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The plank rainbow crunch with weight is our last plank exercise using weights in this series. It combines a low plank version of the rainbow with a crunch. The exercise demands a lot of effort from your core muscles!

HOW TO…

1. Position yourself into a Side Plank position. Hold the dumbbell in the hand that you would normally position on your side.
2. Instead of looking up, face forward.
3. Bring the upper arm all the way down over your head, curving it down.
4. Slowly move your arm from the curved, top position to a position next to your head. Bend the arm at the elbow during the movement and rotate your upper body until your shoulders are horizontal. Keep your hips elevated.
5. You are now doing a crunch, facing down instead of sideway.
6. Hold for a seconds, and then move back by rotating your upper body sideways again. Extend your arm in the movement and bring it back to the rainbow start position.
7. Repeat on the other side.

Progression: Like with the regular rainbow plank, you can raise your upper leg when doing the crunch to increase the difficulty and exerted effort. You can also increase the dumbbell weight to make the exercise more difficult.

Variation: Too hard? Keep your feet next to each other on the floor instead of stacked. This gives you more balance when rotating. Even easier, lower the bottom knee when you rotate, so it supports you from the ground up.

Goal: Do a Plank Rainbow Crunch with Weight on each side at least 10 times without resting.

Remember the Side Star Crunch from Day 36? The plank side star crunch with weight is a variation of this side plank using a dumbbell. We use a low plank position rather than the high side plank.

HOW TO…

1. Position yourself into a Side Plank position. In this case, hold the dumbbell in the hand that you would normally position on your side.
2. Now raise your arm with your elbow bent, and raise your leg bent at the knee. Your elbow and knee should end up close together, and point up, not forward.
3. Hold for a second and then return to the side plank position. Perform the movement slowly to maximize the effort and result. Synchronize the movement with your breathing to be better able to sustain the repetitive movement.
4. Switch sides.

Note: Use a yoga mat (or folded towel) to prevent elbow injury. You can vary the placement of the hand on the floor for maximum balance (it does not need to stay flat on the floor).

Progression: Perform the exercise 10 times on one side. Then switch and do the same on the other side. Increase the repeats on each side if you can.

Variation: Too hard? Start with the arm only, then the leg only, and finally do both.

Goal: Do a plank side star crunch with weight up to 15 times on each side.

The plank archer row with weight is another high plank with body rotation. The pose and movement make it obvious why the name!

HOW TO…

1. Position yourself in a High Plank position. Place the dumbbell in between your hands.
2. Take the dumbbell in your right hand.
3. Lift the right arm off the floor. Rotate your upper body and pull the arm backward by bending your elbow.
4. Rotate all the way until you are facing sideways. Your shoulders are above each other, in a straight line with your left arm. The right hand with the dumbbell is at chest level. Your foot support has moved from the toes to the side of your feet.
5. Hold for a second.
6. Slowly move your arm back down and rotate your upper body back to a high plank position.
7. Move the dumbbell to the left hand, and repeat the plank archer row with weight on the left side.

Note: Like the previous exercise, this plank can also be done using two dumbbells to increase the difficulty level.

Variation: Too difficult? Try the exercise without weights first.

Goal: Aim to perform the archer row at least 10 times on each side.

Planking with weights is some of the more challenging plank exercising. This push up and rotate with weight plank is no different.

HOW TO…

1. Take the dumbbells in your hands, and position yourself into a push up position.
2. Slowly push yourself up into a high plank position.
3. Lift one arm off the floor. Rotate your upper body and stretch the arm upward. Keep looking at your lifted hand, facing upward as well.
4. Rotate all the way until you are in a T-Plank position.
5. Hold for 2 seconds.
6. Next, slowly move your arm back down and rotate your upper body back to a high plank position.
7. Switch sides and repeat.

Note: There are a few options regarding the use of the dumbbells in the push up and rotate with weight exercise. Doing a push up on the dumbbells is more difficult, but it allows you to move throughout the exercise in one go. The single arm plank then also has to be done on the dumbbell.

Alternatively, you can do the push up with your hands on the floor. Once in the high plank position, pick up the dumbbell and do the rotation.

Variation: Too difficult? Try the exercise without weights first. To learn how to do the push up check out the basic push-up video.

Goal: Aim to perform the push up and rotate at least 5 times on each side.

