Plank Pull-Through: Keep the Hips Still

In a high plank, students drag a medicine ball from one side to the other underneath the body with one hand, without the hips rotating or sagging. A small cone on the lower back acts as a tattletale: if it falls, the hips moved.

How to play

1. Demonstrate the high plank: hands under the shoulders, glutes squeezed and a straight line from head to heels (2 min).
2. In pairs, one holds the plank for 20 seconds with a cone on the tailbone while the other watches; switch roles (3 min).
3. Slow pull-through: with the opposite hand, drag the ball to the other side and alternate; sets of 6 drags with the cone on top (6 min).
4. Each pair finds its level: feet wide (easier) or together (harder), and records how many drags they do before the cone falls (5 min).
5. Final pair challenge: add up valid drags between the two of you in 2 minutes, taking turns (4 min).

Rules

• Drag the ball along the floor; never lift or throw it.
• If the lower back sags or feels uncomfortable, drop the knees and rest.
• Only drags where the cone stays on count.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wrist injury: forearm plank, pushing the ball while the support elbow stays fixed.
• Higher body weight: incline plank with hands on a gym bench.
• Visual impairment: the partner claps if the hips move.

Learning goals

• Understand the core as a stabilizer that resists rotation.
• Control hip position with external feedback.
• Choose the right difficulty level for your own ability.

Equipment for a class of 25

• medicine ball: 15
• mats: 30
• stopwatch: 1
• cones: 15

Teacher tip

The tattletale cone gives instant feedback without the teacher correcting everyone; it works for other planks too.

More main activities for High School