30 Days of Planksgiving: Plank Workout Challenge

Who’s ready for a Planksgiving challenge?

If your goal is to work on your abs, quads, and arms-this challenge is for you! Planks are an amazing exercise because they target multiple muscle groups in just one simple hard move.

Starting on November 1st, we will be completing the following planks. Each day you will have a new plank to try and conquer!

H0w to do it:

Complete each plank on each designated day. (see chart)

For the moves that require one side, one arm, or one leg-be sure to do both sides to complete 1 full rep.

Some plank moves will alternate or require continuous movement. Do the movement while holding the plank for 60 seconds. Then switch sides or continue on to the next rep.

How long:

Your goal is to hold or complete that plank for at least 60 seconds. If you can go longer, cool. If not, do what you can!

How many times:

Do 3 sets of the move and you are done for the day!

Be sure to tag me in your videos and photos on Instagram and use hashtag #Planksgiving so I can see all of your check ins and progress!!

Happy Planksgiving!

Day One: Basic Forearm Plank

1. Start by getting into a press up position.
2. Bend your elbows and rest your weight ono your forearms and not on your hands.
3. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
4. Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine.
5. Hold this position for the prescribed time

Day Two: Plank Dips

1. Start in an elbow plank position.
2. Rotate your hips to the right and dip your body almost to the floor.
3. Return to starting position and rotate your hips to the left and dip you body almost to the floor.
4. Keep alternating for desired seconds.

Day Three: Side Plank

1. Lie on side on mat. Place forearm on mat under shoulder perpendicular to body.
2. Place upper leg directly on top of lower leg and straighten knees and hips.
3. Raise body upward by straightening waist so body is ridged.
4. Hold position for designated amount of seconds.
5. Repeat with opposite side.

Day Four: Reverse Plank

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips.
3. Press into your palms, and lift your hips and torso toward the ceiling.
4. Look up to the ceiling, point your toes, and keep your arms and legs straight.
5. Keep your entire body strong, and form a straight line from your head to your heels.
6. Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine.

Day Five: Reverse Plank w/Leg Lift

1. Begin sitting on your butt with your legs straight.
2. Press into your feet and lift your bum off the ground. Try to keep your body in one diagonal line. You can also do this exercise on your elbows if it bothers your wrists.
3. Alternate between lifting your right leg up and then your left. Move with control, making the movements slow and steady, and keeping the hips lifted.

Day Six: Plank Jacks

1. Start in the plank position.
2. Jump the feet out to the sides as if you were performing a jumping jack but keep the upper body still
3. Return the feet to the starting position.

Day Seven: Diagonal Plank

1. Begin in a plank position.
2. Slowly lift your left arm out straight in front of your body. At the same time, you will lift your right leg up and outward from your body.
3. Hold for designated amount of seconds and switch sides.

Day Eight: Plank Jumps

1. From a full plank position, bend your knees and jump your feet into your hands, landing in a crouch on the balls of your feet.
2. Jump up and extend your legs back out to your plank position. That’s one rep. Repeat as quickly as you can.

Day Nine: Plank w/Leg Lifts

1. Get into a plank position, with your hands on the ground, elbows directly under your shoulders, and legs extended straight behind you, feet hip-width apart.
2. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles, and your core should be braced.
3. Squeeze your glutes to raise your right foot into the air. Hold for two seconds, then lower your foot.
4. That’s one rep. Repeat with your left foot.

Day Ten: Up Down Plank

1. Begin by kneeling on the ground and getting into plank position.
2. Push up with one hand while making sure to keep your hips as still as possible.
3. Now push up with your other hand and get into push up position.
4. Lower yourself down one hand at a  time back to starting position. That is it, that’s one rep!

Day Eleven: Plank Bunny Hops

1. Begin in a plank position with feet touching.
2. Pull your abs in, and jump your feet to the right, bringing your knees toward your right elbow. Your torso will twist to the right.
3. To complete one rep, jump your feet back to plank.
4. Repeat on the other side and continue alternating sides for desired amount of seconds.

Day Twelve: Plank Arm Reach Through

1. Get in side plank position, resting on your hand and the outside of your right foot (stack your feet or scissor them on the floor).
2. Lift your hips and press your arm into the floor so your body is straight and not sinking down. Extend your opposite arm up.
3. Keeping your body raised, reach your arm under you. Hold for one count; return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for desired amount of seconds and then switch sides to repeat.

Day Thirteen: One Arm Plank Reach

1. Begin in an elbow plank.
2. Reach your right arm straight out. Pause for 5 seconds.
3. Return back to elbow plank, and reach your left arm out.
4. Alternate for desired amount of seconds.

Day Fourteen: Inverted V Plank

1. Start in an plank position.
2. Keep abs tight and press down through your shoulders and arms as you lift your hips and buttocks towards the ceiling.
3. Return to elbow plank position and repeat for desired seconds.

