B OA R D S T I F F

Take your planking up a notch with these variations – tag the following sequence on to the end of any workout

RKC PLANK

Invented by former Soviet special forces trainer Pavel Tsatsouline, the Russian Kettlebell Challenge plank doesn’t actually involve a kettlebell. It looks like a regular plank, but fullbody tension makes it next-level.

Do: 3 sets of 8 breaths

(a) Start in a forearm plank position with your hands in tight fists. Squeeze your shoulders in a reverse shrug and pull them tight to your ribs, tense your quads to pull your knees up and squeeze your glutes. Try to contract everything harder without changing your position and focus on forceful inhalations and exhalations for the duration of the plank. Keep your neck neutral and everything as tight as possible. Breathe through the pain.

SIDE PLANK

Exactly the same concept as the RKC, but this time your stability is reduced because you’re balancing on one arm and not two. As well as your core, it’ll strengthen your shoulders, wrists and arms.

Do: 3 sets of 8 breaths on each side (a) Lie on your side with your legs straight and your elbow directly beneath your shoulder. Place one foot on top of the other. Engage your core and raise your hips up until your body is in a straight line from head to toe. Contract every muscle harder, focus on squeezing the glutes and abs and drawing your shoulder blades down. Inhale and exhale powerfully for 8 breaths, then repeat on the other side. Don’t let those hips drop.

PLANK SHOULDER TAP

Challenging your abdominal stability even further, this move also engages your obliques. Don’t rush your way through it – slow and controlled taps are the aim. And harder.

Do: 3 sets of 6 taps each side

(a) Assume a high plank position with your hands placed directly under your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and draw your shoulder blades down.

(b) Slowly lift one hand to the opposite shoulder, creating a tripod position with your body. Hold for a few strong breaths and then slowly lower it back down to the ground before repeating on the other side.

PLANK SAW

The movements in this plank are small but mighty. Pushing backwards stretches your abdominal muscles further, while pulling forward intensifies the contraction. As you move, maintaining a rigid position starts to get seriously tough.

Do: 3 sets of 10 rocks

(a) Set yourself up in the RKC plank position, engage your abs and glutes and make sure the tension is balanced throughout your body.

(b) Begin to rock your body back and forth with your elbows – on the forward push, you should almost feel a stretch through your lats. It doesn’t have to be a big movement – keeping it slow and controlled is best.