The plank front to side arm raise with weight is a planking exercise with weights to exercise the arm in addition to the core.

HOW TO…

1. Position yourself into a High Plank position. Position the dumbbell in between your hands on the floor.
2. Pick up the dumbbell with your left hand.
3. Stretch the arm with the dumbbell out in front of you, like a superman pose. Keep the dumbbell horizontal, so in a 90-degree rotation from when it was on the floor.
4. Now slowly move your lifted arm from the front to the side position until you make a 90-degree angle with your body. Keep the arm at the same height during the movement (shoulder height).
5. Next, move back to the superman pose by slowly moving the arm forward again.
6. Repeat the arm movement a few times before placing the weight back on the floor and returning to the high plank position on both arms.
7. Repeat for the right arm.

Note: You can use two dumbbells for the exercise to increase the difficulty. You start in the high plank position while leaning on both dumbbells. As before, you need dumbbells with a flat side for this.

Variation: Too difficult? Try the exercise without weights first.

Goal: Aim to perform the plank front to side arm raise with weight at least 5x without resting before switching to the other side.

The plank side arm raise with weight is very similar to the forward arm raise with weights. Both are side-plank exercises with a dumbbell to train your arms and core.

HOW TO…

1. Position yourself into a Side Plank position. Position the dumbbell in front of you on the floor.
2. Pick up the dumbbell with the hand that is not resting on the floor.
3. Stretch the arm with the dumbbell on top of your body. Do not let the arm (or hand) rest on your hips, keep it slightly elevated.
4. Now slowly raise the arm with the dumbbell while keeping it straight. Lift it until the arm is vertical.
5. Hold for a second and then slowly lower the arm again to the horizontal position.
6. Repeat the plank side arm raise with weight several times and then switch to the other side.

Note: For side planking exercises it is recommended to use a yoga mat to prevent elbow injuries. If you do not have a yoga mat, a folder towel can also be used. Just make sure it does not slide on the surface.

Variation: Too difficult? Try the exercise without weights first.

Goal: Aim to perform the side arm raise at least 10x without resting before switching to the other side.

By now you must be more familiar with arm exercises in planking positions. The plank cross dumbbell drag is another one, but rather than lifting the weight, this exercise is more about the direction of the movement.

The exercise is best done with a yoga mat for positioning the dumbbell.

HOW TO…

1. Get into a High Plank position, and make sure your hands are right under your shoulders.
2. Position the dumbbell next to the yoga mat, a little behind your hands.
3. Lift the hand farthest away from the dumbell and move it under your body to pick up the dumbell.
4. Slowly move the hand back to the other side and place it next to the yoga mat on that side. Only lift the dumbbell slightly off the floor, there is no need to lift it high.
5. Place the hand that you used to move the dumbbell next to the other hand again in the high plank position.
6. Now lift the other hand and move that under your body to pick up the weight again and ‘drag’ it back to the other side.
7. This completes the plank cross dumbbell drag exercise.

Note: Although it says ‘drag’, the exercise is about moving the dumbbell from left to right and back under your body. A slight lift of the dumbbell is required, especially with a yoga mat.

Variation: If the exercise is too difficult to start, you can position your feet further apart to make it easier to keep your balance during the movement.

It is also possible to place the dumbbell further inside to limit the required reach under the body.

Goal: Aim to perform the dumbbell drag at least 10x (both sides) without resting.

In the T-plank with weight, we add the use of a dumbbell to the regular T-Plank.

HOW TO…

1. Get into a High Plank position, and make sure your hands are right under your shoulders. Position the dumbbell in between your hands.
2. Rotate your torso, starting with your hips, moving off the toes onto the side of your feet.
3. Pick up the dumbbell in one hand and bring the arm up and open up your chest.
4. Stack your feet on top of each other.
5. Stabilize your position: (a) keep your hips high, (b) keep your arms straight, and (c) look up.
6. Hold for 3 seconds.
7. Move back into the High Plank position, and place the dumbbell back on the floor.
8. Next, repeat to the other side.

Variation: The picture shows the placement of the feet apart rather than stacked. This is a variation to make the exercise a little easier in case you are struggling with the balance.

Goal: Aim to perform the T-plank with weight at least 10x without resting before switching to the other side.

Challenge: Perform the T-Plank on each side for 10 repetitions, but increase the duration of holding the extended position for 5 seconds rather than 3 seconds.