Plank & Toe Lift - Sweat
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Plank & Toe Lift

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How to: Plank & Toe Lift

Primary Muscles Used:Abs, Transverse Abdominis

Exercise Families:Trunk Anti-Extension

Trainer:Kelsey Wells

  1. Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) firmly on the mat. Extend both legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Brace your abdominals and maintain a straight back, ensuring that your elbows are directly below your shoulders. This is your starting position.
  2. While keeping your upper body as still as possible, elevate your right toe slightly off the mat.
  3. Lower your right toe and place it back on the mat, next to your left foot.
  4. While keeping your upper body as still as possible, elevate your left toe slightly off the mat.
  5. Lower your left toe and place it back on the mat, next to your right foot. Continue alternating between sides for the specified amount of time.

This intermediate modification of the plank exercise is a great way to add a little more variety to a bodyweight or at home workout. This exercise will increase the difficulty slightly from a standard low plank, but is an effective way to prepare for more challenging variations like plank jacks.

This bodyweight exercise focuses on the abs and shoulders, but benefits multiple muscle groups as you need to hold the length of your body strongly to perform it well. Similar to a standard plank, the plank and toe lift can help improve your posture, core strength and develop endurance.

A modification of this exercise is the plank & leg lift. In this variation, when you raise one of your legs, you will hold it for a set amount of time rather than swapping legs right away.

How to do a plank and leg lift

  1. Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) firmly on the mat, ensuring that your elbows are directly below your shoulders. Extend both legs behind you and elevate your hips off the mat, keeping your feet together, rest on the balls of your feet. Brace your abdominals and ensure that your spine remains in a neutral position. This is your starting position.

  2. While keeping your upper body as still as possible, lift your right leg to elevate your right toe slightly off the mat. Hold this position for half the specified amount of time before repeating on the other side.

Alternative Exercises for Yoga Mat

* Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Sweat assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

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