I tried reverse planks for 30 days and my glutes, core and posture feel so much healthier

I swapped my standard plank for a reverse plank for 30 days, and honestly, it was challenging, surprisingly effective, and, yes, pretty good fun.

Like most people, I’m no stranger to planks. I’ve done side planks, high planks, low planks, spider planks... the list goas. But the reverse plank was a whole new experience.

Flipping your plank works your body in a completely different way. Instead of focusing on the front of your core, it targets your posterior chain (the muscles running along the back of your body), opens tight hips, and strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, and deep stabilising core muscles. You’ll definitely feel it.

For me, the biggest burn was in my hamstrings, followed closely by my glutes and shoulders. Your upper body has to work hard to stabilise you, keep your chest open and stop your hips from sagging, while your core fights to hold everything in place.

The key is posture. Keep driving your hips up, squeeze your glutes, and aim to create one strong, straight line from your head to your heels. Lose that alignment, and the exercise quickly becomes a saggy mess.

Benefits of reverse planks

1. Strengthens your posterior chain

The posterior chain runs from your heels all the way up to your neck, and for many of us, it’s seriously undertrained. Hours spent sitting, scrolling and leaning forward leave these muscles weak and switched off. That’s where the reverse plank comes in.

“The reverse plank trains the glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors, as well as the core, triceps, rhomboids and the muscles around the shoulders,” says Callum Regan, AF Coach Level 3 personal trainer at Anytime Fitness Yeovil.

“Strong posterior-chain muscles are essential for sport, lifting and everyday movement. They also support good posture.”

2. Helps you stand taller

“The reverse plank strengthens all the muscles that support good posture,” says Regan. “It helps open up the front of the hips and shoulders, while improving muscle balance around the shoulders.”

Over time, this can reduce forward-rounded shoulders and help you stand taller with a more confident, aligned posture without constantly having to remind yourself to “sit up straight”.

3. Seriously works your glutes

Ever been told to squeeze your glutes in a front plank? It often feels like an afterthought. With the reverse plank, though, you don’t get a choice. To hold a strong, straight line, you have to drive your hips up, which automatically forces your glutes to switch on.

“This move therefore promotes better hip extension and glute activation compared to a traditional plank,” says Regan. The result? Stronger, more powerful hips that carry over into everyday movement and training.

4. Enhances your shoulders and chest

The reverse plank is an isometric hold that demands serious upper-body control. You’re forced to recruit the entire shoulder area, as well as the smaller stabiliser muscles around the elbows and wrists, while keeping your body aligned under tension.

“Your chest gets stronger too, making it a compound movement,” adds Regan. It’s one of the reasons this exercise feels so much tougher than it looks - you’re working far more than just your core.

5. Great for progression

One thing I quickly noticed is that flipping the plank still targeted the deep core stabilisers, as standard planks do.

It looks like a back exercise, yes, but “your deepest core muscles, especially the transverse abdominis, have to work hard, and the nice thing was that once I’d nailed the basic hold, I started experimenting with progressions.

My favourite was driving one knee towards my chest, which challenged my balance, core and hamstrings even more. Eight reps seemed to be the sweet spot.

You can also try lifting one straight leg off the floor and holding for a second, or two, or adding reverse plank dips by slowly lowering your hips without touching down, then lifting back up again.

That said, there’s no need to rush ahead. Simply holding a solid reverse plank is more than enough to reap the core and posture benefits. Start slow, focus on breathing, and build from there.

If you sit all day, this move is a brilliant way to reset your posture and quite literally flip your training upside down. And trust me, it’s much tougher than it looks.

After 30 days of flipping my plank, my hips, glutes, back, and deep core feel stronger than ever. This isn’t just an ab exercise – it’s a full-body stabiliser, posture improver, and functional strength builder. Honestly? I’m not sure I’ll go back to my old plank routine.