Cross Body Plank
- back
- core
- shoulders
- arms
- hips
- legs
- triceps
Cross body plank is a challenging exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, providing a great full-body workout. This exercise primarily engages the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. It also activates the muscles in the shoulders, chest, back, and glutes.
During the cross body plank, you start in a traditional plank position, which means your body is aligned in a straight line from head to toe, with your forearms resting on the ground and your toes supporting your lower body. From this position, you lift one hand off the ground and bring it across your body to touch the opposite shoulder. This rotational movement engages the obliques and challenges the stability of the core.
The cross body plank exercise not only strengthens your core muscles but also helps improve your overall stability and balance. By working multiple muscle groups simultaneously, it enhances functional strength, which is beneficial for everyday activities and sports performance. Additionally, this exercise can improve your posture and contribute to a more sculpted and defined midsection.
Engaging the shoulders, chest, and back muscles during the cross body plank helps develop upper body strength and stability. This can improve your performance in various upper body exercises and tasks that require pushing or pulling movements. The activation of the glutes in this exercise also contributes to overall lower body strength and stability.
One of the advantages of the cross body plank is that it can be modified to suit different fitness levels. Beginners can start with a modified plank on their knees, gradually progressing to a full plank position. Advanced individuals can add variations such as lifting the top leg or performing the exercise on an unstable surface to increase the challenge.
Overall, the cross body plank is a versatile exercise that offers numerous benefits. It targets multiple muscle groups, improves core strength and stability, enhances upper body strength, and can be tailored to individual fitness levels. Adding cross body planks to your exercise routine can help you build a stronger, more stable, and functional body.
Cross Body Plank: How to Video Demonstration
Cross Body Plank - Instructions & Steps
- Start in a plank with your palms on the floor, your back straight and legs extended and straight
- Lift your right foot off the floor and pull your right knee up and move to touch your left elbow
- Return your leg to straight and alternate to the other side
Benefits of Cross Body Plank
Cross body plank is a versatile exercise that offers numerous benefits for individuals of all fitness levels. It engages multiple muscle groups and provides a full-body workout, making it an effective addition to any exercise routine. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, incorporating cross body planks into your workout regimen can help you achieve various non-athlete benefits.
Core Strength and Stability
One of the primary benefits of cross body plank is the development of core strength and stability. This exercise targets the deep core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. By engaging and strengthening these muscles, cross body planks can help improve posture, reduce lower back pain, and enhance overall core stability.
Improved Balance and Coordination
Cross body plank challenges your balance and coordination by requiring you to stabilize your body while performing a rotational movement. This exercise activates the proprioceptive system, which is responsible for your body's awareness of its position in space. Regular practice of cross body planks can enhance your balance, coordination, and body awareness, making everyday activities easier and more efficient.
Enhanced Upper Body Strength
While the focus of cross body plank is on the core, it also engages the muscles in your shoulders, chest, and back. These muscles work together to stabilize your upper body during the rotational movement. Over time, performing cross body planks can lead to increased upper body strength and stability, allowing you to perform tasks that require pushing, pulling, or lifting with greater ease.
Increased Caloric Expenditure
Cross body plank is a dynamic exercise that requires significant effort from multiple muscle groups. This level of muscular engagement results in a higher caloric expenditure compared to static exercises. Incorporating cross body planks into your workout routine can help increase your overall energy expenditure, which can contribute to weight management and fat loss goals.
Enhanced Functional Fitness
Functional fitness refers to the ability to perform everyday activities with ease and efficiency. Cross body planks mimic the rotational movements that are often required in daily life, such as twisting to reach for an object or turning to look behind you. By training your body to perform these movements in a controlled manner, cross body planks can improve your functional fitness and make everyday tasks feel more effortless.
Variety and Adaptability
Cross body plank offers a variety of modifications and progressions to accommodate different fitness levels and goals. Whether you're a beginner or looking for an extra challenge, there are options to suit your needs. You can start with a modified plank on your knees or experiment with advanced variations, such as lifting the top leg or adding an unstable surface. This adaptability allows you to continuously challenge yourself and avoid workout plateaus.
More About Cross Body Plank
The cross body plank is considered a compound exercise. It is a challenging variation of the traditional plank that engages multiple muscle groups, particularly in the core and upper body. The cross body plank involves bringing one knee toward the opposite elbow while maintaining a plank position.
During the cross body plank, the following muscle groups are primarily engaged:
- Core muscles: The rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques are engaged to stabilize the torso and maintain the plank position.
- Shoulders: The deltoid muscles and other muscles around the shoulders work to support the upper body and control the movement of the knee.
- Hip muscles: Various muscles around the hips, such as the hip flexors and abductors, are engaged to bring the knee toward the opposite elbow.
- Quadriceps: The muscles in the front of the thighs work to support the extended leg during the movement.
- Triceps: The muscles on the back of the upper arms are activated to stabilize the arms and shoulders during the cross body plank.
The cross body plank is an effective compound exercise for building core strength, stability, and coordination. It targets the muscles of the core, shoulders, and hips, making it a great functional exercise for overall strength and mobility.
Adding cross body planks to your workout routine can help improve core strength, enhance shoulder stability, and increase hip mobility. As with any exercise, it's essential to perform cross body planks with proper form and gradually increase the intensity to avoid injuries and achieve the best results.
