All-Star Exercises: The Bodysaw Plank

Tired of hanging out in a plank for minutes on end?  Try this challenging exercise to spice up your training and build an indestructible core.

The bodysaw plank is one of my all-time favorite core strength/stability exercises.  The very first time I tried it was just over a year ago while I was recovering from my fourth and fifth knee surgeries.  I couldn’t lift or drive to a gym so the extent of my training was done in my house.  In order to maintain some sanity, I began researching and testing various core exercises that would give me a challenge.  I remember seeing a demonstration of a bodysaw plank and thinking, “How hard could that be?” 

Well…I planned on doing 12 reps; by rep four I was laying face down on my kitchen floor.  While I was rolling around trying to catch my breath, I realized that my core strength was severely lacking.  I had just finished a semester of training that included me cleaning 319 lbs, clean and jerking 300 lbs, and squatting 418 lbs, but I couldn’t even finish a set of bodysaw planks…

Determined to never repeat this embarrassing episode, I began adding bodysaw planks to my training at least twice a week.  Not only did my anterior core get stronger, but the pain associated with my bulging and herniated discs dissipated.  Since then, they have been a staple of my training program.  Even to this day, bodysaw planks torch my anterior core like nothing else and leave me quaking uncontrollably. 

To See A Video Demonstration, Click The Link Below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrfE2BKxClE

How Does It Work?

The front plank itself is a basic but extremely effective core stability exercise.  To maintain proper posture and alignment, you need to activate your glutes and anterior core.  At the same time, you should lock your ribcage down into a neutral position and create a slight degree of posterior pelvic tilt.  Think about bracing your abs as if you are about to be punched in the stomach.  Whatever you do, DO NOT allow your lower back to arch excessively.  This eliminates the entire point of the exercise. 

The ability to establish and hold this posture requires activation of the anterior core and the strength and stability to resist extension of the lower back and rotation of the pelvis.  To put it simply, gravity doesn’t want you to have good posture, so you have to be strong enough to hold your position.

To enhance the exercise, the bodysaw plank requires you to extend your body even further, making it far more difficult for your anterior core to resist extension.  As you slide backwards to a position where your elbows are above your head, your lats must also engage to help stabilize the torso and pull you back to your starting position.  The result is a highly advanced variation of the plank that will challenge your entire core as a unit. 

How To Perform It

To perform the bodysaw plank, begin by standing with a Valslide or furniture slider under each foot.  Place your forearms on the ground directly under your shoulders and establish a proper plank position, (see above).  Exhale and activate your anterior core.  Inhale deeply and expand your midsection 360 degrees.  Push through your forearms to slide yourself backwards.  Extend your body as far as you can while maintaining a neutral spine.  Exhale and activate your abs hard as you pull yourself forward and back to the original front plank position.  Repeat for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Bottom Line

Whether you are looking to build an injury-proof core for athletics or just want to impress people down the shore next summer, the bodysaw plank is a great bang-for-your-buck exercise.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!