Level up Your Plank Workout: 11 Core Boards

As a kid, you probably did squats at school to train your abs. But is squatting the best ab exercise? This is actually a simple question. Never! There are abs exercises better than simple squats that can aggravate back problems and focus on just one small abdominal area.

This post was originally published on the Strength Running website .

And while you will develop immense abdominal strength by doing heavy squats, deadlifts, and other traditional weightlifting exercises, not all of us are able to throw heavy iron in the gym. Luckily for us, there are many plank exercises that help us develop the basic strength we need to run more efficiently and reduce overuse injuries.

The plank is a versatile exercise as it strengthens a number of muscles:

• Rectus abdominis muscles (this is what you will see if you have six abs)
• Internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen (the part of your abs to the side of your torso)
• The transverse abdomen (the deepest part of your abs that supports your spine)
• Hips (always important for runners)
• Back (especially important for runners, especially the lower back)
• Buttocks (strength is good – beautiful butt is a nice bonus!)

If you do planks regularly, you know how easy they are. They can be made almost anywhere and no hardware is required. They are perfect for beginners and even the fastest runners.

Regardless of what race you’re training for or your ability level, the plank is a fantastic abs exercise to include in your core strengthening program. I do them regularly as part of a standard mainstream program . And they are included in many other strength and basic exercises that are critical to preventing injury .

But the standard board is only at this stage. After about 1-2 months, your fitness will stabilize and you will no longer gain strength from this exercise. What you need to do is move on to harder exercise options to keep getting stronger.

So, I’m happy to share a new video (and free PDF download ) showing you 11 types of boards!

Gauntlet Workout Plank

On days when you’re short on time, the Gauntlet is a good option: with 11 time-based exercises, you can complete each in as little as 30 seconds while still doing good core training.

Here’s a completeworkout for the Gauntlet :

Here is a description of each type of plank exercise:

1. Plank for push-ups.

While lying down, lean on your hands and toes. Maintain a straight line from head to toe and tighten your abs to maintain a neutral position.

2. Raising the side arms (in the push-up position)

In the push-up bar position, raise your left arm away from your body so that it is parallel to the ground and perpendicular to your torso. Hold for two seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.

3. Raising the front arms (in the push-up position).

With the push-up bar in position, raise your left arm parallel to the ground. Hold for two seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the right side. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise.

4. Forearm plank.

While lying down, place your weight on your forearms and toes. Maintain a straight line from head to toe and tighten your abs to maintain a neutral position.

5. Mixing planks with push-ups.

With the push-up bar in position, take two steps to the left and then two steps to the right. Alternate left arm and right leg, then right arm and left leg.

6. From the forearm to the push-up bar.

Start in a push-up bar position and gently lower yourself to a forearm bar position. Change your posture during the exercise.

7. Plank of Spider-Man.

In the push-up bar position, bring your left knee to your left elbow for about two seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat with the right leg.

8. Alternating leg raises (push-ups).

In the push-up position, lift your left leg about 12-18 inches off the ground. Hold for two seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Maintain good technique by keeping your spine in a fixed neutral position and engaging your glutes to help lift your leg.

9. Plank with two points of push-ups.

In a push-up position, lift your left leg off the ground while raising your right arm. Your left foot should be 12-18 inches from the ground, and your right arm should be parallel to the ground. Hold for about 2 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite leg and arm.

10. Alternating leg lifts (forearms).

With the forearm plank position, lift your left leg about 12-18 inches off the ground. Hold for two seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side. Maintain good technique by keeping your spine in a fixed neutral position and engaging your glutes to help lift your leg.

11. Two-point forearm plank.

With the forearm plank position, lift your left leg off the ground while raising your right arm. Your left foot should be 12-18 inches from the ground, and your right arm should be parallel to the ground. Hold for about 2 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite leg and arm.

All about planks

This type of core training is incredibly versatile. But with this flexibility, questions will surely arise, so let’s dive into them!

How long should I do each plank?

As much as you want! The beauty of this board workout is that each exercise can be done for a short period of time for easier strength training, or longer to increase difficulty.

I recommend doing each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

How many sets of this plank workout should I do?

Start with one, but you can go up to two or even three sets if you’re ambitious. There is virtually no risk of injury with the board, so don’t worry about injury.

What if I can’t make one of the boards?

No problem! The beauty of this plank workout is that it can be used by both beginners and advanced athletes. Just skip a bar you can’t do, or go for an easier one.

For example, if you can’t do a two-point forearm plank, try a two-point push-up bar. Still too hard? Try a plank with alternating leg raises in the forearm position. STILL too hard? Then do a plank with alternating leg raises in the push-up position.

By decreasing the difficulty of the exercise and moving from the forearm to the push-up position, you can decrease the difficulty of the plank.

Is the order of the exercises important?

The order of the boards in the Gauntlet Workout is roughly ordered from easiest to hardest (although many boards have a similar difficulty level). Thus, by performing them in the order in which they are presented, you will achieve two goals:

1. Helping Yourself Warm Up Gradually Before Exercising
2. Basically, you “divide” the workout into “negative divisions”, doing the hardest exercises last.

You don’t need to do this plank workout in this exact order, but I recommend it.

When should I do the Gauntlet bar workout?

This basic program is best done after a run, about once or twice a week. This can also be done throughout the entire training cycle.

Be sure to alternate with other strength training such as the ITB Rehab Routine program or the Tomahawk Medicine Ball Workout .

Why is this called “The Glove” workout?

All core and strength training exercises in injury prevention for runners are named after medieval weapons (for the sole reason they are interesting names!). This tradition continues with the Gauntlet Plank Workout.

If you would like more information on Injury Prevention for Runners (the most popular Strength Running workout program), simply sign up for my free course here . You can also get a handy photo guide in PDF format . You can refer to it whenever you want, hang it in the gym, or make the most stylish paper airplanes. It’s more convenient and hopefully encourages you to do more strength work!

Level Up Your Plank: 11 New Core Boards | Power running

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