Hey there! It’s a new week which means it’s time for a new Home Exercise of the Week! This time I have another challenging upper body and core exercise for you to try called the Pushup Side Balance Plank.

The Pushup Side Balance Plank is a compound move meaning it works multiple muscle groups as opposed to an isolation move which focuses on one specific muscle. So with this exercise you will be working your chest, shoulders, triceps, upper and lower abs, obliques, and you will also be working on your balance with the side plank. This exercise is quite challenging so take it slow until you get the move down and if you have trouble doing the full pushup, you can start with the modified from-the-knees version which I’ve included in the video demonstration. 

Let’s take a look at the key performance points of the Pushup Side Balance Plank.

• start by getting in to a full pushup position with your hands wider than your shoulders and in line with your chest
• squeeze your abs and your glutes to keep your body nice and straight and to prevent your hips from dropping
• now lower your body down towards the floor keeping your arms at about a 45 degree angle from your body
• push back up and once you have returned to the starting position, lift your left arm up and reach towards the sky while rotating your body to the right and stacking your feet on top of each other
• keep your abs tight and engaged and keep your right and left arms fully extended as you balance your weight on your right arm in the side plank position
• rotate back down and return to the starting pushup position
• now perform the pushup again but this time lift your right arm up while rotating your body to the left and do the side balance plank on your left side
• return to the starting position and alternate back and forth for your desired amount of reps or time
• perform the pushup from your knees for a slightly easier version if you have trouble doing the full pushup

So there you have the Pushup Side Balance Plank. It’s challenging but very effective in targeting your chest and core and it will greatly improve your balance and coordination!

Give it a shot and let me know how you do in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!