The 15-Day Plank Challenge
Your abs will thank you for this.
Planks are one of the most effective ways to tone and strengthen your core; but if you never push yourself beyond the basic plank, you're not getting the most out of this waist-whittling move. So we asked Simone De La Rue, creator of Body by Simone, the popular toning and dance-cardio workout beloved by celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Chrissy Teigen, to create a 15-day challenge that'll put you through your planking paces. You'll start with basic plank variations and, by the end, you'll be doing some advanced maneuvers. We're also betting that your core will be sore in that satisfying, I worked really hard way.
Your Schedule:
How to Do the Planks:
Day 1: Plank on Forearms
1. Get into a forearm plank position, with your feet hip-width apart and your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
2. Tighten your core, so you feel like you're bringing your navel toward your spine. Your butt should only be as high off the ground as your shoulders, and you should be looking at the floor a few inches in front of your hands.
Hold for five seconds, rest for five seconds, hold for 10 seconds, rest for five seconds and continue, adding five seconds to your holds until you reach 30 seconds.
Day 2: Static Plank
1. With your feet hip-width apart and your hands directly beneath your shoulders, rise up into a plank position. Your body should be in a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.
2. As you hold the plank, don't forget to squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, along with your core.
Do ten 30-second holds, taking short breaks between each hold.
Day 3: One Arm Off Plank
1. Get into a Static Plank position.
2. Take a few seconds to make sure you're steady, then lift your left hand off the floor and fully extend your arm out in front of you, so it continues the straight line that starts at your heels.
3. Hold for two seconds, then place your hand back on the floor. Repeat with your right arm.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 4: One Leg Off Plank
1. Get into a Static Plank position.
2. Make sure you feel steady, then lift your left leg off the floor until your foot is as high as your shoulders. As you hold your leg up, make sure you're squeezing your lower abs and keeping your hips pointed toward the floor.
3. Hold for two seconds, then lower your leg to the floor and repeat with your right leg.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 5: Arm and Leg Off Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Take a second to steady yourself, then slowly extend your right arm out in front of you (just like you did in Day 3's One Arm Off Planks) while you extend your left leg out behind you (just like you did in Day 4's One Leg Off Planks).
3. As you lift and hold, try not to let your butt rise up toward the ceiling, and to keep your back flat. Hold and balance for two seconds, then lower your arm and leg to the floor and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 6: Knee to Chest Kick-Out Plank
1. Begin in a Static Plank position.
2. Lift your left foot off the floor and bring your left knee in toward your chest. Don't let your back round as you pull your knee in.
3. Kick your left leg out behind you, until your foot is slightly higher than your shoulders. Lower your foot back to the floor and repeat.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 7: Cross Knee to Wrist Plank
1. Begin in a Static Plank position.
2. Lift your right foot off the floor, extend your leg back and slightly out to the side, then bring your right knee towards your left wrist, trying to keep your hips as still as possible.
3. Extend your right leg back and out to the side and repeat.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 8: Plank to Push-Up
1. Start in a Static Plank.
2. Keeping your legs and torso still, lower your body down to the floor. As you bend your elbows, try to keep them close to your body instead of out to the side. Push back up, and repeat.
Do 20 reps.
Day 9: Plank with Gliding Disk Slide
1. Begin in a Static Plank with a gliding disk beneath your left foot. If you don't have a gliding disk, you can use a dish towel or paper plate on a smooth floor surface, like hardwood.
2. Keeping your left leg straight, glide your left foot out to the side and up toward your shoulder (only go as far as you comfortably can). Try to keep the rest of your body stationary, moving only your left leg.
3. Glide your left foot back to starting position and repeat.
Do 20 reps on each side.
Day 10: Bear Crawl Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Reach your right arm forward by about a foot as you bend your left knee and bring your left leg in to meet your left arm.
3. Return your right arm and left leg to starting position and repeat with your left arm and right leg. That's one rep.
Do 10 reps.
Day 11: Military Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Lower your body down into a forearm plank by replacing your right hand with your right forearm, then your left hand with your left forearm.
3. Push yourself back up to a Static Plank by replacing your right forearm with your right hand, then your left forearm with your left hand.
Do 10 reps leading with your right arm, then 10 reps leading with your left arm.
Day 12: Side Plank
1. Start by sitting on the floor on your right hip.
2. Line your right wrist up underneath your right shoulder, kick both feet out so they're stacked on top of each other.
3. Lift your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your feet to your shoulders. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling.
Do five 10-second holds on each side.
Day 13: Side Plank with Leg Off
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Once you feel steady and balanced, lift your left leg up toward the ceiling. Keep it straight and try to get it as high as your right shoulder. Hold for five seconds, then lower your leg and repeat.
Do five five-second holds on each side.
Day 14: Side Plank Twist
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Take your left arm and reach it underneath your body, with a slight twist in your torso. Reach your left arm back up toward the ceiling and repeat.
Do five reps on each side.
Day 15: Side Plank Oblique Crunch on One Leg
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Lift your left arm and left leg up, extending your arm overhead so it forms a straight line with your right leg.
