Elbow Plank Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Elbow Plank

   • Position elbows directly under your shoulders, forearms parallel

   • Push the ground away from you to protract your shoulder blades

   • Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to form a straight line from head to heels

   • Tilt your pelvis posteriorly: pull your belt buckle towards your chin

   • Don't let your hips sag or pike: if the line breaks, take a rest

   • Breathe steadily into your stomach, don't hold your breath

   • Keep your head neutral, look at the floor slightly ahead of your hands

2. 02

   Long Elbow Plank

   Listen

   • Position elbows further forward than your shoulders: this increases the lever arm and difficulty

   • Keep forearms parallel and firmly pressed into the ground

   • Push the ground away to protract your shoulder blades, same as the standard plank

   • Squeeze glutes and abs hard to maintain a straight body line: this is significantly harder than the standard plank

   • Your body will want to sag: resist by bracing your core even harder

   • Don't compensate by piking the hips up to make it easier

   • Breathe steadily into your stomach and keep your head neutral

Common mistakes

• Hips sagging towards the ground
• Hips piking up too high
• Shoulders not protracted: sinking between shoulder blades
• Holding the breath
• Head dropping or looking up
• Elbows placed too far forward or backward