Forearm Plank

forearm plank video

Springload:

⚪️ 1 white

Duration:

60-90 seconds

Regression:

modified plank on the knees

Progression:

On the back

3-POINT SET-UP:

  1. Elbows on the (front platform / carriage facing the back)

  2. Toes on the (carriage / platform)

  3. Hips up in line with your shoulders

Body Part • Direction • Action Verb:

  • No movement. Just hold.

Range of Motion:

  • N/A

 Kinetic Checkpoints:

HEAD:
❌ Looking up or looking down
❌ Forward head position (hanging down)

✅ Neutral, in line with your spine and looking down

SHOULDERS:
❌ Shrugging towards the ears
❌ Winged scapula (sinking down)
❌ Protracted scapula (lifting too far out of the shoulders)
❌ Rounded upper back

✅ Neutral, flush against your ribcage and spread “wide”

HIPS:
❌ Anterior Tilt (arched back or sway back)
❌ Posterior Tilt (tucked under or flat back)
❌ Dropping lower than your shoulders
❌ Piking higher than your shoulders

✅ Neural pelvis (somewhere in the middle, maintaining a small, natural arch in your lower back)
✅ Up in line with your shoulders - you should be able to draw a straight line parallel to the floor

KNEES:
❌ Feet separated from each other

✅ Feet together OR hip distance with your inner thighs active and engaged

HANDS/FEET:
❌ Hands too wide, too narrow
❌ Wrists excessively flexed

✅ Hands directly below your shoulders
✅ As neutral of a grip as possible. Some clients may prefer to be on their knuckles. Some clients may prefer the triangle cut outs so they can be at a 45 degree angle

Talking Points:

  • Planks are a great core stability and strength exercise. We are isometrically working our entire upper body, postural muscles and our deep core stabilizers

  • Planks are one of the most effective exercises for posture, spinal health and learning how to maintain a neutral body position

  • In a plank you DO NOT want to feel any gripping or crunching sensation! This is about maintaining a neutral spine, NOT flexing or rounding our spine!

  • Imagine your abs wrapping 360 degrees around your spine - not crunching or gripping. Your abs are working to support your spine and hips so they don’t move.

  • In a plank you DO NOT want to squeeze your glutes together! When you are in a neutral position, all of your Core muscles will be doing the right amount of work for the position. Squeezing or gripping your glutes will take you OUT of your neutral position.

Common Mistakes.