The plank with arm raise is a bodyweight core exercise in which you hold a forearm plank and lift one arm forward at a time to make the trunk resist rotation. Taking a hand off the floor leaves three points of contact, so the load shifts diagonally and the oblique on the support side has to stop the hip dropping. Unlike thelong-lever plank, which raises the demand by moving the elbows, this version keeps the elbows under the shoulders and adds an anti-rotation task instead. Coaches use it as a late core accessory.
What Muscles Does the Plank With Arm Raise Work?
- Primary: Rectus abdominis (abs), external obliques
- Secondary: Transverse abdominis, gluteus medius, anterior deltoid (front shoulder)
- Tertiary: Serratus anterior, quadriceps, erector spinae
How Do You Set Up for the Plank With Arm Raise?
Kneel on a mat and set your forearms on the floor with the elbows directly under the shoulders and the forearms parallel, palms flat. Extend your legs behind you and take the feet slightly wider than hip width for a broader base. Squeeze your glutes, tuck the tailbone until the lower back flattens, and hold the head in line with the spine. Press the palms down until the shoulders feel packed.
How Do You Perform the Plank With Arm Raise?
- Lock the plank with the ribs pulled down, the glutes tight and the hips level with the shoulders.
- Shift your weight onto the left forearm without letting the shoulders or hips turn.
- Raise the right arm forward until the hand is level with the floor and the thumb points up.
- Hold two counts at full reach with the hips square and the supporting shoulder pressed down.
- Lower the right forearm to the mat and settle the weight evenly across both arms.
- Repeat with the left arm, alternating sides for the rest of the set.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Widen the feet before the hand leaves: a broader base cuts the tipping force, so the reach costs balance rather than position.
- Reach through the fingertips: think of lengthening the arm away from you instead of lifting it up, which keeps the shoulder blade from riding to the ear.
- Keep both hip bones pointing at the floor for the whole reach.
- Press the supporting forearm into the mat as the other hand rises.
- Exhale slowly while the arm is up rather than holding your breath.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Rushing the reach: a fast arm throws the trunk sideways and the obliques never get the isometric work; move the hand slowly enough that nothing else shifts.
- Letting the hips rotate toward the support side: the pelvis turns, the lower back twists under load and the abs go slack; keep both hip bones square to the floor.
- Dropping the hips as the arm rises: the lumbar spine extends and the work shifts to the low back; re-tuck the tailbone before each reach.
- Keeping the feet together: the base is too narrow to stay square, so the reach becomes a balance test; set the feet wider than hip width.
- Sagging into the supporting shoulder: the shoulder blade collapses toward the ear; keep pressing the forearm down through the whole reach.
What Are the Best Plank With Arm Raise Variations?
- Knee plank with arm raise: knees on the mat shortens the lever for a first attempt.
- Plank with leg raise: lifting a foot instead of a hand loads the glutes and keeps the anti-rotation task.
- Bird dog: reaching one arm and the opposite leg from all fours, an easier version of the same demand.
- Side plank with arm raise: the same reach from a side plank loads the obliques directly.
- Weighted plank with arm raise: a light dumbbell in the reaching hand raises the tipping force.
How Do You Progress the Plank With Arm Raise?
- Hold a 2 to 5 pound dumbbell in the reaching hand once every rep stays square.
- Build from 6 reaches per side to 12 before adding weight.
- Add a set at a time up to 4 sets per session.
- Stretch the hold at full reach from two to five seconds, or reach an inch further forward.
How Should You Program the Plank With Arm Raise?
Put the plank with arm raise at the end of a session, after the heavy lifts and any loaded trunk work, or use it in a warm-up to set bracing. Train it two to three times a week for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reaches per side, resting 45 to 60 seconds. Pair it with a side plank so lateral flexion gets covered in the same block.