11 Plank Exercises That Double as Cardio Moves
Planks are known for their core-crushing abilities. Holding one will make anyone's abs tremble after a while. But some plank variations have another not-so-obvious superpower: Any moving plank will get your heart rate pumping, letting you sneak some cardio into your abs workout.
"You can use planks as cardio by just adding movement," Crystal Fasano, health and wellness coach at Crystal Fit Wellness and personal trainer at New York Sports Clubs in Brooklyn, New York, tells SELF. While the below moves don't involve the same type of big, obvious heart-pumping motions that a run or a HIIT session does, the reason they work is because your whole body has to be fully engaged to maintain that plank while you also move.
"A plank is a total-body movement, so it’s not just challenging your core—you’re also working your glutes, shoulders, legs, and arms," Fasano says. "When you add in movement, you have to work harder to stabilize your hips, your core, and your glutes. Your heart rate’s going to come up just because your body has to work so hard to stabilize those major muscle groups," she explains.
Before you assume plank position, there are a few form tips you should keep in mind. "Think about sending your belly button toward your spine," Fasano says. Also, make sure you're squeezing your butt and quads. "That's something people don’t think about but it's super important. Engaging the butt and quads is going to help you tuck the pelvis under, which will prevent your hips from flying into the air. Once your hips come too high, you’re going to lose the core activation," Fasano explains. (Here's a visual of what we mean by tucking the pelvis.)
In a perfect plank, your ankles hips and shoulders should be in a straight line, but a modification if your lower back hurts at all is to raise your hips an inch or two as Fasano demonstrates in some of these moves. It'll take some of the pressure of your entire core, including your lower back, so you can avoid straining those muscles.
Here, Fasano demos 11 plank exercises that double as cardio moves.
Crystal Fasano is wearing Outdoor Voices Athena Crop ($50, outdoorvoices.com) and Outdoor Voices Spring Leggings ($95, outdoorvoices.com).
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Vara Reese1Plank Tuck
- Start in a high plank with feet on gliders (towels or paper plates work, too!).
- Slide your legs in toward your chest, slightly rounding your lower back as you do.
- Extend the legs back out.
- Be careful not to go too quickly—it's easier to break form in this one than many of the others.
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Vara Reese2Lateral Plank Walk
- Start in a high plank.
- Step right foot and right hand to right side, and immediately follow with left foot and left hand.
- Take a few "steps" in one direction, then return to start.
- Move as quickly as you can while keeping your core tight and hips stable.
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Vara Reese3Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank.
- Quickly pull your right knee into your chest, and then extend it back out as you draw your left leg into your chest.
- The quicker you move, the better the cardio workout—just don't sacrifice speed for form.
- Keep your butt as stable as possible and avoid sagging into your shoulders.
- For extra oblique work, do mountain climber twists: Bring each knee underneath you to the opposite elbow.
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Vara Reese4Plank Jack
- Start in a high plank.
- Jump your feet out and in (like jumping jacks).
- Keep your core engaged and hips stable to minimize how much your butt bounces up and down.
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Vara Reese5Army Crawl
- Start in a forearm plank.
- Crawl forward with your arms and let your feet tilt forward as your upper body moves.
- Stop when you can no longer move forward without moving your feet.
- Reverse the movement to crawl back to start.
- Crawl as quickly as you can while maintaining form.
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Vara Reese6Knee to Elbow
- Start in a high plank.
- Bring your left knee out to the left side and toward your left elbow.
- Repeat on the right side.
- Continue, alternating as quickly as you can without sacrificing form.
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Vara Reese7Seal Walk
- Start in a high plank with your toes on gliders (towels or paper plates work, too!).
- Walk forward with your hands and drag your legs behind.
- Make sure your core is tight and you're maintaining a sturdy plank throughout.
- You can also reverse the movement and walk backward.
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Vara Reese8Plank Tap
- Start in a high plank.
- Tap each hand to the opposite shoulder, alternating sides.
- Keep your core engaged and focus on stabilizing your hips.
- Go as quickly as you can while maintaining proper form.
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Vara Reese9Plank to Pike
- Start in a high plank with feet on gliders (towels or paper plates work, too!).
- Slide your feet in toward your chest, keeping your legs as straight as possible and slightly rounding your lower back as you move.
- Slide your legs back out.
- Make sure you're moving in a controlled way and not letting your back arch when you straighten out.
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Vara Reese10Plank Up-Down
- Start in a high plank.
- Bend one arm to bring the elbow and forearm to the floor.
- Follow with the other arm so you are in a forearm plank.
- Starting with the arm you began with, push back up to a high plank.
- Continue, alternating the first side down with each rep.
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Vara Reese11Plank Into Push-up
- Start in a high plank, arms wider than shoulder-width apart (in a push-up position), feet on gliders (towels or paper plates work, too!).
- Bend your arms and lower your chest in a push-up, sliding your legs out into a V as you do.
- Push back up and slide your legs back together.
- Keep your core strong and torso in a plank throughout the movement.
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