How to do an Airplane
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About this exercise
- Sets Logged
- 126,186
- Popularity Rank
- 631st
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings Strength
- 92 mSCORE 16th
- Equipment Required
- Bodyweight-only
Workouts with Airplane
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Airplane is a bodyweight balance exercise that primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. By standing on one leg and extending your arms and opposite leg out, this exercise adds significant instability, helping to improve balance and muscle coordination. This is a great exercise for enhancing proprioception and functional strength, especially in stabilizing muscles.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides, and gaze ahead for balance.
- Extend arms outward for balance and lift one leg back, bending forward until your leg and chest are close to parallel to the ground.
- Rotate your torso in towards your stance leg followed by rotating it away.
- Make sure your heel is planted onto the ground throughout the entire exercise and you should feel muscle activation in your upper hamstrings and glutes of your stance leg.
Alternatives & Variations to Airplane
1. Hip Hinge
13.7 mSCORESWAPPED 560 TIMESHip Hinge is a fundamental movement pattern that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. This is a compound exercise that emphasizes proper form and mechanics which are critical for many other strength training exercises like Deadlifts and Good Mornings. This movement helps improve hip mobility and stability, and is a vital component for building a strong and resilient posterior chain.
2. Leg Swing
12.7 mSCORESWAPPED 276 TIMESLeg Swing is an effective dynamic stretch that primarily targets the hip flexors and hamstrings. This compound exercise involves swinging your leg forward and backward, or side to side, maintaining controlled movement as you progress through the range. It’s an excellent warm-up exercise to improve mobility, flexibility, and coordination, making it easier to prepare for more intense lower body workouts.
3. Walking Front Kicks
2.4 mSCORESWAPPED 166 TIMESWalking Front Kicks are a dynamic, compound exercise that primarily targets the hip flexors, quads, and hamstrings. By incorporating a walking motion, you also engage your core for stability and improve your balance and coordination. This exercise is excellent for enhancing flexibility and warming up the lower body muscles, making it a great addition to any warm-up routine or dynamic stretching session.
4. Bear Crawl
6.1 mSCORESWAPPED 119 TIMESBear Crawl is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the core, shoulders, and legs. By moving on all fours, you engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously while also enhancing coordination and stability. This exercise adds an element of cardio, making it a great way to build endurance and functional strength, with practical benefits for overall body control and movement.
5. Walkout
14.7 mSCORESWAPPED 117 TIMESWalkouts are a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your core, shoulders, and hamstrings. The exercise involves standing with your feet hip-width apart, bending over to touch the ground, walking your hands forward until you're in a push-up position, and then walking back to the standing position. This is a great exercise for improving strength, stability, and range of motion in your core and upper body.
6. Inchworm
11 mSCORESWAPPED 110 TIMESInchworm is a compound, bodyweight exercise that targets your shoulders, chest, arms, and core. The movement involves bending at the waist, walking your hands out into a plank position, performing a push-up, and then walking your feet back towards your hands. This exercise helps improve upper body strength, core stability, and flexibility, making it an effective dynamic warm-up or conditioning movement.
7. PVC Good Morning
2.2 mSCORESWAPPED 91 TIMESPVC Good Morning is a bodyweight variation on the more standard Good Morning. Like other Good Morning variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. The use of a PVC pipe helps to ensure proper form by giving you a lightweight guide. This variation is excellent for beginners learning the movement, and for warming up more advanced lifters without adding significant weight.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- PVC Pipe
8. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 79 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
9. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 71 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
10. Lunge to Hamstring Stretch
5.2 mSCORESWAPPED 55 TIMESLunge to Hamstring Stretch is a dynamic movement that combines a standard Lunge with a Hamstring Stretch. This compound exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. By transitioning from a forward lunge into a hamstring stretch, you enhance flexibility while also promoting strength and stability. It's an excellent addition to warm-up routines to improve mobility and prepare your lower body for more intense exercises.