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Plank alternatives: what to do when planks hurt, bore you or stop working

Published October 23, 2026

The best plank alternative for most people is the dead bug, because it trains the same hold on your back, with no weight on your wrists or shoulders. If planks are too easy, the long lever plank or an ab wheel rollout makes the same hold much harder. For core work on your feet, the Pallof press or a dumbbell suitcase carry trains your trunk to stay still while you stand.

What a plank alternative has to replace

Front of your trunk, held still

Plank

Abs

The plank makes your abs hold your spine straight while gravity tries to sag your hips toward the floor. It trains holding, not curling, so the swaps below either make that hold harder, move it off your wrists, or add movement.

How to do it

  1. Set your forearms on the floor with your elbows under your shoulders and step your feet back, body in one straight line.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down toward your hips so your lower back stays flat.
  3. Hold, breathing short and steady, without letting your hips sag or rise.
  4. For the harder version, reach one arm forward and lift the opposite foot, hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Glutes tight
  • Straight line, head to heels

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor: that hangs the load on your lower back. Squeeze your glutes and shorten the hold.
  • Holding for minutes at an easy level: lift an arm or leg, or move to a harder swap, instead of adding time.
  • Hips rotating when a limb lifts: widen your feet until your hips stay square.

Swap for: Dead Bug, Long Lever Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

The plank trains your abs to hold your spine straight while gravity pulls your hips toward the floor. It loads them hardest when your body is long and your hips want to sag, and it puts your weight on your forearms or hands.

Plank got easy: make it harder

A longer lever or a moving surface makes a 20-second set hard again, so you stop needing minutes-long holds.

Harder plank, same position

Long Lever Plank

Abs

Moving your elbows forward past your head makes the lever longer, so a short hold gets much harder than a normal plank. It is the simplest swap once planks are easy.

How to do it

  1. Get into a forearm plank, then shift your elbows forward until they sit a few inches in front of your eyes.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and tuck your tailbone slightly so your lower back flattens.
  3. Hold your body in a single line, head to heels.
  4. End the hold when your hips begin to sag, rest, and go again.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Elbows forward, not wide
  • Short, hard holds

Common mistakes

  • Raising your hips to take the strain off: keep the line and hold for less time.
  • Holding your breath: breathe short and steady through the hold.
Build a session with Long Lever Plank

Plank on a ball, harder still

Stability Ball Body Saw

Abs

Your forearms on a ball and the ball rolling a few inches forward and back make the plank unstable and longer at the far end. Start with a short roll.

How to do it

  1. Kneel behind an exercise ball, put your forearms on it and step back into a plank with straight legs.
  2. Push the ball slightly forward with your forearms, letting your body lengthen.
  3. Pull it back under your shoulders using your abs.
  4. Keep sawing back and forth for the set without letting your hips drop.

Cues

  • Small rolls, flat back
  • Abs pull the ball back
  • Feet wide for balance

Common mistakes

  • Rolling too far and arching: keep the range short until the back stays flat.
  • Pushing the hips up into a pike to bring the ball back: the hips stay in line.
Build a session with Stability Ball Body Saw

Hardest swap

Ab Wheel Rollout

Abs

The rollout is a plank that moves: your abs stop your back from arching as you reach out. A set of controlled reps is far harder than a long hold, so it suits you once planks are easy.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a pad with the wheel under your shoulders and arms straight.
  2. Tuck your pelvis so your lower back rounds slightly, then roll the wheel forward as your hips follow.
  3. Go as far as you can while keeping that tuck, ideally until your arms are near overhead.
  4. Pull the wheel back to your knees by squeezing your abs, not by sitting your hips back.

Cues

  • Tuck first, then roll
  • Hips move with the wheel
  • Stop before the back arches

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back sag at the far end: roll toward a wall so it stops you at a range you control.
  • Pulling back by bending at the hips: drag the wheel back with your abs and keep the hips forward.
Build a session with Ab Wheel Rollout

Planks that move

Lifting a hand or foot gives your abs something to resist, and you count reps instead of watching a clock.

