How many reps of the up-down plank should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 total transitions (down and up counts as one), alternating the lead arm every rep, and rest around a minute between sets. Add reps only once the hips stay quiet through the whole set; if they don't, widen your foot stance before you add volume.

What's an easier or harder version of the up-down plank?

To make it easier, widen your foot stance for a broader base, or slow down and pause in the forearm plank before pressing back up. To make it harder, narrow your stance, tap the opposite shoulder at the top of each rep, or add a slider under one foot to challenge stability further.

What is the up-down plank good for, and when is it not worth doing?

It blends anti-rotation core work with pressing endurance for the shoulders and triceps, which makes it a solid circuit piece for general conditioning or a core finisher after upper-body work. Skip it if you have wrist or shoulder pain in a high plank, since the repeated transitions load those joints more than a static hold does.

Intermediate

Up-Down Plank

Each hand you plant or lift creates a rotational torque the trunk has to cancel, so the obliques work overtime while the shoulders and triceps handle the up-and-down. It blends anti-rotation core training with a bit of pressing endurance, making it a versatile circuit or warm-up piece. Keep the hips as quiet as possible while the arms do the moving.

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

How to do it

1
Begin in a high plank with hands under the shoulders and the body braced.
2
Lower one forearm to the floor, then the other, arriving in a forearm plank.
3
Press back up one hand at a time to return to the high plank.
4
Fight rotation the whole time by keeping both hips square to the floor.
5
Alternate which arm leads each rep, and continue for the prescribed reps.

Tips

Widen your feet to cut down on hip sway as you transition.
Move deliberately rather than rushing; control beats speed here.
Keep the elbows tracking close, not flaring out, to protect the shoulders.
Brace as if bracing for a punch so the midsection never rocks.

Variations

Common mistakes

The same arm leads every single rep instead of alternating, leaving one side of the shoulders and obliques undertrained.
The hands land in slightly different spots each transition instead of a consistent stance, throwing off the base from rep to rep.
Holding the breath through each transition adds tension in the neck and jaw instead of the trunk.
The head drops to watch the hands during the transition, rounding the upper back through every rep.
The hips pike upward slightly during the transition to make it easier, taking the core out of the equation for a moment.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the up-down plank should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 total transitions (down and up counts as one), alternating the lead arm every rep, and rest around a minute between sets. Add reps only once the hips stay quiet through the whole set; if they don't, widen your foot stance before you add volume.
What's an easier or harder version of the up-down plank?: To make it easier, widen your foot stance for a broader base, or slow down and pause in the forearm plank before pressing back up. To make it harder, narrow your stance, tap the opposite shoulder at the top of each rep, or add a slider under one foot to challenge stability further.
What is the up-down plank good for, and when is it not worth doing?: It blends anti-rotation core work with pressing endurance for the shoulders and triceps, which makes it a solid circuit piece for general conditioning or a core finisher after upper-body work. Skip it if you have wrist or shoulder pain in a high plank, since the repeated transitions load those joints more than a static hold does.

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