The plank is a classic ab exercise. Simple...uses just bodyweight...very effective. If you haven't seen it, basically lay flat on your stomach on the floor then hold yourself up on your forearms, keeping your body straight like a plank.

Now it's time to kick it up a notch, because you know me...I'm all about taking the easy way out and doing things like a "normal" person...

RIGHT!

Basically, you're going to do a plank but with a weight dip belt hanging off you for added resistance.

Naturally, you can't do this off the ground - you'll need to do it in a rack or between two benches - either way is fine.

Check out the following video demonstration and follow along with the exercise photos & step by step descriptions.

Set the rails of the rack a couple of feet off the ground. I like to put a towel over the rail that I'll be putting my forearms on. Load up a dip belt with a plate or two (I'm using a two 45-lb plates in the demo here) and get it around your waist.



Now here's the trick...hike the belt up so it's not on your waist but about mid-back. This is easier on the lower back for this exercise - it places the weight in a better position for the abs to work against.



Reach up and back with one leg and hook it over the rail.



Get the other leg up and on the rail. You'll notice I'm not completely board straight in this position. The demands of adding extra weight mean you should bend your knees a bit so that they're not locked out and taking all the stress into the knee joints.

Now just hold yourself in that position for as long as you can, keeping your abs and entire core area VERY tight.

When you can't hold yourself up anymore, just set one leg on the floor, then other and stand up. All done!

This one works great for building core strength. It's the abdominal plank times 10.