Your old workout routines may have featured endless crunches and oblique crunches in an effort to sculpt your core. But you've likely since discovered that planks are a smarter, more effective way to build core strength. Unlike crunches, which primarily engage the rectus abdominis (that "six-pack" muscle), planks activate a wider range of core muscles, improving overall stability and endurance.

Still, no matter how strong your core is, those muscles may stay hidden if they're covered by a layer of fat. You can strengthen specific muscle groups, but you can't spot-reduce fat in targeted areas. To reveal those muscles, you need to boost your heart rate and burn calories.

That's where dynamic variations like shoulder taps come in. A standard plank is an isometric hold and may not elevate

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