Plank Shoulder Taps

Plank shoulder taps are an anti-rotation core exercise performed from a high plank, lifting one hand to touch the opposite shoulder and alternating. Removing a hand leaves the body supported on three points, so the hips immediately want to twist toward the working side — and resisting that twist is the entire exercise. It trains the obliques and the deep core in the way they actually work in life and sport, which a static plank never quite does. Widen your feet if the hips rock: a broader base makes the position stable enough to control, and you can narrow it again as you get stronger. Keep the hands directly under the shoulders and the body in one line from head to heels. If the hips are swinging, slow the tempo down rather than adding reps.