Hey there, it’s time for another new Home Exercise of the Week!  This week I have a variation of a plank called the Iron Cross. 

The Iron Cross looks like it would be fairly easy but it is quite challenging.  With this isometric exercise you’re going to be mainly working your core, chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Here’s how to do the Iron Cross:

• starting from your knees, position your hands as far out to your sides as you can while keeping them in line with your chest
• rotate your hands so your fingers are pointing away from your body
• lift your knees off the floor so that you are now on your toes and in a full push-up starting position
• engage your abs and lower your body as if you were doing a push-up until you are as close to the floor as you can get
• from this low position hold the plank while keeping your abs tight and flexed (this will help keep your hips from dropping and your back from arching)
• if you notice your back arching up and your hips lowering then drop your knees to the floor and continue the hold until the desired time is up
• hold the Iron Cross as long as you can to complete the set

So there you have the Iron Cross!  It’s harder than it looks and it will get you sweating.  Add this in to your upper or full body routine as a finishing move or incorporate it in to an ab workout.

Let me know how you do with this one in the comments below or if you have any questions.

See you next week with another new exercise!