Trunk and anti-rotation exercise
Weighted Plank
Progress trunk bracing by adding load rather than adding time.
- Equipment
- Plates
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
Front plank position on your forearms, with a plate placed on your upper back by a partner.
How to do it
- Set a hard plank with your glutes and quads switched on, ribs down and a neutral neck, then have a partner place a plate on your upper back.
- Hold 20 to 30 seconds of genuinely maximal tension rather than drifting through a long slack hold.
- Do 3 to 4 sets.
- If your hips sag under the load, the plate is too heavy.
Coaching cues
- Glutes and quads on, ribs down
- Maximal tension, not a long slack hold
- Neutral neck
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging once the plate goes on
- Adding time instead of load, which trains endurance rather than stiffness
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Plate loaded | 3 to 4 | 20 to 30 sec | 60 sec |
Related exercises
- Dead BugLearn to brace against extension before you load a hinge.
- Landmine RotationTrain hip-to-torso separation for passing and fending.
- Pallof PressBuild trunk stiffness against rotation, which is how force actually transfers in contact.
- Farmer's CarryBuild grip, trunk and trap strength with almost no specialist equipment.
- Suitcase CarryBuild lateral trunk stiffness for one-shouldered contact.
- Back SquatBuild maximal bilateral lower-body strength, the foundation of scrum drive and contact.