I was teaching clients in my studio a few days ago, and I said to them, “This is the best (but often hardest) exercise you can do daily”. Then I paused and said, “I think I’m going to write about it!”
So here I am, and here is the exercise:
These are the reasons why I love the reverse plank tabletop exercise so much:
1. It offers a killer chest and anterior shoulder stretch.
2. It forces your back muscles to work and support you in the lifted position.
3. The hamstrings fire to lift the hips, and the core has to engage to keep the pelvis still.
4. The whole backside of the body is working while the front side is stretching.
Now, let’s get real. Many people find this super difficult, because it’s a pretty intense chest opener. If you hunch forward at all, this exercise may be very uncomfortable! Beware, your hamstrings could begin to cramp if they are not used to working this way.
Now that I might have scared you away from trying it, let me add 3 warm up exercises you can do BEFORE attempting to do a reverse tabletop plank.
First, let’s do a quick chest stretch to open up the chest and shoulders.
Second, let’s do a pelvic curl to wake up the hamstrings and glutes.
Third, let’s do an exercise I call “hand pumps supine” to warm up the lats and other muscles that pull the shoulders away from the ears.
Finally, let’s try the reverse plank again. Is it easier? Do you now feel able to complete the exercise? Finally, do you think you can hold his for at least 30 seconds? Comment below as I’m curious to hear your answers.
So there you have it. A 4 exercise routine that will almost guarantee success in performing my favorite exercise. Do this daily, and you’re sure to get stronger in your backside and more flexible in your front side.
