Plank Jacks are a core body exercise that strengthens all the muscles of the core and improve your stability. By “jacking” your feet out and in while trying to hold a steady plank, you are training all the muscles of the core to work better and stabilize you. In particular, you will learn how to draw in your transverses abdominus which is the key muscle for a flat belly. By using an unstable surface, more muscle fibers are recruited and used to keep your torso stable. If you learn how to do plank jacks you want to make sure to try and keep your torso as still as possible while your feet are doing the “jumping jack” action.
They may look easy, but don’t be fooled. Plank Jacks and Medicine Ball Plank Jacks are both challenging exercises that will make you feel your abs and lower back the next day!
How To Do A Plank Jack
Here are the steps to performing Plank Jacks:
A) Begin in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your feet together, and your body in a straight line.
B) Similar to the motion of a jumping jack, jump your feet wide keeping your buttocks down. Jump your feet back together.
What Muscles Do Plank Jacks Work?
Plank Jacks is an awesome upper body and core strength move that works your chest, back, shoulders, arms, abdominal muscles, lower back, and stabilizers. Plank Jacks is a great cardio exercise too!
Benefits of Plank Jacks
There are many reasons you should incorporate Plank Jacks into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Stronger Core
Plank Jacks are, first and foremost, a core body exercise. This move gets your body to tighten and contract all of your core muscles while your feet are jumping out and in creating movement and instability through your trunk. Through the contraction of the core muscles, you are able to keep your mid-section stable and strong during movement. It’s like a plank on steroids!