How long should you hold reverse plank, and how many rounds?

Hold 15 to 20 seconds for two to three rounds, resting the hips down fully between attempts. Add 5 seconds per set once the straight-leg version feels stable, rather than adding more rounds first.

How do you make reverse plank easier or harder?

Make it easier by bending the knees into a tabletop reverse plank, which shortens the lever on the wrists and shoulders. Make it harder by lifting one leg a few inches for several seconds at a time, alternating sides once the two-leg hold is solid.

What does reverse plank train, and who should be cautious with it?

It strengthens the back of the body, glutes, and spinal extensors, while stretching the chest and front shoulders, making it a useful counter to a practice full of forward folding. Be cautious with it if you have wrist pain or shoulder impingement, since the straight-arm support loads both joints directly.

Intermediate

Reverse Plank Pose

Reverse Plank flips the familiar plank over: with the hands behind the hips, you press the whole front of the body up toward the ceiling. The glutes, back extensors, and hamstrings fire to hold hip extension while the chest, front shoulders, and wrists get a strong stretch. It is an excellent counterpose to all the forward folding in a practice and a real strength builder for the back line.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Back, Glutes
Type: Stretching, Yoga
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Erector Spinae

How to do it

1
Sit with the legs extended and place the hands on the floor behind the hips, fingers pointing toward the feet.
2
Press the hands down and draw the shoulder blades together.
3
Push through the hands and heels to lift the hips toward the ceiling.
4
Reach the body into one long line from head to feet, squeezing the glutes.
5
Point the toes toward the floor and let the head hang back only if the neck is comfortable.
6
Hold with steady breath, then lower the hips down with control.

Tips

Lift the hips high enough to form a straight line; sagging hips lose the pose.
Keep the shoulders rolled back and away from the ears to open the chest.
Bend the knees to a tabletop version if straight-leg wrists or shoulders complain.

Variations

Common mistakes

The fingers point out to the sides or forward instead of back toward the feet, twisting the wrists under load instead of stacking them straight.
Cranking the head back to stare at the ceiling regardless of how the neck feels overrides the pose's own instruction to let it hang only when comfortable.
Weight shifts mostly through the heels while the hands barely press, so one end of the body lifts and the other lags.
Rolling the shoulders forward during setup, before the press even starts, closes the chest that the pose is meant to open.
Toes pointed up instead of down toward the floor breaks the long line through the front of the ankle and shin.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold reverse plank, and how many rounds?: Hold 15 to 20 seconds for two to three rounds, resting the hips down fully between attempts. Add 5 seconds per set once the straight-leg version feels stable, rather than adding more rounds first.
How do you make reverse plank easier or harder?: Make it easier by bending the knees into a tabletop reverse plank, which shortens the lever on the wrists and shoulders. Make it harder by lifting one leg a few inches for several seconds at a time, alternating sides once the two-leg hold is solid.
What does reverse plank train, and who should be cautious with it?: It strengthens the back of the body, glutes, and spinal extensors, while stretching the chest and front shoulders, making it a useful counter to a practice full of forward folding. Be cautious with it if you have wrist pain or shoulder impingement, since the straight-arm support loads both joints directly.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Back exercises