Core
Bear plank hold
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- deep abs · front delts
- Also
- obliques · hip flexors · quads · triceps
The bear plank is a quadruped hold on hands and toes with your knees hovering just off the floor. Keeping that small gap forces your deep abdominals, shoulders and hip flexors to hold the spine still under load, which carries over to planks, crawling and lifting. It suits anyone who wants core work without loading the lower back, and it needs no equipment or space.
Form
How to do bear plank hold
- 1Kneel on all fours with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, toes tucked so the balls of your feet are on the floor. Keep your knees roughly a fist apart.
- 2Push the floor away, spread your shoulder blades slightly, and flatten your lower back by tilting your pelvis so your ribs sit down towards your hips.
- 3Press through your toes and lift your knees a couple of centimetres off the floor. That is the whole range: nothing else moves.
- 4Hold there with a flat back and a level head, breathing shallow and steady through the nose rather than holding your breath.
- 5If your hips rise or your back sags, lower the knees to the floor, reset the position, and lift again for the rest of the effort.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Lifting the hips high so the position becomes a downward dog.
Fix: Keep your hips level with your shoulders and your shins parallel to the floor, with only a small gap under the knees.
Letting the lower back arch and the belly drop.
Fix: Tuck your pelvis slightly and brace your abs before the knees leave the floor, then keep that brace the whole time.
Holding your breath to stay tight.
Fix: Take small, quiet breaths into the ribs while your midsection stays braced.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.