A commando plank moves you between two plank positions. You start on your forearms, press up onto one hand and then the other until your arms are straight, then lower back down to your forearms one arm at a time. Your stomach and buttocks have to stop your hips rocking from side to side while your arms do the lifting. So your trunk works about as hard as your arms. It is also called a plank up-down.

How to do the commando plank

Start in a forearm plank: forearms on the mat with your elbows under your shoulders, legs straight and feet about hip width apart on your toes.
Brace your stomach and buttocks. Your body should look like one long line from your head to your heels.
Place one hand flat on the mat under its shoulder and press up to straighten that arm. Then do the same with the other arm, so you end up in a high plank.
Lower back down one arm at a time, setting each forearm back on the mat, to return to the forearm plank.
Lead with the same arm for all your repetitions and then switch sides, or swap the leading arm each time. Keep your hips level and keep breathing.

What you should feel

Hard work in your stomach and the sides of your waist as you resist twisting, plus the backs of your arms and your shoulders as you press up.

Common mistakes

Hips swaying from side to side each time a hand lifts.
Hips piking up high to make the move easier.
Lower back sagging as you tire.
Hands landing too far forward, so the shoulders end up behind the wrists.
Rushing, so the elbows thump down onto the mat.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 4 to 10 repetitions, or rounds of 20 to 30 seconds, with rest in between. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain in a wrist, elbow or shoulder that sharpens as you take weight on it.
An ache in the lower back that grows with each repetition, or pain spreading into a leg.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.

From the clinic

Set your feet a little wider to make it steadier, because a wider base means less sway at the hips. You can also do the whole move with your knees on the mat, holding a straight line from knees to head. If a still plank is hard to hold with good form, build that first, and knee push-ups practice the pressing part with less load.

Moving between forearms and hands puts heavy load through one arm at a time, from the wrist up to the shoulder. After shoulder or wrist surgery, a shoulder dislocation, or with ongoing shoulder pain, get your physio's go-ahead first. High blood pressure, a heart problem, a hernia, recent stomach surgery or pregnancy are all reasons to talk to your doctor or physio before you start. Breathe steadily through each repetition rather than holding your breath. If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Commando plank