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Dolphin Dive is a great body weight exercise used to strengthen your core, upper back and shoulders while giving you a great stretch for the back of your body. If you are looking for a great combination of stretching and strengthening you should learn how to do Dolphin Dive.
The first thing to practice before you learn the Dolphin Dive is a basic forearm plank. Once you can hold this pose for 30 seconds strong then simply press deeper into your forearms while pushing your chest toward your thighs and heels toward the floor.
Using the strength of your upper back muscles will help you press deeper and get a better stretch while also strengthening those muscles that you are using. After your deep push-back, pull your body back into the forearm plank position keeping your abs very tight and being careful not to sag through your lower back.
Dolphin Dive is a version of a plank. By now you probably know that planks are the king of core work! You can do crunches all day long and never achieve the strength and stability you will achieve by practicing planks.
A great workout is our 6 Plank Variations For Awesome Abs. Dolphin Dive is especially useful for those who have weak wrists and can’t last as long with straight arms. By taking it to the forearms your belly pulls in even tighter and the weight comes off the hands.
Dolphin Dive Exercise Instructions
- Begin with your forearms on the floor with your arms and feet shoulder-width apart and your hips raised so that your body forms an inverted V.
- Dive forward, coming to a forearm plank. Keep abs tight and back from sagging. To finish the push-up, reverse the dive, raising your hips back up to start position.
Targets: shoulders, arms, core
