Plank With Feet Elevated

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place a flat bench or stable elevated surface behind you.
2. Position your forearms on the floor with elbows directly under your shoulders and hands parallel.
3. Carefully place one foot at a time onto the bench, ensuring your toes are tucked.
4. Align your body so it forms a straight line from your head to your heels.

How to do it

1. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to lock your pelvis into a neutral position.
2. Maintain a steady, rhythmic breathing pattern, exhaling forcefully to increase intra-abdominal pressure.
3. Push through your forearms to keep your shoulder blades wide and prevent your chest from sagging.
4. Hold the position for the target duration while maintaining total-body tension.

Form checklist

• Keep your hips level with your shoulders; do not let the lower back arch.
• Ensure elbows remain stacked directly under the shoulder joints.
• Keep your neck neutral by gazing at the floor between your forearms.
• Actively squeeze your quadriceps to keep your legs perfectly straight.

Pro tips

• Actively 'pull' your elbows toward your toes without moving them to create intense tension in the rectus abdominis.
• Focus on a slight posterior pelvic tilt (tucking the tailbone) to ensure the core, not the hip flexors, is doing the work.

Make it harder

• Lift one foot off the bench to create a three-point plank, challenging your rotational stability.
• Transition to a high plank (on hands) to increase the lever length and demand on the anterior deltoids.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the plank with feet elevated work?

The plank with feet elevated primarily targets the abs, deltoids, and obliques, and also works the serratus anterior and trapezius as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the plank with feet elevated?

The plank with feet elevated requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the plank with feet elevated good for beginners?

The plank with feet elevated is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• 45 Degrees Arms PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals
• Alternate Knee Raise Side ReachBeginner · abs, deltoids, and obliques
• Alternate Leg Lift Tap Arms CircleIntermediate · abs, deltoids, obliques, and pectorals
• Alternate Single Leg Raise PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, hamstrings, and obliques