There are endless exercise possibilities based in a plank or side plank position. Simply holding the static pose is great for the core (especially obliques), but you can also switch it up by adding movement, dumbbells, ankle weights and sliders. Try incorporating some of these fun side plank variations into your next workout!

5 Side Plank Variations to Try

Scroll down below for full exercises descriptions. 

Toe Tap Side Planks

Start in a side plank position with top arm reaching straight up towards the ceiling and top leg lifted up at a high, straight 45-degree angle. This is your starting position. From here, bend the top knee, pointing your toes as you bring them down in front of your bottom base leg and lightly tap them to the floor. Don’t shift your bodyweight into the foot—it’s just a light tap. Straighten the knee, returning to your starting position. Bend the knee once more, pointing the toes and bringing them behind your body this time; again, lightly tapping them to the floor before extending the leg back up to your starting position.

Breaststroke Kick Side Planks

Think of your kick while swimming the breaststroke. I’m wearing ankle weights while doing these for an added challenge, but you can also perform them without the added resistance. Start in a side plank position with supporting hand stacked underneath your shoulder. Hover your top leg (the goal is to not rest it on the ground the entire duration of the exercise). This is your starting position. Crunch the top knee in towards your chest. Next, kick that top foot straight out in front of you (as if you were trying to kick yourself in the face). From here, sweep the leg straight back into the starting position. That’s one rep: bend, kick, sweep. Try not to let your hips sag while doing these; engage the bottom oblique to keep hips lifted.

Thread-the-Needle Pikes

This exercise is another megaformer favorite that I’ve adapted to be done off the machine. Start in a forearm plank position with your feet on a dishtowel (or sliders). You’ll want your top foot staggered in front of your bottom foot. Your shoulders should be stacked over the bottom elbow and your top arm is reaching up towards the ceiling. This is your starting position. From here, you’re going to “thread the needle” by wrapping your top arm around your torso, weaving in between your body and floor (like giving yourself a one-arm hug). As you do this, twist your chest towards the ground and pike your hips up towards the ceiling, keeping your legs straight and sliding the feet in. Slowly return to your starting position by sliding the feet back out and untwisting your torso, reaching your top hand back up towards the ceiling. 

Star Crunch Side Planks with (Optional) Hand Weight

Start in a side plank position, bottom hand stacked underneath your shoulder, top arm stretched up towards the ceiling holding a weight (optional). I also like to wear ankle weights during these for an added challenge, but these are optional as well. Hover your top leg a couple feet up from the bottom supporting foot. The goal is to never rest this top foot down on the floor during the exercise. From this starting position, you’re going to crunch your top limbs, bending the top knee and top elbow and pulling them towards each other while keeping your hips lifted in a strong side plank. Extend the top leg and arm back out to starting position.

Sliding Breakdance Side Planks

For this side plank variation, your top leg is the base leg. Start with your bottom hand stacked underneath your shoulder and the bottom foot on a dishtowel or slider. That bottom foot will just lightly slide across the floor; don’t shift your bodyweight into it (top foot and bottom hand support your bodyweight). Top hand is lighting behind your head, elbow bent. Start with the bottom foot slid forward in front of your body. From here, slide the bottom foot back behind your body and as you do, crunch your top elbow down towards the floor, twisting through the waist so that your chest faces the floor. As you open back up and untwist from the torso, slide the foot forward again.

WEARING | tank VS Sport (old but similar here) // sports bra c/o Puma (old but similar here) // leggings c/o Eddie Bauer

SHOP A SIMILAR LOOK:

What’s your favorite way to side plank? Have you tried any of these five variations?

P.S. Sorry it’s been so quiet on the blog this week! Sometimes life gets in the way of … everything. It’s been one of those weeks! 
Before I end this post, I just wanted to let you guys know that ClassPass is running another of their referral deals. If you sign up using THIS LINK before March 24th, you’ll get $25 off your first month. I love CP and it’s expanded to a ton of cities throughout the US (and Canada!). Last time they did one of these refer-a-friend deals, several of you were bummed to miss the sign-up deadline, so just thought I’d pass along the news again this time around!

Many moons ago, I did a similar roundup of workouts you could do on vacation, and figured it’d be an appropriate time to do another with some of my more recent routines seeing as I’m currently living that hotel/hostel/couch surfing life down under.

