Exercise Guide

Bear Plank

A plank on hands and toes with the knees hovering an inch off the floor. Shorter lever than a full plank, far more demanding than it looks.

BeginnerStrengthStaticIsolation
Form
Bear Plank - Start position
Start
Bear Plank - Mid position
Mid
Bear Plank - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Core

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Static

Mechanic

Isolation

Secondary Muscles

QuadsShoulders
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

  2. 2

    Tuck your toes and brace your core.

  3. 3

    Lift your knees a couple of centimetres off the floor and hold them there.

  4. 4

    Keep your back flat and breathe steadily for the duration.

Tips
  • Push the floor away to keep your upper back from sinking between the shoulder blades.
  • A hovering knee is enough. Lifting higher turns it into a different exercise.
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