How To Do Reverse Plank
Reverse Plank is a core body exercise that also engages several other muscle groups. If you learn how to do Reverse Plank you’ll teach your body to activate your glutes, hamstrings, lower back as well as your arms. And bonus: you get a great chest and shoulder stretch right in the middle of it all! Many people may have tried reverse planks in yoga classes, but the move itself can be used by itself or in virtually any workout you like. It’s a great exercise to open up your chest muscles after a long arm workout, too.
Use the links below to quickly navigate this guide:
- How To Do Reverse Plank
- The Benefits of Reverse Plank
- What Muscles Does Reverse Plank Work?
- How Many Calories Does Reverse Plank Burn?
- Incorporating Reverse Plank Into Your Workouts
- Other Exercises Similar To Reverse Plank
How To Do Reverse Plank
- Start seated on the floor with legs long in front of your body. Place hands behind your hips slightly wider than shoulders with fingers pointed towards your hips.
- Lift hips and torso off the floor and gaze up towards the ceiling, keeping your neck relaxed. Keep your body in a long line with softly pointed toes. Hold for 30 seconds, then release to floor slowly.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”bTUCASI2″ upload-date=”2019-02-22T18:36:54.000Z” name=”Reverse Plank” description=”Start seated on the floor with legs long in front of your body. Place hands behind your hips slightly wider than shoulders with fingers pointed towards your hips.
Lift hips and torso off the floor and gaze up towards the ceiling, keeping your neck relaxed. Keep your body in a long line with softly pointed toes. Hold for 30 seconds, then release to floor slowly.”]
Benefits Of Reverse Plank
Most people know planks for the incredible results they give you for core strength. Reverse Plank is just like all front planks, except the main muscle use comes from the backside instead of the front. There are many reasons you should incorporate Reverse Plank into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Strengthens Your Low Back
With more than 80% of the population reporting back pain at some point in their life, it is crucial to work on strengthening your lower back and the core muscles that help support it. The Reverse Plank is a move that won’t put impact or pressure on your spine, but rather encourages the entire core that surrounds it to contract and strengthen.
Opens Up The Front Of The Body
In a culture where we spend so much time slouched over a phone, computer or steering wheel, the front side muscles of our bodies can become weak and shortened. This leads to hunched over posture and tight muscles. The Reverse Plank opens and stretches the front of the body while it is strengthening the back side. This 1-2 punch is the perfect combo to help you achieve great posture and less pain.
Low-Impact, No-Equipment Ab Exercise
No equipment needed for a reverse plank; just find a little space and get started! A stronger core not only looks and feels great, but it can prevent you from low-back injuries as well! A strong, healthy core will keep you from injuring yourself doing other exercises.
Challenges The Shoulders
While the Reverse Plank is centrally focused on your core, this move also gets you to check in with your shoulders and arms not only strengthening these muscles, but also helping to stretch them out at the same time.
What Muscles Does Reverse Plank Work?
Reverse Plank is a whole body strength exercise that works your core, lower back and arms as well as your shoulders, hamstrings and glutes! While this isometric exercise is strengthening these muscles, the chest and shoulders get an amazing stretch and the front of the hips are opened.
How Many Calories Does Reverse Plank Burn?
The goal of isometric exercises is not to burn calories. In fact, the stillness of the move limits the calories you can burn. However, because it strengthens muscles and we know muscles help burn calories on a daily basis, you are still helping your overall calorie burn.
Incorporating Reverse Plank Into Your Workouts
Reverse Plank is an amazing pose that you can do every day and get benefits from this exercise all on its own! However, you could also incorporate Reverse Plank into other workouts to mix them up. Here are some ideas to make that happen.
Use Reverse Plank In A Yoga Workout
Yoga is not just for stretching your muscles and calming you down. It’s also a total body workout when done properly! Find balance in the poses you choose incorporate Reverse Plank as one of these poses. Try this:
10-Minute Total Body Yoga
Start in Child’s Pose – 1 minute. Then flow through this series with one breath per move:
- Downward Dog
- Plank
- Chaturanga
- Up Dog
- Downward Dog (repeat this Downward Dog sequence 4 times)
- Plank: Hold 1 minute
- Side Plank: Hold Right side 30 seconds, hold left side 30 seconds
- Step into Forward Fold for one breath
- Roll up to Mountain Pose for one breath
- Standing Side Bend Right 30 seconds
- Standing Side Bend Left 30 seconds
- Forward Fold for 30 seconds, then sit down where you are
- Reverse Plank – 30 seconds
- Boat Pose – 30 seconds
- Reverse Plank – 30 seconds
- Boat Pose – 30 seconds
- Fish Pose – 30 seconds
- Savasanna – As long as you like!
Use Reverse Plank In Your Arm Workouts
Let’s face it, holding up your own body weight can be tougher than some 10 pound dumbbells any day! Check out this bodyweight arm workout that you can do at home in less than 15 minutes for toned, strong arms!
The 10-15-20 Upper Body Workout
- 10 Army Crawl Plank
- 15 Push-Ups or Modified Push Ups
- 20 Tricep Dips
- 10 Plank to Chair Squat
- 15 Tricep Side Push-Ups per side
- 20 Second Hold Reverse Plank
There are plenty more ways to incorporate this well-rounded move into your workout routine. Here are 3 more workouts that include reverse planks:
Other Exercises Similar to Reverse Plank
If you like the work and results you get from the Reverse Plank here are some other exercises you might like as well!
Targets: arms, shoulders, core