TECHNIQUE SCHOOL
Planks starting to feel a bit… meh? This simple progression will level up your core and upper body burn – big time
Raise your plank game with this shoulder tap progression
Your morning espresso, a quick walk around the block; who’d have thought something so small could pack such a punch? Likewise, the plank shoulder tap is a minute move that makes a big difference. Despite how minimalist it might look – the aim is to keep the rest of your body as still as possible – it’s a challenging, multi-muscle exercise, says Sam Ruane, personal trainer at London’s Flex Chelsea. ‘It’s a major core-building move, working the transversus abdominis [your deep core muscles] and obliques [the sides of the abdominals], as well as your back,’ he explains. As is often the case with multi-muscle moves, the benefits abound. ‘By strengthening the core, it leads to improved posture and balance,’ Ruane adds. ‘And in strengthening the lower back, it could help reduce your risk of injury in other types of training and in day-to-day life.’
While it might not look much harder than your garden-variety plank, it’s not a bad idea to get the hang of it on your knees first. Think of this as your shoulder-tap training wheels. ‘On your knees, you can focus on keeping your hips fixed in place and stabilising the core while you build up strength,’ says Ruane. Start in a press-up position on your knees with your wrists under your shoulders. Now, engage your core and squeeze your glutes. Imagine you’re bracing yourself to stay motionless against a big gust of wind – this will prevent you from rocking side to side as you lift your left hand to tap your right shoulder. Press it firmly back down on the floor, then lift your right hand to tap your left shoulder. ‘Don’t rush through the reps – move slowly with the hands so you really feel the core engagement,’ Ruane says.
Once you can manage 16 reps or more (eight on each side) on your knees in one go with perfect form, you’re ready to try on your toes. This time, you’ll start in full press-up position, with your wrists under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. Here, you’ll likely find it much harder to keep your hips level. If you’re not quite there yet, try widening your feet and go again. You’ve got this.
AVOID IF: You’re pregnant. If that’s you, Ruane suggests trying it with your hands against a wall, with your body in a straight diagonal line: ‘This relieves the pressure on the lower back but the core is still engaged.’