It's not planks or sit-ups — the starburst plank is torture on your abs, obliques and shoulders (so I tried it, and here's my verdict)

A photo of a woman doing a side plank .

I don’t mind planks, but one of my problems with a standard plank is that the obliques don’t get hit hard enough for my liking. This side plank alternative is torture on your obliques, shoulders, and abs, and comes with a side of balance work.

Forget sit-ups, Russian twists, or boring old crunches, because we’re about to heat things up with the starburst plank instead, and it’s a core-torcher worthy of melting even the strongest midsections.