How to do Quadruped Plank With Leg Extensions
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Quadruped Plank With Leg Extensions
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Quadruped Plank With Leg Extensions is a compound exercise that primarily targets the core, along with the glutes and hamstrings. By extending one leg at a time while maintaining a plank position, you engage the core more intensely for stability, while also working on strength and balance. This variation adds complexity by combining a core stabilization move with a functional leg extension.
- Kneel on the ground with your knees about shoulder-width apart and your toes curled under your feet.
- Position your hands on the floor, right under your shoulders.
- Maintain proper posture by keeping your back straight, chest up, and eyes looking down.
- Raise your knees an inch or two off the ground by lifting your butt into the air.
- Extend one leg out behind you by engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
- Keep your core engaged to stop your hips from rotating.
- Hold this position for a moment.
- Reverse the movement.
- Keeping your knees off the ground, switch legs and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
- Complete the set.
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Alternatives & Variations to Quadruped Plank With Leg Extensions
1. Leg Extension
99.4 mSCORESWAPPED 103 TIMESLeg Extensions are an isolation exercise that target the quads. Due to a severe lack of isolation movements for the lower body, this is a great option for specifically targeting your quadriceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds some stability to the movement. This can help your focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. The downside to this exercise is that it places a lot of tension on your knee. Keep your weights light, and focus on pausing near the end of your range of motion.
2. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 72 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
3. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 39 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
4. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 39 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
5. Bicycle Crunch
91.8 mSCORESWAPPED 35 TIMESBicycle Crunch is a more difficult version of a standard crunch. Instead of raising your torso off the ground for each rep, you keep your torso off the ground, and your core engaged. By cycling your legs, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better core activation.
6. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 30 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.
7. Leg Pull-In
94.9 mSCORESWAPPED 29 TIMESLeg Pull in is a bodyweight exercise that targets your core. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already engaging your core. Additionally your core helps to pull your legs in towards your chest.
8. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 28 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
9. Dead Bug
92.4 mSCORESWAPPED 28 TIMESDead Bugs are a bodyweight core exercise that requires you to lay on your back, and alternate extending your arms and legs out away from your body. The position you’re in on the ground keeps your core engaged, while extending your arms and legs away from you forces you to further recruit your core to continue to stabilize yourself.
10. Flutter Kicks
88 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMESFlutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.