The plank is a staple in almost every fitness routine. It is one of the best exercises for a flat, toned stomach, working all the muscles in your core including the transverse abdominals, internal and external obliques, hips and back.

Plank up downs are our regular plank on steroids, they crank up the intensity of your plank and work your core whilst challenging your balance and burning calories.

How to Do a Plank Up Down

In the plank up down, we are alternating between a plank on our hands, and a plank on our elbows, challenging your core and shoulders.

1. Assume the TRX plank position, with your feet in the stirrups and in an extended plank with your hands underneath your shoulders.
2. Keep your core tight and your feet still, take one hand down into the forearm plank position.
3. Now match your other arm, so that both hands are in a forearm plank.
4. Push up to return the first hand to an extended plank.
5. Follow the second hand into a fully extended plank.

The closer your feet are to the anchor, the easier the exercise is.

Crank it up

Add a push up into the extended plank part of the movement.

Take it down a notch

Try and hold stable in the extended plank, once you are strong and confident here it will be easier to progress to the climbing plank.