All these workouts:

• Require no equipment
• Require little space

If you want to get super sweaty (cardio!) …

Burpee Breakdown AMRAP Pyramid Workout

Cardio Tabata Superset Workout

If you’re short on time …

20-Minute Bodyweight AMRAP Workout

20-Minute Bodyweight Interval Workout

If you’re worried about bothering the room below you with jumping …

Isometric (No Noise!) Workout (just don’t use hand weights)

If you want to target specific muscle groups …

Bodyweight Butt Workout

Legs & Butt Bodyweight Workout

Quick Bodyweight Ab Workout

If you want a full-body burn …

30-Minute Bodyweight Movement Pyramid Workout 

No-Rest Tabata Workout with Isometric Holds 

Another great tip is to pack resistance bands with you when traveling–they hardly take up any space in a bag, are super light, and can help you spice it up if you’re sick of bodyweight workouts.

Ah, another year of shamelessly taking pictures of myself doing kettlebell swings in my living room is coming to a close. As I’ve done the past two years, I wanted to round up the most popular P&I workouts from the last 365 days. These were the posts most trafficked, shared, pinned, tweeted, etc. by all you beautiful people. I can’t thank you enough for your continued support, and am looking forward to many more years of sharing awkward workout selfies with you all! Now let’s get to the countdown…

5 | Tabata Interval Kettlebell Workout

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

Kettlebell workouts make these top 5 lists every year with good reason–they’re effective! This full-body workout takes just about half an hour to complete.

4 | Upper Body Kettlebell Workout

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

Upper body workouts were a big hit on the blog this year. Noted! In this one, you’ll complete three rounds of upper body exercises using various weights of kettlebells. Because of the dynamic nature of the moves, your core will be targeted as well.

3 | Upper Body Hand Weight Workout

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

I couldn’t believe how quickly this one spread around Pinterest! For this workout, think low weights, high reps. Your arms and shoulders are going to burn like crazy!

2 | 30-Minute Bodyweight Tabata Workout

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

This is this workout’s second consecutive year in the number-two slot. You go, Glenn Coco! It really is a killer, and the best part is that no equipment is required. This is a great one to do at home or while traveling.

1 | 5 to 50 Ab Workout

FULL TUTORIAL HERE

This ab workout Does. The. Trick. Even when I do it and am distracted watching TV just sort of half-assing my way through the routine (I shouldn’t be admitting I do stuff like that, huh?…), I feel it in my core the next day.

What was your favorite workout this year? Did it make the top five?

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that burpees are effective. The infamous exercise targets the major muscle groups while getting your heart rate up, and can be customized and tweaked a million different ways. To target different muscle groups, I like to add in side jumps, knee tucks, crunches, push ups—you name it, and I’ve probably tried to incorporate it into a burpee.

I rounded up 10 different burpee variations—eight that you’ve probably seen around P&I before and two new (to the blog) burpee exercises that I’m looking forward to throwing in the mix soon. Burpees are brutal enough without adding boredom to the mix, so try some of these fun (questionable adjective choice?? haha) variations during your next workout.

Side Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

This is a traditional burpee except you’re jumping your feet laterally out to the side instead of back into a plank position. Full sequence is: squat down with hands on ground, jump both feet out to the side in a lateral plank position, jump both feet back in, stand back up into squat position, jump up with hands overhead.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• Double Ladder Workout

Jump Tuck Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

Regular burpee, only instead of jumping straight up with arms overhead, jump up, tucking your knees up mid-air to touch your hands. Sequence looks like this: squat down, hands on mat, jump feet back into plank position, jump feet back up towards hands into a deep squat position, power up, tucking knees to slap hands mid-air, land back in that deep squat position.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• 20-Minute Burpee Workout

Starburst Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

Squat down, place hands wide apart on floor, jump back into a plank position with legs spread apart. Do a push up. Jump legs back up into squatting position. Jump up into the air with arms and legs outstretched.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• 30-Minute Workout of Exercises I Hate
• 15-Minute Bodyweight Challenge
• 236-Rep Workout

Competition Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

In this burpee variation, you lower yourself all the way down to the ground instead of a plank position, and then you push up, springing to your feet in one fluid motion. Imagine the way a surfer goes from laying on the board to on his feet—it’s that same kind of fluid jump movement. So the full burpee looks like this: squat down, hands on floor, jump back into plank position and immediately lower chest onto floor, spring back up into low squatting position, jump up with arms reaching overhead.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• Quick Power Wheel Workout
• Dexter Workout

