Up-down planks (also called walking planks or commando planks) are an exercise I dread every time I come across them in a workout. Sure, as a fitness editor, I can drone on about how good this plank variation is for your core, quads, and glutes, and even advise you to add them to your workouts, meanwhile, I actively avoid them. Until now.
Here on the Tom’s Guide fitness desk, we love nothing more than a weird and wonderful workout challenge, and I decided to chuck myself in at the metaphorical deep end, and do 20 up-down planks a day for two weeks. Read on to find out what I learned about my core, and whether I grew to love this grueling move.
What is an up-down plank, and what are the benefits?
You can read more about how to do an up-down plank with perfect form here, but essentially, you move from an elbow plank to a high plank, without rocking your hips from side to side.
This plank variation really challenges your midsection, which is working to keep your body stable as you move, as well as your arms and legs. This full-body exercise is likely to raise your heart rate and work you harder than a regular plank, plus, you don’t need any equipment and can do this exercise from just about anywhere.
During this exercise, it’s important to move slowly and with control — you’ll work your muscles harder if you resist the temptation to rush and move slowly.
Really focus on engaging your core, thinking about sucking your belly button in towards your spine, and keeping your pelvis still — if your pelvis rocks from side to side during this exercise, your core won’t be working as hard.
Here’s a recap on how to do an up-down plank with great form:
- Start in a high plank position, with your wrists stacked underneath your shoulders, your core engaged, and a straight line down your back from your head to your heels.
- Keeping your head neutral, squeeze your glutes and lower down into an elbow plank.
- Pause here, then press one hand into the floor and then the other, until you are back in a high plank.
- Alternate which arm you lead with throughout the reps.
I hate up-down planks — so I did 20 reps a day for 2 weeks anyway and this is what happened
These gave me a confidence boost
I am a year postpartum and still rebuilding my core. Planks are not recommended immediately after giving birth, as they can be tough on the pelvic floor and make any diastasis recti worse.
It’s been a long time, and an entire pregnancy, since I did more than a few reps of the walking plank, so 20 a day sounded like a challenge.
That said, by the end of the two weeks, I was able to easily do 20 reps without rocking. I felt strong, and while I still don’t love them, I’m proud of the work I’ve done to rebuild my pelvic floor following childbirth.
As a reminder — what works for me might not be right for you and your body. It’s always a good idea to consult a doctor, or female health professional before starting to exercise following childbirth, to ensure you’re not putting yourself at risk of injury.
These gave my arms and legs a workout too
The walking plank does a lot more than just work your core — your back, shoulders and chest are engaged in this exercise as you move from a high to a low plank, as well as your glutes, quads, and calves. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this move, and I really felt it.
I had to really focus on keeping my pelvis still
One of the biggest form mistakes you can make during this exercise is dropping your hips, or letting them rock from side to side. Both are signs that your core isn’t engaged, meaning it’s not working during the exercise.
Not only does this mean you’re less likely to get results, but also that your lower back is probably taking over. To ensure your core is taking the load, really think about bracing your midsection and sucking your belly button in towards your spine.
My results?
Of course, after two weeks of planks, my core still looked the same — visible abs are the result of a low body fat percentage. However, this challenge really helped boost my confidence, and work on my technique.
Plus, I think my form has improved when holding a static plank — I’ve been able to really engage my core, and ensure my hips are lifted to avoid straining my lower back.
The moral of this story is that if you hate an exercise, giving yourself some time to learn how to do it properly can really help. Next up, burpees, I guess?
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
