The plank walk-up takes you from a forearm plank up onto straight arms one hand at a time, then back down the same way. The pressing is the easy part; the work is keeping your hips from rocking while you balance on one arm for a moment, so every rep tests how still your trunk stays when the support underneath it changes.
How to do it
- Start in a forearm plank with the feet about hip-width apart.
- Place one hand under its shoulder and press up, then the other — the hips stay level.
- Lower one forearm at a time and switch the leading arm every rep.
Common mistakes
- Rocking the hips side to side to swing yourself up.
- Piking the hips up to make the hand change easier.
What it trains
- Abs
- hold the plank line through every change of position
- Obliques
- stop the hips dropping toward the side whose hand has just lifted
- Triceps
- straighten each arm as you press up off the forearm
- Shoulders
- carry most of your upper body on one arm for a moment every time a hand moves
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
How do I count plank walk-ups?
One rep is the full trip: up onto both hands and back down onto both forearms. Count it that way every time so your sets stay comparable, and switch the leading arm each rep so both sides get the same work.
Why do my hips sway during plank walk-ups?
Because your feet are too close together or you are moving faster than your trunk can hold. Set the feet at least hip-width apart, squeeze the glutes and slow down until the hips barely move, then bring the feet closer as you get steadier.
How do I make plank walk-ups harder?
Bring the feet together, slow each hand change down, or add a push-up at the top of every rep. Before that, more clean reps is the progression — StackUp tracks your reps per set and progresses your target reps, so you know what to beat next time.
In StackUp. Logged as reps per set. Add weight if you use a belt or a dumbbell and StackUp progresses it like any other lift. Get the app.
Core
