Exercise · form guide
Plank Reach
- Primary muscle
- Core
- Also works
- Anti-Rotation, Shoulders
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Tempo
Slow · 1-1-1 each side
The hips should NOT rotate when you reach. That's the whole point — your core is fighting rotation.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Plank position, feet wider than shoulders for stability
- Reach opposite hand forward, slow and steady
- Hips stay square to the floor
Common mistakes
- Hips dropping or twisting on the reach
Injury notes
Wrist pain → forearm plank reach.
Progression
Add ankle taps or slow it down to 3s/reach.
Indian gym reality
Zero-equipment lift — works in a hostel room, PG, or a park. No excuse for skipping it on travel or gym-closed days.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Zero-equipment variant works — see the home version below.
Home & hostel version
Pike push-ups (feet elevated) and handstand holds against a wall scale to real overhead pressing strength.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Plank Reach work?
Primarily Core · Anti-Rotation · Shoulders. Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Plank Reach per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
What if I'm training at home in India?
See the home & hostel version above. Bodyweight variants of every major pattern exist and progress for months if you're intentional about it.
How often should I do Plank Reach?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
Get Plank Reach programmed for you
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