Conditioning
Plank jacks
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- abs · front delts
- Also
- hip abductors · chest · quads · obliques
Plank jacks are a high plank with the feet jumping wide and back together. They keep your shoulders and trunk loaded while your heart rate climbs, so they work as a conditioning movement that still trains the plank position. Useful if you want breathless work without the impact of running, though they need enough shoulder comfort to hold a plank under movement.
Form
How to do plank jacks
- 1Set up in a high plank: hands under your shoulders, arms straight, legs back and feet together, body in one line from head to heels.
- 2Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes so your hips stay level with your shoulders before you move a foot.
- 3Jump both feet out wide, landing on the balls of your feet, then jump them straight back together. Keep your hands planted and your shoulders stacked over them.
- 4Breathe steadily through the effort, one breath every few jumps, rather than holding your breath.
- 5Keep the rhythm even and controlled for the whole effort. If your hips start to rise or sag, slow the jumps down instead of stopping the set.
Watch for
Common mistakes
The hips pop up towards the ceiling with every jump.
Fix: Shorten the jump and keep your glutes squeezed so your body stays in one line.
Hands drift forward, putting all the load on the shoulders.
Fix: Reset your hands directly under your shoulders and push the floor away to keep your upper back broad.
Jumping so fast the landings turn into loud slaps.
Fix: Land softly on the balls of your feet at a pace you can hold for the whole effort.
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.