How long should you hold the single-arm plank for when you are new to the exercise?

2 to 3 holds of 5 to 10 seconds per side with the feet set wide for a stable base, resting fully between sides. Extend the hold time before narrowing the stance, since a narrower base raises the difficulty on its own.

How do you make the single-arm plank easier or harder?

Easier: widen your feet for a bigger base, or only lift the fingertips instead of the whole hand. Harder: narrow the feet together, or lift the opposite-side leg at the same time.

What is the single-arm plank good for?

It builds anti-rotation trunk stiffness useful for pressing, carrying, and rotational sports, a smart step up from a standard plank. It's a poor choice for anyone who still can't hold a standard two-arm plank with a flat back and level hips for 30 seconds; that stability has to exist before removing an arm makes sense.

Intermediate

Single-Arm Plank

Lifting one arm turns a symmetrical plank into a fierce anti-rotation drill: the torso wants to twist and dump toward the empty side, and the obliques and rectus fire hard to stop it. It is a smart step up from the standard plank for lifters who need genuine trunk stiffness for pressing, carrying, and rotational sport. Program it as a timed hold in a core or warm-up block.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Abdominal External Oblique, Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Anti-Rotation, Core Brace

How to do it

1
Set up in a standard forearm plank with elbows under shoulders and feet about hip-width.
2
Brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and build a rigid line from head to heels.
3
Shift a touch of weight onto one forearm, then lift the other arm just off the floor.
4
Fight the urge to rotate: keep both hips square and level to the ground.
5
Hold for the prescribed time, breathing shallowly without letting the ribcage flare.
6
Replace the hand, reset, and repeat on the other side.

Tips

Widen your feet if you cannot keep the hips from tipping; narrow them to make it harder.
Imagine pinching a coin between your glutes to lock the pelvis in place.
Do not let the supporting shoulder collapse; press the forearm down and spread the floor.
Keep your neck long and gaze just ahead of your hands, not down at your feet.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips twist open toward the lifted-arm side the instant weight shifts off it, so the anti-rotation challenge that defines this plank never actually shows up.
The ribcage flares out and the breathing goes shallow and rapid at the same time, loosening the brace right when the single-arm position needs it most.
Lifting the arm high off the floor for style rather than the couple of inches the plank calls for adds nothing but a longer reach back down to reset.
Rushing straight to the other side without a brief reset in a full two-hand plank carries leftover rotation from the last side into the next one.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the single-arm plank for when you are new to the exercise?: 2 to 3 holds of 5 to 10 seconds per side with the feet set wide for a stable base, resting fully between sides. Extend the hold time before narrowing the stance, since a narrower base raises the difficulty on its own.
How do you make the single-arm plank easier or harder?: Easier: widen your feet for a bigger base, or only lift the fingertips instead of the whole hand. Harder: narrow the feet together, or lift the opposite-side leg at the same time.
What is the single-arm plank good for?: It builds anti-rotation trunk stiffness useful for pressing, carrying, and rotational sports, a smart step up from a standard plank. It's a poor choice for anyone who still can't hold a standard two-arm plank with a flat back and level hips for 30 seconds; that stability has to exist before removing an arm makes sense.

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