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There’s a scene in the Steve Martin film The Man With Two Brains in which his character, the unforgettably named Dr Hfuhruhurr, has to pass an increasingly absurd series of sobriety tests after being pulled over by the police. The final one is tap dancing and juggling oranges while singing the Katalina Matalina song. That’s sort of how I felt doing the bear plank with shoulder tap, except for the singing. And I wasn’t even being watched by a suspicious police officer.What is it?It’s an adaptation of the basic bear plank, a move that involves getting on all fours, then lifting your knees a few inches off the ground and holding yourself in place. This works your core, quads and shoulders. It’s a tough move in itself (you’ll need a strong core) and the shoulder tap aspect makes it considerably harder. To do it, you tap your right shoulder with your left hand, return that hand to the ground, then tap your left shoulder with your right hand, all while maintaining the bear plank. It’s an intense workout for your transverse abdominis muscles (the deepest layer of the abdominals), which are critical in the prevention and even treatment of low back pain, as well as for spine support and good posture. The bear plank with shoulder tap also works your upper arms.Incidentally, the name of the basic move comes from the fact that you begin on all fours, like a bear (tons of animals go on all fours, but quadruped plank just isn’t catchy, and bear plank makes it sound tough — a move you really want to try, and one you are happy to tell your friends about) Bears, of course, don’t go about tapping their shoulders; apex predators don’t want to look like idiots. I have no such qualms.How do I do it?
