The Booty-Reach Plank Pike

Reaction Sequence · Mechanism

Okay, so you know planks? That exercise where you just lie there shaking like a leaf and trying not to cry? Well, someone decided that was too EASY and too BORING, so they invented this magnificent ab-torcher called the Butt-Up. And no, that's not a dating app — it's what happens when a plank and a downward dog had a fitness baby.

Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows at ninety degrees. Now here's the twist: instead of keeping your back flat and suffering in silence like a normal plank, you let your lower back sag outward a little bit. Feels weird, right? Just wait. Then you HIKE your glutes toward the ceiling, squeezing your abs so hard that your ribcage and hips try to high-five each other through your torso. You end up in this dramatic bridge position looking like an upside-down V. Exhale at the top like you just ran a marathon.

Slowly lower back down to the start while inhaling. The key word there is SLOWLY — don't just flop down like a deflating bouncy castle. Keep your core engaged on the way back or your lower back will stage a protest.

This thing is sneaky brutal. It looks simple on paper, but after about eight reps your midsection will be screaming and you'll be questioning every decision that led you to this moment. The good news? Your abs will be absolutely shredded if you stick with it. The bad news? You'll never look at a plank the same way again.