The floor
plank is difficult enough for most people to hold without additional
resistance to their own body weight. For those who have developed an extremely
strong core through training and need extra resistance a workout partner can
perform the plank on the other person's back for extra resistance. This is an
advanced exercise and should not be attempted unless both involved have
extremely good core strength.
No exercise program should require this exercise and not everyone should
even consider it. Like many advanced core exercises, the partner plank is
simply a progression to make the exercise more difficult which in turn makes
the workouts more fun and interesting. One set of the partner plank could be the
'burnout' or 'finisher' exercise to any core workout.
Safety Considerations for the Partner Plank
As mentioned above, the partner plank is for advanced exercisers. Those
who can hold all other forms of the plank for long periods of time with
perfect form are the only people who will benefit from partner plank. Even
if both participants have very strong cores the partner plank can still be
dangerous if the person on top chooses the wrong position.
To avoid any injury be sure to communicate with each other to determine
the best placement to plank on the bottom person's back. If the weight of a
workout partner is too much or you are working out by yourself and want to
be challenged more by the plank, putting a weight plate on your back will
suffice. To keep this advanced
core exercise as safe as possible, the person who is planking on top
must be prepared and have the ability to quickly dismount when the bottom
person is completely fatigued.
Equipment 