Plank with movement

Plank Shoulder Tap

Abs

Each tap takes a hand away, so your abs have to stop your body from rolling. It turns a boring hold into reps you can count and add to.

How to do it

  1. Start at the top of a push-up with your hands below your shoulders, feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
  3. Lift one hand and touch the opposite shoulder while your hips stay still.
  4. Put the hand down and switch. Each tap counts as one rep.

Cues

  • Hips do not rock
  • Wider feet to start, narrower to progress
  • Slow taps beat fast ones

Common mistakes

  • Shifting your hips side to side with each tap: slow down or widen your feet.
  • Letting the lower back sag: keep the glutes tight.
Build a session with Plank Shoulder Tap

Plank with your obliques

Spider Plank

Abs

Bringing one knee out toward the same elbow makes the side of your waist work while the rest of you holds a plank. It is a good step after shoulder taps.

How to do it

  1. Set up on your forearms and toes with your elbows below your shoulders, body in a straight line.
  2. Lift one foot and bring that knee out to the side toward the same elbow.
  3. Pause, then return the foot to the floor without letting your hips rise.
  4. Switch sides each rep.

Cues

  • Knee travels wide, not under
  • Hips stay level
  • Breathe out as the knee comes in

Common mistakes

  • Hips piking up as the knee comes forward: keep your body flat like a table.
  • Rushing the reps: take a full second each way.
Build a session with Spider Plank

Moving plank on all fours

Bear Crawl

Abs, Shoulders

Knees an inch off the floor and short opposite-hand-and-foot steps keep your trunk braced the whole time. Bent knees shorten the lever, so it is a good start if a full plank sags.

How to do it

  1. Start on all fours with your hands below your shoulders, knees under your hips.
  2. Lift your knees an inch off the floor and keep your back flat.
  3. Crawl forward by moving one hand and the opposite foot a short step at the same time.
  4. Keep your hips low and level, take a set number of steps forward and back, then rest.

Cues

  • Knees an inch off the ground
  • Opposite hand and foot together
  • Back flat enough to hold a glass

Common mistakes

  • Hips rising high into a pike: keep them at shoulder height.
  • Taking long steps: short steps keep the brace.
Build a session with Bear Crawl

Other holds

The same straight-body hold from the side or on your back.

Plank for the sides of your waist

Side Plank

Abs

Turning onto one side puts the load on your obliques, which a front plank trains much less. Use it alongside any swap here.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side with your legs straight and your feet stacked, or with the top foot just in front of the bottom one.
  2. Put your forearm on the floor with the elbow right under your shoulder and your hand pointing forward.
  3. Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes, then press through your forearm and foot to lift your hips.
  4. Keep your head, hips and feet lined up, chest facing forward, and breathe steadily.
  5. Lower your hips with control when the time is up, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Push the floor away
  • Hips high, not back
  • Head in line with spine

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag toward the floor: end the set the moment you can no longer hold the line, and use the knee version until you can.
  • Rolling the chest toward the floor or the ceiling: keep your shoulders and hips stacked so you face straight ahead.
  • Shrugging into the bottom shoulder: press your forearm into the floor so your shoulder stays away from your ear.
Build a session with Side Plank

Hold on your back

Plate Hollow Hold

Abs

Lying face up with your legs and shoulders off the floor is the same straight-body hold as a plank, flipped over. Holding a plate up at arm's length makes it harder.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up holding a light weight plate in both hands and press your lower back into the floor.
  2. Lift your shoulders and straight legs off the floor and push the plate up over your chest with straight arms.
  3. Hold with your legs raised and your lower back flat, lowering your legs only as far as your back allows.
  4. Lower your legs and arms to rest before your back starts to arch, then repeat.

