Walk the Plank!

Working on your core is an extremely underrated element of every workout. Your core provides the fundamental source of strength that enables you to tackle all sorts of flashier tasks, from working on your arms or your abs. Strengthen your core, and all the rest of those bodily dominoes will fall into place more nicely than you could have imagined.
Planking is a fantastic way to work the muscles of your core. In this Tip, we'll focus on the side plank. To begin, lie on your left side with your body straight: one foot on top of the other, your left upper arm directly under your shoulder, your left hand and forearm placed on the ground and pointing directly in front of you.

From there simply push up so that your elbow is bent at 90 degrees and only your left foot, hand and forearm are in contact with the floor. When you are in the correct position the space left between you and the floor should form a triangle. Hold the position for as long as you can without letting your hips drop, then repeat on the other side.
Once you've mastered the side plank, consider advancing to these more difficult variations.
Raise your arms and legs

You can also give a go at the side plank with lateral raise to work your shoulders and arms, in addition to the extra challenge for your core.


 

Reading next