back into the plank position. Then slide your other foot up and out to the side. Bring that foot back in.
Then after performing a wiper to each side, perform a plank jack sliding both feet out at the same time. Once you slide both feet back together, repeat the movement, first sliding out to one side then the other!
Glute Bridge and Curl – Whether you sit all day, want to lift more, run faster or simply want a nice, strong and sexy backside, the Glute Bridge and Curl is a must-do move!
To do the Glute Bridge and Curl, you can use one larger towel or two small towels. Beginners will need two small towels so they can do a single leg variation, sliding one foot out at a time.
To do the Two-Leg Advanced variation, place a towel under each foot and start in the glute bridge position with your knees bent and upper back and arms driving down into the ground. Make sure to engage your glutes and your abs to protect your low back as you do this move.
Keeping your glutes engaged, slide your feet out away from your butt. Straighten your legs out in front of you as far as you can, letting your butt lower down toward the ground. Your glutes may touch the ground, but you shouldn’t let your hips sag or release tension. They should lower because your legs are extending.
Once you straighten your legs out fully, curl your heels back in, bringing your hips back up again into a glute bridge. Really pull your heels back in with your hamstrings by driving your heels into the towels and dragging them back in.
When you pull your heels back in, make sure you bridge up. You should perform the curl and bridge back up as one movement. It should’t be curl in then bridge up, but actually bridge up as you curl back in. Then repeat the movement. Make sure your abs are engaged. You do not want to feel your low back taking over. In the bridge, make sure you don’t arch your low back as well.
Using these 5 Towel Exercises, you can get in a great full body workout!
Functional fitness is a term that is tossed around a lot these days. It gets used for about every new piece of equipment that comes out.
But for something to really qualify as functional fitness it has to be something that translates to better movements in every day life.
Functional fitness generally means doing compound movements that move you in every direction and force you to move and twist and turn with awkward weights. It means doing movements that will strengthen your body to handle any challenges you may encounter in every day life without getting injured.
And one great functional fitness tool we like to use at the gym is the Barrel.
No we aren’t necessarily all moving barrels around in every day life. But we are required to push and pull and move awkward heavy objects more than we probably even realized. We are asked to twist and turn and stabilize in imperfect positions.
And that is why barrels are such a great training tool. They force you to move in every direction and grip these heavy awkward things. They force your body to constantly adjust and stabilize so that you don’t fall over or push or pull the barrel over.
They force you to push and pull and rotate using your entire body since most of the time in every day life we aren’t simply using one muscle group to move.
Below is more information about getting your own barrels as well as 15 of our favorite Barrel Training Moves to get in a great functional core workout.
Planks are always a popular exercise. And with good reason. They are a great core exercise!
The problem is…it has become a competition to hold a plank the longest. When how long you can hold a plank isn’t near as important as your ability to properly engage and contract the muscles of your core intensely.
It is a much better test of core strength to challenge yourself to engage the muscles of your core so intensely that you create “shakeage” within seconds of starting the plank rather than compensating just to hold longer. If you can engage your muscles so intensely that they are shaking, you will be able to use your core and recruit the muscles of your core more efficiently during other movements.
Developing proper core strength and learning how to properly engage the muscles of your core is why you should truly be including planks in your workout routine. You want to use them to strengthen your mind-body connection!
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of the Basic Plank as well as a few basic variations and a great core burn out workout.
But what we don’t realize is that all of that sitting at a computer, sitting watching TV, hunching over our phones texting or even driving in the car not only leads to poor posture, but also imbalances that kill our proprioception.
First they crawl. Then they stand while holding on. Then they stand on their own. Then they stand, but hold on to start walking. Then finally walking a few steps on their own…Until they are able to not only walk, but run.
You do bodyweight glute bridges, focusing on extending your hips and squeezing your glutes. You engage your abs and make sure your low back and hamstrings don’t take over. You start to FEEL the contraction of your glutes and they start to burn.
You are relaxing those muscles that want to try to engage and carry a load they can’t. So you are relaxing them so your brain doesn’t want to recruit them. And then you are getting the right muscles for the job engaged and working.
