Front plank with arm lifts
Category: Strength
Level: 3
4-6 reps each arm, alternating
Carla van den Berg
- Lift one arm at a time so that arm reaches straight out in front
- Lift slow and under control, holding each rep for ~2 seconds before returning back to elbows
- Arm should remain straight during lift
- Straight line from head to ankles
- Chin tucked to keep neck in line with the rest of the spine
- Shoulders engaged; flat t-shirt sitting across the shoulder blades
- Fast arm raises
- Cue “Slow and controlled”
- Hips dipping side-to-side
- Cue “Hips square towards floor”
- Cue “Squeeze glutes”
- Shoulders twisting during arm lifts
- Cue “Shoulders square to floor”
- Hips too high ('tenting')
- Cue "Lower hips"
- Hips too low ('sagging')
- Cue "Raise hips slightly towards the ceiling"
- Rounded lower back ('sagging')
- Cue "Pull belly-button up towards ribs"
- Rounded shoulders
- Cue "Pinch shoulders back towards spine"
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- Activates trunk muscles
- Challenges trunk stability
- Activates and strengthens shoulder muscles
- Shoulder mobility