Med Ball Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

This is a regular burpee, only holding on to a medicine ball the whole time. Squat down, placing medicine ball on the ground in front of you, carefully jump back into a plank position, jump back up to squatting, then stand up and jump with your arms (and medicine ball) in the air.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• Medicine Ball Tabata Workout
• 10s Med Ball Workout
• Full-Body Pyramid Workout
• Medicine Ball Interval Workout

Side Burpees with Knee Tuck

HOW TO DO IT

Squat down, hands on mat, jump both feet out laterally to the side, crunch top knee up towards elbow, jump both feet back in towards hands, stand up into squat position, jump up with arms overhead.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• 30-Minute Bodyweight Interval Workout
• 15-Minute Bodyweight AMRAP Workout
• 20-Minute Burpee Workout

One-Leg Burpees with Lateral Jumps

HOW TO DO IT

This is a regular burpee, except you do it on one foot and jump laterally instead of up. Sequence looks like this: stand on one foot, squat down, hands on ground, jump one foot back into plank position (keeping other foot raised), jump foot back up towards hands, stand up into squat position, put raised foot back on ground and jump (with both feet) to the side, as if you’re jumping laterally over an object. When you land, do the same thing, but alternate the leg which you do it on, and when it comes time to jump, jump laterally in the other direction.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• 20-Minute Burpee Workout
• Hotel Room Workout (no lateral jump)

Burpees with a Push Up

HOW TO DO IT

This is a traditional burpee except that you’ll complete a pushup when you’re down in the plank position.

P&I WORKOUTS USING IT

• Bodyweight Pyramid Workout
• 30-Minute Interval Workout
• 20-Minute Burpee Workout

Yoga Flow Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

A burpee-Vinyasa hybrid move. One yoga flow burpee rep looks like this: squat down, place hands on ground by feet, jump feet back out into high plank position. Lower slowly into low plank position, keeping elbows in tight to sides. Come to upward dog. Push back into downward dog. Return to high plank. Jump both feet up towards hands, stand up and jump up with arms overhead.

Can’t wait to add this bad boy in a workout soon!

P.S. Refrain from laughing at my form—I’m still a yoga newbie!

Walking Burpees

HOW TO DO IT

After you’ve jumped your feet back into a plank position, you’ll walk your hands and feet laterally to one side then back in the opposite direction. So the full burpee sequence looks like this: squat down, place hands on ground by feet, jump feet back out into plank position, lift right hand and foot off the ground, stepping them out to the side. Bring your left hand and foot in to meet them. Lift left foot and hand off the ground, stepping them out to the side. Bring your right hand and foot in to meet them, returning to your original plank position. Jump both feet in towards hand, come up onto feet in a squat position, and finish by jumping up with arms overhead.

Be on the lookout for this one in upcoming workouts!

• 300-Rep Time Challenge
• 30-Minute Cardio Interval Workout
• Quick HIIT Workout
• True Blood Workout

Ok now I want to hear from you—what other burpee variations have you done in workouts? What’s your favorite way to do a burpee? Which variation do you think is the hardest?

Ah, the end of the year. A time when it’s acceptable for lazy bloggers everywhere to recycle old posts in the form of “Best Of” lists. Don’t mind if I do…

These were the most popular P&I workouts of 2013 (most pageviews, social shares, etc.). I tried to compile a list of my personal favorites to see how they stacked up to each other, but honestly couldn’t pick just five. Depending on my mood, schedule and the day, I like all my little workout tutorial lovechildren. Here were the Internet’s favorites this year:

500-Rep Kettlebell Workout

Honestly, I think this workout tutorial gained its popularity because of the Mean Girls shirt I’m wearing—so many inquiries to this day about where I got it (Skreened.com). But it’s a kickass workout as well, and totally deserving of a spot on this list.

Full workout tutorial here.

Medicine Ball Interval Workout

I love that this made the cut for the second year in a row. It’s the first workout I ever shared, and the post of mine that got freshly pressed by WordPress back in the day, giving my blog its first exposure boost ever. I love that stupid little med ball post.

Full workout tutorial here.

8-Minute Abs 2.0

It’s been pinned almost 200k times on Pinterest, but based on the comments and emails I received, I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the leggings I’m wearing—not the actual workout—that made this tutorial so popular this year.

