Plank
Also known as: forearm plank, elbow plank, front plank, ab plank
Plank is a isolation exercise for the abdominals. Main target: abdominals. Also works: obliques, lower back, anterior deltoid and gluteus maximus. No equipment needed — just your bodyweight.
Muscles worked
How to do it
- Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder.
- Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging — the lower back arches.
- Hips piked up — the abs get a break.
Tips
- Tuck your pelvis and squeeze your glutes — your body is one straight line.
- Better 3 × 30 seconds perfect than a minute with a sagging back.
Used in these programs
The whole body in every session, three times a week, three different days. Simple free-weight and machine exercises.
Beginner · 3 times a week · Gym2-Day Full Body WorkoutTwo full-body sessions a week for when time is short. Compound lifts and a few more sets each.
Beginner · 2 times a week · Gym3-Day Gym Workout Plan for WomenThree sessions a week with a glute and leg focus plus an upper-body day — for strength and a toned look.
Beginner · 3 times a week · GymGym Fat Loss Plan: Strength Circuits + CardioThree sessions a week: a full-body strength circuit and 15–20 minutes of cardio at the end. Keeps muscle while fat comes off.
Beginner · 3 times a week · GymBeginner Home Ab Workout15 minutes on a mat: crunches, reverse crunches, planks and dead bugs — the whole core and obliques with no equipment.
Beginner · 3 times a week · HomeNo-Equipment Full Body Home WorkoutThree bodyweight sessions a week: squats, push-ups, lunges, bridges, supermans and planks.
Beginner · 3 times a week · Home20-Minute Beginner Home WorkoutA gentle start: six simple bodyweight moves, 20 minutes, three times a week. Incline push-ups, squats, bridges and planks.
Beginner · 3 times a week · HomeFat-Burning HIIT Workout at HomeA 25-minute no-equipment interval circuit: burpees, jumps, mountain climbers and planks — high heart rate, every muscle working.
Intermediate · 3 times a week · HomeDumbbell-Only Full Body WorkoutA pair of dumbbells and a mat: three full-body sessions a week — squats, presses, rows and Romanian deadlifts.
Beginner · 3 times a week · HomePush-Up Progression PlanPush-ups three times a week: incline, standard, close-grip and feet-elevated — and more reps every week.
Beginner · 3 times a week · HomeSimilar exercises
Alternatives with other equipment