Day Fifteen: Donkey Kick Plank

1. Begin in an elbow plank with elbows directly under shoulders, abs engaged toward the spine. Don’t let the pelvis sag down or pop up.
2. Lift leg off the ground, bending your knee so the sole of your foot is toward the ceiling.
3. Press your heel toward the ceiling as high as you can without moving your pelvis or lower back. The motion will not be huge but rather concentrated on the booty and hamstring.
4. Lower the bent leg slightly, and repeat for desired seconds.
5. Switch legs and repeat.

Day Sixteen: Shoulder Tap Planks

1. From a standard plank position, reach your right hand to touch your left shoulder.
2. Put it back down and repeat with your left hand tapping your right shoulder. Try not let your hips sway side to side as you move. If it helps, imagine a glass of water resting on your back. This will keep the focus on a tight and stable core.

Day Seventeen: Standard High Plank

1. Start by kneeling on the floor with hands directly below your shoulders.
2. Lift your knees until you are supporting your weight on just your toes and hands.
3. Spread your fingers to make a wide, stable base. Line up your shoulders over your hands and heels over toes. Hold your body in a straight line from the top of your head down to your heels.
4. Hold your core in tight, being careful not to let your stomach sag or your back round out.

Day Eighteen: Chaturanga Plank

1. From standard plank position, making sure your shoulders are directly above your hands, slowly lower yourself until your body is in line with your arms.
2. Keep your elbows touching your ribs and your core tight so nothing touches the floor except your hands and toes.

Day Nineteen: X Plank

1. Start in standard plank.
2. Move your legs out laterally until your feet are planted wider than hip-width apart. If this feels tough enough, you can stay in this position (a Y plank, perhaps?).
3. You can add some extra upper-body work by walking your hands out wider than shoulder-width apart, until you’re in a full X.

Day Twenty: Single Leg Plank

1. Start in standard plank position.
2. Lift one leg up behind you and hold, keeping your body flat and both the extended and supporting legs straight.
3. Repeat on the other side.

Day Twenty One: Side Plank w/Leg Lift

1. From a side plank, press down into the floor with your bottom foot while lifting your top leg as high as you can go without bending at the waist (i.e. without dropping your hips).
2. Try it on your forearm first for more stability, then work up to doing it on your hand.

Day Twenty Two: Plank w/Toe Touch

1. Start in a standard plank with your legs slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2. Keeping your right leg as straight as possible, bring it under your body until you can tap your foot with your left hand.
3. Repeat on the other side. You should also feel a nice stretch in your hamstrings!

Day Twenty Three: Side Plank Knee to Elbows

1. Start in a side plank position.
2. The top arm is place with hand on your head and elbow going towards the sky.
3. The top leg bends up towards the elbow. Lower and repeat.

Day Twenty Four: Scorpion Plank

1. Start in a standard plank.
2. Raise your left leg, bent at the knee. (That’s your stinger!) Lower yourself halfway to the ground by bending your arms and reach your left leg over your back, touching your left toe to the ground on your right side.
3. Push back up and repeat on the other side.

Day Twenty Five: Side Plank w/Bottom Leg Lift

1. Start in a side plank and place your top foot on the ground just behind your bottom foot.
2. Lift your bottom leg, using your top foot to stabilize you. You can stick with the leg lift or bring your knee up to your elbow for a crunch.

Day Twenty Six: Reverse Plank Hip Lift

1. Start by sitting on the ground with your legs extended in front of you and your arms at your sides.
2. Plant your hands firmly on each side and lift your hips up as high as they’ll go.
3. Lower them slowly toward the ground (without touching it) and then lift them again. To make it a bit easier, start with bent knees and work up to keeping your legs straight.

Day Twenty Seven: Knee to Inside Elbow Plank

1. Start with a standard plank.
2. Slowly bring your right knee toward the outside of your right elbow. You’ll be tempted to look back to see how close your knee is—don’t do it! It will make you round your shoulders and drop your hips. Just get it as close as you can without losing your form.
3. Repeat on the other side.

Day Twenty Eight: Knee to Outside Plank

1. Start in standard plank position.
2. Slowly bring your right knee underneath and across your body, toward the inside of your left elbow.
3. Again, just get it as close as you can without dropping your right shoulder and hip. Repeat on the other side.

Day Twenty Nine: Sphinx Plank Push Up

1. Starting in a forearm plank, push up to your hands.
2. Lower back down to your forearms, both arms at the same time. Repeat

Day Thirty: Plank Rocks

1. Push through your toes to drive your shoulders forward and back.
2. Make sure to keep a tight core to avoid arching the back.

And we are done!!

Did you like the planks you did above? If you loved them, you should really check out my Strong Body Guide: 12 Week Home Workout Program. You are guaranteed to see these different planks and more (along with COUNTLESS other moves).

Since I am SUPER thankful for all of you ladies, please feel free to take 20% off ALL of my workout guides including the Strong Body Guide by using code FIT with this link: https://diaryofafitmommy.com/guides/

Note: the code works on all guides and packages! 🙂

Have a great day!

Your trainer and friend,