Single-Arm Plank

Muscles worked by the Single-Arm Plank

Primary

ObliquesOblique AbdominalsAbsRectus AbdominisDeep CoreTransversus Abdominis

Secondary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidGlute MediusGluteus MediusSerratusSerratus Anterior

Also called: oblique, obliques, side abs, external oblique, internal oblique, abs.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Single-Arm Plank

1. Set up in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and your feet a little wider than hip-width.
2. Brace your trunk and squeeze your glutes to keep your body in one straight line.
3. Shift your weight onto one arm and lift the other hand off the floor, resting it on your hip or behind your back.
4. Keep your hips and shoulders level and square to the floor.
5. Hold for the planned time, then replace the hand and rest.
6. Repeat on the other arm.

Form tips

• Place your feet wider than usual to give yourself a more stable base.
• Stop the hips from twisting toward the lifted arm; the body should stay as flat as in a normal plank.
• Progress by shortening the lift time first, then lengthen it as the trunk gets stronger.

At a glance

Single-Arm Plank in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Balance Dome Plank
• Bear Plank Hold
• Bench Decline Plank Hold
• Bent-Knee Copenhagen Raises
• Copenhagen Plank
• Copenhagen Plank Raises
• Crab Dips
• High Plank

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "single-arm-plank",
  "name_en": "Single-Arm Plank",
  "name_de": "Einarmiger Plank",
  "name_es": "Plancha a Un Brazo",
  "description_en": "A harder plank in which one hand leaves the floor so you hold the position on a single arm. With one support gone, the trunk has to resist twisting, which works the obliques and deep abdominals far more than a standard plank.",
  "description_de": "Ein schwererer Plank, bei dem eine Hand den Boden verlässt, sodass du die Position auf einem Arm hältst. Fehlt eine Stütze, muss der Rumpf der Verdrehung widerstehen, was die schrägen und die tiefen Bauchmuskeln weit stärker beansprucht als ein normaler Plank.",
  "description_es": "Una plancha más difícil en la que una mano se despega del suelo y mantienes la posición con un solo brazo. Al faltar un apoyo, el tronco tiene que resistir el giro, lo que trabaja los oblicuos y los abdominales profundos mucho más que una plancha estándar.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "advanced",
  "body_part": "core",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "obliques",
    "rectus_abdominis",
    "transverse_abdominis"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "gluteus_medius",
    "serratus_anterior"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "endurance",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "core",
    "calisthenics",
    "lower_back_safe",
    "knee_safe",
    "no_axial_load"
  ],
  "variation_group": "plank",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Set up in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and your feet a little wider than hip-width.",
    "Brace your trunk and squeeze your glutes to keep your body in one straight line.",
    "Shift your weight onto one arm and lift the other hand off the floor, resting it on your hip or behind your back.",
    "Keep your hips and shoulders level and square to the floor.",
    "Hold for the planned time, then replace the hand and rest.",
    "Repeat on the other arm."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Gehe in die hohe Plank-Position, die Hände unter den Schultern und die Füße etwas breiter als hüftbreit.",
    "Spanne den Rumpf an und drücke das Gesäß zusammen, damit dein Körper in einer geraden Linie bleibt.",
    "Verlagere dein Gewicht auf einen Arm und hebe die andere Hand vom Boden; lege sie auf die Hüfte oder hinter den Rücken.",
    "Halte Hüfte und Schultern waagerecht und parallel zum Boden.",
    "Halte für die geplante Zeit, setze dann die Hand wieder ab und ruhe dich aus.",
    "Wiederhole mit dem anderen Arm."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Colócate en una plancha alta con las manos bajo los hombros y los pies algo más separados que el ancho de las caderas.",
    "Contrae el tronco y aprieta los glúteos para mantener el cuerpo en una sola línea recta.",
    "Pasa el peso a un brazo y levanta la otra mano del suelo, apoyándola en la cadera o detrás de la espalda.",
    "Mantén las caderas y los hombros nivelados y paralelos al suelo.",
    "Mantén durante el tiempo previsto, luego vuelve a apoyar la mano y descansa.",
    "Repite con el otro brazo."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Place your feet wider than usual to give yourself a more stable base.",
    "Stop the hips from twisting toward the lifted arm; the body should stay as flat as in a normal plank.",
    "Progress by shortening the lift time first, then lengthen it as the trunk gets stronger."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Stelle die Füße weiter auseinander als sonst, um eine stabilere Basis zu haben.",
    "Verhindere, dass sich die Hüfte zum angehobenen Arm verdreht; der Körper soll so flach bleiben wie im normalen Plank.",
    "Steigere dich, indem du zuerst die Zeit mit angehobenem Arm kurz hältst und sie verlängerst, wenn der Rumpf stärker wird."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Separa los pies más de lo habitual para tener una base más estable.",
    "Evita que las caderas giren hacia el brazo levantado; el cuerpo debe mantenerse tan plano como en una plancha normal.",
    "Progresa acortando primero el tiempo con el brazo levantado y alárgalo a medida que el tronco se haga más fuerte."
  ],
  "met": 5.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/single-arm-plank-main.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "single-arm-plank");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.