How to do the Pallof Press
Step by step
- Anchor a band at chest height and stand side-on, holding the handle with both hands at your chest.
- Step away until you feel steady tension pulling you toward the anchor.
- Brace your core and press your hands straight out in front of your chest.
- Resist the band's pull to twist you - keep your shoulders and hips facing forward.
- Bring your hands back to your chest slowly and repeat before switching sides.
The thing people get wrong
The goal is to resist rotation, not to press hard - fight the twist and keep your torso square.
Coaching cue
Hold your arms straight out for two to three seconds before bringing them back in.
Stay safe
Check the band and its anchor before loading it; a band that slips whips back hard.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Stand closer to the anchor for less pull.
- Harder: Step further out or hold the pressed position longer.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Core
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.