Cues

  • Lower back stays on the floor
  • Legs lower only if the back allows
  • Breathe in short, shallow breaths

Common mistakes

  • Holding a plate too heavy for your back to stay flat: start with no plate and raise the legs higher.
  • Tucking the chin hard to your chest: look at your toes and keep the neck long.
Build a session with Plate Hollow Hold

On your back: off your wrists and shoulders

If planks hurt your wrists, shoulders or lower back, lie down. Your back stays supported while your abs do the work.

Best if planks hurt your back or wrists

Dead Bug

Abs

You lie on your back and your abs keep your lower back on the floor while one arm and the opposite leg reach out. No weight on your wrists or shoulders, and easy to learn.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up on a mat, arms straight up over your shoulders and knees bent 90 degrees directly above your hips.
  2. Breathe out fully and tilt your pelvis slightly so your lower back presses flat into the floor; keep it there for the whole set.
  3. Reach your right arm back toward the floor behind your head and straighten your left leg out toward the floor at the same time.
  4. Stop when your arm and leg hover just above the floor, or sooner if your lower back starts to lift.
  5. Bring both back to the start, then repeat on the opposite pair. One rep is one side.

Cues

  • Lower back glued to the floor
  • Exhale as you reach
  • Slow is the exercise

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back arch as the leg goes out: shorten the reach, keep the knee bent more, or lower only the leg until you can hold the position.
  • Rushing through the reps: take two or three seconds to reach out and the same to come back; speed lets momentum do the work your abs should do.
  • Holding your breath: breathe out as you reach and in as you return, so you learn to brace while breathing.
Build a session with Dead Bug

Curl instead of hold

Reverse Crunch

Abs

Curling your hips up toward your ribs trains your abs through a full range of motion instead of a hold. Add it if planks are all you do.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up on a mat, arms flat along the floor beside you, and bring your knees up so your thighs point at the ceiling and your knees are bent about square.
  2. Press your lower back gently into the floor and breathe out.
  3. Use your abs to roll your tailbone and then your lower back off the mat, bringing your knees in toward your chest without changing the bend in them.
  4. Stop when your hips are fully curled and your weight sits on your upper back, pausing for a beat.
  5. Unroll one vertebra at a time until your tailbone touches down, keeping your thighs vertical before the next rep.

Cues

  • Curl the tailbone, not the knees
  • Knee angle stays fixed
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the legs to throw the hips up: if you need momentum, shorten the range and pause at the bottom of each rep.
  • Pushing hard through your hands to lift: keep your arms relaxed so the abs do the lifting.
  • Dropping the legs toward the floor between reps: stop with your thighs vertical, where the abs still hold tension.
Build a session with Reverse Crunch

Standing

Core work on your feet, with your trunk holding still against a cable or a dumbbell.

Standing swap in the gym

Pallof Press

Abs

You stand side-on to a cable and hold it out at your chest without turning. Your trunk holds still like a plank, with nothing on your wrists or shoulders.

How to do it

  1. Set a single handle at chest height on a cable column, or loop a band around a rack post or a closed door at the same height.
  2. Hold the handle with both hands against your breastbone, then walk sideways away from the anchor until the cable pulls clearly toward it.
  3. Stand side-on with feet just wider than your hips, knees soft, and squeeze your glutes and abs as if bracing for a shove.
  4. Press the handle straight out from your chest until your arms are long, keeping your hands in line with your breastbone.
  5. Hold the long-arm position for two seconds without letting your hands drift toward the anchor, then bring the handle back to your chest.
  6. Finish every rep on one side, then turn to face the other way and repeat.

