Single Leg Reverse Plank: How To Do It, And Why It Works
A deceptively hard drill that loads the back of the knee, the calf and the hamstring together in high tension.
Put in this position, those tissues have no choice but to work. That is the point. It is also why it is the starting isometric on the hamstring set.
The cue: Only an inch of clearance, hold pressure through the heel.
What It Is For
Loads the back of the knee, the calf and the hamstring together in high tension, where they have no choice but to work.
Why It Works
This loads the whole back of the body in a position where those muscles have no choice but to work. Longer levers and less support raise the demand step by step, so your nervous system has to coordinate them the way it should in real life.
The progressions build your ability to handle tension efficiently. The hip shift version trains side to side control while you hold stability front to back, which is the combination that makes an athlete durable.
How To Do It
- Lie on your back with your legs extended away from you, heels a good distance from your body.
- Pull your toes up toward your shins to increase heel pressure.
- Lift one leg off the ground.
- Push through the standing heel to raise your hips about an inch.
- Hold for 6 seconds, then lower.
- For more challenge, add hip shifts away from the supporting leg, returning to centre before you lower.
- Do 6 reps per side.
Get It Right
Common mistakes
- Bridging too high. About an inch of clearance is enough.
- Losing pressure through the heel.
- Letting the knee bend more through the movement.
- Using your arms to lift instead of pushing through the heel.
- Rushing it instead of controlling it.
- Forgetting to pull your toes up to increase heel pressure.
- Feeling like your forearms are too short, which means you are not pushing hard enough through the heel.
You have got it when
- You feel your hamstrings and calves working strongly.
- It challenges your stability while still allowing controlled movement.
- You can hold tension through the heel throughout.
- You may find it surprisingly hard to generate force.
- Your glutes take on more of the work in the hip thrust progression.
- As you adapt, the movement becomes more controlled.
- You feel the hamstrings and calf coordinating more as you go.
Make It Easier
This can feel genuinely hard at first, especially on one leg. That is normal and it means you are challenging the coordination. Start with fewer reps and shorter holds and build up. Find the level you can just about hold, then progress once you feel yourself go from rigid to relaxed.