Reverse Plank With Leg Lift
Reverse Plank With Leg Lift Exercise Description
The reverse plank with leg lift is a bodyweight hip-dominant movement that trains the posterior chain and trunk to resist extension and rotation. You support your body between your heels and hands while maintaining a straight line from shoulders to ankles, emphasizing glute and hamstring-driven hip extension. The leg lift adds unilateral demand: the lifted side performs hip flexion while the stance side glute, hamstrings, and obliques stabilize the pelvis. Shoulders stay packed with scapular depression and slight retraction, and the core maintains a neutral spine by keeping the ribs down. Done well, it builds whole-body tension and control with particular emphasis on the hips, posterior shoulders, and deep trunk stabilizers.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Medius, Internal Obliques, Transversus Abdominis, Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Reverse Plank With Leg Lift Exercise
‘- Sit with legs extended, feet hip-width. Place hands on the floor slightly behind the hips, fingers pointing toward your feet or slightly outward.
– Stack wrists under shoulders. Press the floor away, depress and lightly retract your shoulder blades.
– Drive through heels, squeeze glutes, and lift hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Keep ribs down and spine neutral.
– Keep neck aligned with your torso; avoid shrugging.
– Without shifting or dropping the hips, raise one straight leg a small, controlled amount by flexing at the hip. Keep the knee extended and ankle neutral.
– Briefly stabilize, ensuring the pelvis stays level, then lower the leg with control.
– Repeat on the other side while maintaining hip height and shoulder position.
– Lower your hips to the floor with control to finish.
Reverse Plank With Leg Lift Tips
‘- Place your hands slightly behind your hips with fingers pointing toward your feet or slightly outward.
– Stack your wrists directly under your shoulders before lifting.
– Press the floor away and lightly depress and retract your shoulder blades to keep the shoulders packed.
– Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips into a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
– Keep your ribs down to help maintain a neutral spine.
– Keep your neck aligned with your torso and avoid shrugging.
– When lifting a leg, raise it only a small, controlled amount by flexing at the hip, keeping the knee straight and ankle neutral.
– Do not let your hips shift or drop during the leg lift; keep the pelvis level.
– Maintain hip height and shoulder position as you alternate legs, and lower your hips to the floor with control to finish.
Reverse Plank With Leg Lift Beginner Introduction
The reverse plank with leg lift is a bodyweight exercise that highlights hip power and full-body stability at the same time. In this position, the body is supported between the hands and heels, creating a long line from the shoulders down to the ankles. The backside of the body works hard, especially the glutes and hamstrings, as the hips stay raised against gravity. At the same time, the core and side abs brace to prevent the lower back from arching or the pelvis from twisting.
The leg lift adds a single-leg challenge that increases the stability demand. One side of the hips lifts the leg from the front, while the opposite glutes, hamstrings, and trunk muscles hold the pelvis steady. The shoulders and upper back stay engaged, helping to anchor the position and share the load with the hips and core. Overall, this movement emphasizes strong, even tension from head to toe and rewards smooth, controlled motion over momentum.