Cues

  • Hands stay on your midline
  • Ribs down, hips square to the front
  • Long arms, slow count, no drift

Common mistakes

  • Letting the handle drift toward the anchor as you press: take a step closer to the stack, or pick a lighter band, until your hands stay on your midline.
  • Turning your hips or shoulders to meet the cable: point both hip bones and your chest forward, and squeeze your glutes before every rep.
  • Pressing fast and returning fast: the hard part is the hold at full reach, so count two seconds there on every rep.
Build a session with Pallof Press

Standing swap with one dumbbell

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

One heavy dumbbell in one hand and a slow walk make your trunk hold upright against a sideways pull. Pick it if you want core work that also loads your grip.

How to do it

  1. Pick up a heavy dumbbell in one hand like a suitcase.
  2. Stand tall with your shoulders level and the free arm relaxed.
  3. Walk forward with short, steady steps.
  4. Keep your torso from leaning toward the weight.
  5. Set it down after the distance or time, then carry it in the other hand.

Cues

  • Shoulders level
  • Stand taller than normal
  • Short, even steps

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the weight to balance it: you should look like you carry nothing.
  • Going so heavy that your grip gives out before your core does: shorten the walk instead.
Build a session with Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Example sessions without the plank

Session 1

Planks got too easy

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentAb Wheel

You can hold a plank for a minute or more and want your core work to be hard again.

The ab wheel rollout replaces the plank with a moving version, the long lever plank makes the hold itself harder, and spider planks add your obliques. Sets are short and hard. 10 working sets.

Abs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ab Wheel RolloutRoll only as far as you control. 4 × 6–12 2 90 s
Long Lever PlankSeconds. Elbows ahead of your head. 3 × 15–30 1 1 min
Spider PlankEach knee is one rep. 3 × 10–16 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week, after your main workout, with a day between.
How to progress
On the rollout, roll a little further each week before adding reps. On the long lever plank, move your elbows an inch further forward once every hold reaches 30 seconds.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Gym, planks hurt your wrists or back

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentAdjustable Cable, Dumbbells

You train in a gym and planks bother your wrists, shoulders or lower back.

The Pallof press and suitcase carry train your trunk to hold still while you stand, the dead bug does it on your back, and the reverse crunch adds a curl. Nothing loads your wrists. 12 working sets.

Abs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pallof PressReps per side. Two-second hold. 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
Dumbbell Suitcase CarryReps are steps. Left, then right. 3 × 20–30 2 75 s
Dead BugReps per side. 3 × 8–12 2 45 s
Reverse CrunchHips leave the floor. 3 × 10–20 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week at the end of a gym session.
How to progress
Add reps or steps to the top of each range, then move up one plate on the cable or one dumbbell size on the carry.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, bored of holding planks

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You train at home with no equipment and want something better than staring at a timer.

Shoulder taps and bear crawls keep the plank position but add movement your abs have to control, and the side plank covers your obliques. 10 working sets.

Abs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Plank Shoulder TapEach tap is one rep. 3 × 16–30 1 1 min
Bear CrawlReps are steps forward and back. 4 × 10–20 2 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 3 × 15–30 1 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week; move slowly on every rep.
How to progress
Add reps to the top of each range, then narrow your feet on shoulder taps and pause each hand in the air for a second.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What can I do instead of planks?

The dead bug is the best all-round swap and keeps weight off your wrists. If planks are too easy, use the long lever plank or an ab wheel rollout.

What is a plank alternative for wrists or shoulders?

The dead bug on your back, or the Pallof press and dumbbell suitcase carry standing up. None of them put weight on your hands.

Is a 1 minute plank a day enough?

It keeps you able to hold a plank, but it won't build much more. Make the hold harder instead of longer, and add a curl or raise two or three times a week.

Can I get a six pack from planking?

Planks alone train your abs to hold, not to grow much. Visible abs come from low body fat plus ab work you can make harder over time, like reverse crunches or cable crunches.

Do planks help flatten your belly?

They strengthen your abs but don't burn belly fat in particular. A flatter stomach comes from losing body fat overall.

What are the best plank variations?

The long lever plank, plank shoulder taps, spider plank and side plank. Each makes the same hold harder or adds movement.