Plank Get-Up
The plank up-down, also called the plank get-up, is a moving plank in which you press up from your forearms to your hands one arm at a time, then return to your forearms one arm at a time. It works the stomach and oblique muscles to keep your hips level and still, while the triceps, shoulders and the muscles around the shoulder blades handle the press.
Also called: Plank to Push Up, Elbow to Hand Plank, Up-Down Plank, Plank to Push-Up Position · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: compound
Step by step
- Start in a forearm plank with your elbows under your shoulders, forearms on the floor, feet about hip-width apart and your body in a straight line from heels to head.
- Brace your stomach, keep your ribs down and lightly squeeze your glutes.
- Place your first hand flat on the floor where its elbow was and press up onto it, keeping your hips level.
- Place your second hand under its shoulder and press up to a straight-arm plank, hands under shoulders.
- Bring the first arm back down onto its forearm under control, then the second, to return to the forearm plank. That is one rep.
- Lead with the other arm on the next rep, alternating each time, and breathe steadily throughout.
- Set your feet wider to make it easier and closer together to make it harder. After the last rep, bring your knees to the floor.
- Quiet hips, level and still
- Flat plank at the top and bottom
- Place the forearm, no dropping onto the elbow
- Push the floor away at the top
- Wide feet to learn, narrow feet to progress
- Breathe steadily throughout
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps brachii | Secondary | C |
| Anterior deltoid | Secondary | C |
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Secondary | D |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Serratus anterior | Stabiliser | C |
| Transverse abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Quadratus lumborum | Stabiliser | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Stabiliser | D |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Stabiliser | D |
| Forearm extensors | Stabiliser | D |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hips swaying or rotating through the transition
Fix: Slow down, widen your stance and keep your hips level as each hand moves.
Hips sagging
Fix: Brace with your ribs down and end the set when you can no longer hold a flat line.
Hips piking up
Fix: Keep a straight line from heels to head at the top and the bottom.
Dropping onto the elbow
Fix: Place each forearm down under control and train on a mat.
Wrist discomfort in the top position
Fix: Warm up your wrists first, or press up onto fists or parallettes.
Always leading with the same arm
Fix: Switch the leading arm on every rep.
What the research says
General fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceRehab & prehabSport performanceFat loss & conditioning
- Muscle activity — An EMG study found a forearm plank with the elbows placed further forward, a longer lever, produced more stomach muscle activity than the standard plank. There is no EMG data for the up-down, and EMG measures activity, not growth.
- Shoulder blades — EMG research on push-up positions found high activity in the serratus anterior, the muscle that holds the shoulder blade against the ribs. There is no EMG data for the up-down itself.
- Sets and reps — A common approach is timed sets of 30–60 seconds or 10–20 controlled up-downs, for 3–5 rounds. There is no research on the best dose for this exercise.
- Progression — Many programmes progress by narrowing the stance, adding a weighted vest, or moving to a renegade row. There is no research comparing these progressions.
- Placement — Many programmes use the up-down in a core block, as a conditioning finisher or as a circuit station.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the plank get-up in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.