Full workout tutorial here.

30-Minute Bodyweight Tabata Workout

Everyone loves a good bodyweight workout! You can do them anywhere, don’t need any equipment, and this one is especially challenging.

Full workout tutorial here.

15-Minute Ab Workout

Due in part to being featured by BuzzFeed.com, this workout tutorial snags the number one spot of the year. It’s a core crusher and one I still love to revisit.

Full workout tutorial here.

What was your favorite P&I workout this year?

Since most Americans are about to take off for the week to celebrate the 4^th of July by not sitting in an office (as you should), I thought I’d round up some of the workouts I’ve previously posted that travel well.  I know “workout on vacation” may sound blasphemous to some of you, but taking a quick 20-30 minutes out of your morning to break a sweat will leave you feeling energized the rest of the day (and less guilty when you knock back countless beers and a loaded hamburger fresh off the grill).

No one expects you to maintain your normal workout regime on vacation (especially not on July 5^th, a day I traditionally spend in the fetal position), but try to fit in a little somethin’ somethin’ every other day, even if it’s just playing beach volleyball with your friends or chasing your kids around the backyard.

The following workouts require no equipment and can be done in pretty much any hotel room, beach house rental, backyard, etc. You’ll need an interval timer for some of them, but as long as your iPhone/Android/etc. made the trip with you, you’ll be all set. Click on the workouts for full descriptions and picture tutorials; I’ve included brief snapshots below.

30-Minute Body-Weight Tabata Workout

• Structure: For each exercise, set a timer for 10 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Complete one exercise before doing the same with the next.
• Exercises: Pike Jump into Squat Jump, Side Plank Lift with Knee Tuck, Knee Tuck – Roll – Back Row, Side Lunge Knee-Up Jumps, Up-Down Planks, Skiers – High Knees

30-Minute Cardio Interval Workout

• Structure: You’ll set an interval timer for 30 rounds of 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest and go through the exercises 6 times.
• Exercises: High Knees, Plank Jacks, Burpees, Side Lunge Hop Shuffles, Bicycle Crunches

Beach Bum Workout

• Structure: Set a timer for 36 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest and go through the exercises 3 times. It’ll take 24 minutes.
• Exercises: Frog Hops, Donkey Kicks, Fire Hydrants, All-Fours Leg Lifts, Split Squat Jumps, Side Plank Scissors, Side Lunge Jumps

Hotel Room Workout

• Structure: Set an interval timer for 30 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest and go through the exercises 5 times. It’ll take 20 minutes.
• Exercises: One-Leg Burpees, Cross-Body Toe Touch, Elbow Plank Hops, Squat Jumps with Alternating Side Leg Lifts, Seated Ab Scissors

Body Weight Pyramid Workout

• Structure: The first time you go through the exercises, you’ll do 10 reps of each. Next round, 9 reps of each; and so on, counting down to a 1-rep round. It’ll take you roughly 20 minutes, dependant on your fitness level.
• Exercises: Burpees with Push Ups, Side V Crunches, Backwards Lunge into Front Kicks

20-Minute Burpee Workout

• Structure: Set a timer for 20 rounds of 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest and go through the exercises 4 times.
• Exercises: Burpees with Push Ups, Side Burpees with Knee Crunch, Burpees with Knee Tuck Jumps, Alternating One-Leg Burpees with Two-Foot Side Jumps

15-Minute Ab Workout

• Structure: This is divided into three section. Each section is made up of 3 exercises, which you’ll do for 30 seconds each for 3 rounds.
• Exercises: Windshield Wiper, Bicycle Crunch, Boat Pose, Side Plank Lifts, Elbow Plank, Reptile Planks, Crunch Pulses, Leg Hover Hold

15-Minute Body Weight Challenge

• Structure: Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many rounds of exercises as possible.
• Exercises: Starburst Burpees (5), Backward Lunges into Front Kick (5 each side), Half Windshield with Butt Lift (5 each side)

Plank Workout

• Structure: Do each exercise for 20 seconds. Complete 3 rounds of this, taking a 30-second break in between rounds.
• Exercises: Plank Jacks, Reptile Planks, Plank, Elbow Plank, Up-Down Plank, Cross-Body Knee Tuck Planks

8-Minute Abs (2.0)

• Structure: Do each exercise for 45 seconds and then hold the final plank for 30 seconds.
• Exercises: Leg Lifts, Side V Crunches, Toe Touch Crunches, Cheek-to-Cheek Plank, Side Plank Lifts, Seated Leg Scissors, Butt Lifts, Windshield Wipers, Elbow Plank

Enjoy your vacation!