3. Bring your left knee towards your waist in an oblique crunch and bring your left elbow to meet your left knee.
4. Extend your left arm and leg back out, lower your left leg so it's on top of your right leg and repeat.
Do five reps on each side.
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Your Schedule:
How to Do the Planks:
Day 1: Plank on Forearms
1. Get into a forearm plank position, with your feet hip-width apart and your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
2. Tighten your core, so you feel like you're bringing your navel toward your spine. Your butt should only be as high off the ground as your shoulders, and you should be looking at the floor a few inches in front of your hands.
Hold for five seconds, rest for five seconds, hold for 10 seconds, rest for five seconds and continue, adding five seconds to your holds until you reach 30 seconds.
Day 2: Static Plank
1. With your feet hip-width apart and your hands directly beneath your shoulders, rise up into a plank position. Your body should be in a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.
2. As you hold the plank, don't forget to squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, along with your core.
Do ten 30-second holds, taking short breaks between each hold.
Day 3: One Arm Off Plank
1. Get into a Static Plank position.
2. Take a few seconds to make sure you're steady, then lift your left hand off the floor and fully extend your arm out in front of you, so it continues the straight line that starts at your heels.
3. Hold for two seconds, then place your hand back on the floor. Repeat with your right arm.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 4: One Leg Off Plank
1. Get into a Static Plank position.
2. Make sure you feel steady, then lift your left leg off the floor until your foot is as high as your shoulders. As you hold your leg up, make sure you're squeezing your lower abs and keeping your hips pointed toward the floor.
3. Hold for two seconds, then lower your leg to the floor and repeat with your right leg.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 5: Arm and Leg Off Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Take a second to steady yourself, then slowly extend your right arm out in front of you (just like you did in Day 3's One Arm Off Planks) while you extend your left leg out behind you (just like you did in Day 4's One Leg Off Planks).
3. As you lift and hold, try not to let your butt rise up toward the ceiling, and to keep your back flat. Hold and balance for two seconds, then lower your arm and leg to the floor and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 6: Knee to Chest Kick-Out Plank
1. Begin in a Static Plank position.
2. Lift your left foot off the floor and bring your left knee in toward your chest. Don't let your back round as you pull your knee in.
3. Kick your left leg out behind you, until your foot is slightly higher than your shoulders. Lower your foot back to the floor and repeat.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 7: Cross Knee to Wrist Plank
1. Begin in a Static Plank position.
2. Lift your right foot off the floor, extend your leg back and slightly out to the side, then bring your right knee towards your left wrist, trying to keep your hips as still as possible.
3. Extend your right leg back and out to the side and repeat.
Do 10 reps on each side.
Day 8: Plank to Push-Up
1. Start in a Static Plank.
2. Keeping your legs and torso still, lower your body down to the floor. As you bend your elbows, try to keep them close to your body instead of out to the side. Push back up, and repeat.
Do 20 reps.
Day 9: Plank with Gliding Disk Slide
1. Begin in a Static Plank with a gliding disk beneath your left foot. If you don't have a gliding disk, you can use a dish towel or paper plate on a smooth floor surface, like hardwood.
2. Keeping your left leg straight, glide your left foot out to the side and up toward your shoulder (only go as far as you comfortably can). Try to keep the rest of your body stationary, moving only your left leg.
3. Glide your left foot back to starting position and repeat.
Do 20 reps on each side.
Day 10: Bear Crawl Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Reach your right arm forward by about a foot as you bend your left knee and bring your left leg in to meet your left arm.
3. Return your right arm and left leg to starting position and repeat with your left arm and right leg. That's one rep.
Do 10 reps.
Day 11: Military Plank
1. Start in a Static Plank position.
2. Lower your body down into a forearm plank by replacing your right hand with your right forearm, then your left hand with your left forearm.
3. Push yourself back up to a Static Plank by replacing your right forearm with your right hand, then your left forearm with your left hand.
Do 10 reps leading with your right arm, then 10 reps leading with your left arm.
Day 12: Side Plank
1. Start by sitting on the floor on your right hip.
2. Line your right wrist up underneath your right shoulder, kick both feet out so they're stacked on top of each other.
3. Lift your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your feet to your shoulders. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling.
Do five 10-second holds on each side.
Day 13: Side Plank with Leg Off
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Once you feel steady and balanced, lift your left leg up toward the ceiling. Keep it straight and try to get it as high as your right shoulder. Hold for five seconds, then lower your leg and repeat.
Do five five-second holds on each side.
Day 14: Side Plank Twist
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Take your left arm and reach it underneath your body, with a slight twist in your torso. Reach your left arm back up toward the ceiling and repeat.
Do five reps on each side.
Day 15: Side Plank Oblique Crunch on One Leg
1. Start in Side Plank position.
2. Lift your left arm and left leg up, extending your arm overhead so it forms a straight line with your right leg.
3. Bring your left knee towards your waist in an oblique crunch and bring your left elbow to meet your left knee.
4. Extend your left arm and leg back out, lower your left leg so it's on top of your right leg and repeat.
Do five reps on each side.
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