As much as I love my at-home workouts, I’m equally obsessed with trying out new group fitness classes and boutique workout studios around Boston. It’s important to try new ways to workout so that you’re constantly surprising and challenging your muscles. I wanted to share some of my favorite classes I’ve done around Bean Town recently, and I’m sure each style of workout can be found in a studio or gym near you, as well!

Lagree Fitness at The Studio Empower

Newton (TheStudioEmpower.com)

Oh man. I consider myself to be in good shape, but this workout Kicked. My. Ass. My legs were shaking like a leaf—it was awesome. The Studio Empower practices Lagree Fitness, which is often compared to Pilates, but is more cardio-intensive. The workout uses Megaformer, M3 machines, which are like jacked-up Pilates reformers; and while they may look intimidating at first, they’re incredibly versatile, providing a really fun, unique workout.

My favorite part of this total-body burn is that it fatigues each muscle group before moving on to the next, which is a departure from the workouts I usually do. You probably notice in my blog posts that while my workouts hit all the major muscle groups, they do so in a circuit—work your legs for an interval and then move on to other muscles before returning to legs. With the Lagree method, you work your legs until they are shaking, burning, on the verge of buckling…and only then do you move onto abs or arms.

The studio space at The Studio Empower is also really nice—bright, open, lots of windows and mirrors. I did the 7AM Tuesday class with Robin, and not only is she a total sweetheart, but getting this workout in early made the rest of my day so much more energized. I highly recommend the class.

You can get more information by visiting their website. They have great into deals for new clients: only $10 for your first class, a 3 for $45 deal so you can try different instructors, or an unlimited first month for $179. 

BARREcode at C2 Fitness

Southie (C2Pilates.com/barre)

image source

I had been wanting to try a barre class for months because everyone I talked to seemed to have the same sentiment about it: brutal, awful, torture…but in a good, slightly addictive way. Any type of workout you have a love/hate relationship with is usually good in my book. BARREcode uses a mix of dance fundamentals, resistance bands, balls and weights for an hour-long full-body workout.

I think because it’d been so hyped up to me, I didn’t find this BARREcode class to be too difficult—don’t get me wrong, it was challenging, but I went in with the expectation that I would literally die. It was a really fun class and I’d especially recommend it for any former dancers. I tap danced all my life through sophomore year of college, and even though tap is nothing like ballet, it was awesome being back at a bar in a space that felt like a dance studio.

You can get more info by visiting their website, and definitely take advantage of their special pricing for newbies (only $11 for your first class).

Tone & Ryde at btone fitness

Back Bay (btonefitness.com)

This class mixes the Lagree method Megaformer with RealRyder spin bikes. For the first half of the class, you’re on the Megaformer machines (class style is similar to what I described above), and for the second half, you’re doing a spin class.

The RealRyder bikes, unlike a traditional stationary spin bike, can sway with the motion of your body and have handlebars that can be turned—not easily, though. These bikes are no joke and are great for core and upper body.

When you leave a Lagree fitness class, your muscles typically feel like jell-o. When you leave a high-cardio spin class, you are typically drenched in sweat. This Tone & Ryde is a nice middle ground between the two. Neither half is too overwhelming because of the shortened time, but the result is an awesome, well-rounded workout. 

And the best part is that your first class is only $5! Visit their website for more details.

There’s a long list of other classes and studios around Boston I’ve been dying to try. What are some of your favorites?

The last week of December is the easiest time of year to be a blogger. All I have to do is post “best of” lists of things I’ve already blogged about—it’s a lazy writer’s dream come true!

We’ll kick the series off with the most popular workouts of 2012. These brought in the most site traffic, and the med ball workout has even been pinned over 100,000 times—what the what?! I still can’t get over how weird it is when I show up in my own Pinterest feed. But it’s awesome and it’s all thanks to you wonderful readers!

Click on the images or links to go to the original post. And start your new year off right by actually doing these workouts.

ORIGINAL POST

ORIGINAL POST

ORIGINAL POST

ORIGINAL POST

ORIGINAL POST

Do you agree with the top five? What’s your favorite pumps & iron workout?