The plank exercise is one of the most popular abdominal exercises and has a lot of benefits. In this article we will list all these benefits and we will give instructions on how best to perform this exercise. We will also name some different plank variations.
How do you do the plank exercise?
Choose a room in which you can lie completely stretched out. Using an exercise mat gives you enough padding to sit comfortably on all fours. If you don’t have a mat, you could also improvise with towels or cushions. You can choose whether to perform a plank on your hands or forearms.
- Start in the plank position, face down with your forearms and toes on the floor. Your elbows are directly under your shoulders and your forearms are pointed forward. Your head is relaxed and you should look at the floor.
- Tighten your abs and pull your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from your ears to your toes without sagging or bending. This is the neutral position of the spine. Make sure your shoulders are down and not creeping up to your ears.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds and then relax.
- Over time, work up to 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
Common mistakes
Avoid these mistakes to get the most out of the exercise and avoid injury.
- Arching your back: When you arch your back, you’re not tightening your abs enough and putting more weight on your arms.
- Sagging of your hips: Your hips will begin to sink once your abs have reached their fatigue limit. That’s a sign it’s time to end the set. If your hips seem to be sagging from the start, try spreading your feet a little wider and focusing on contracting your abs.
- Tilt your head up: Your neck should be in line with your body, not tilted up, which could strain the neck. Keep your gaze on the floor.
Watch the video below for a visual example:
What muscles do you train while planking?
Planks are good for the abs, but in principle the entire core is trained during this exercise. This includes the buttocks, legs and back. Planks are especially effective for more core stability and strength.
Benefits of the plank exercise
Incorporating planks into your training schedule has several benefits. We have mapped out these benefits below.
- Planks strengthen your core
- Planks improve your core stability
- Planks will improve your posture
- Planks can help and prevent back problems
- Better core stability also improves other sports performance
Different plank variations
There are also a lot of plank exercise variations that train your core in a different way. Most points of attention remain the same as with the original plank. Below we have listed some of these variations for you.
- The side plank: You support this on one arm instead of two and look to the side instead of at the ground. The focus in this variation is more on the obliques. Don’t forget to switch sides with this variation.
- Plank with lifted leg: Lifting your leg immediately makes it a lot more difficult to balance. Don’t forget to switch legs.
- Plank with lifted arm: You can also lift your arm as a variation. This also makes balancing more difficult.
- Plank up downs: With this variation you alternate between supporting yourself on your forearms and your hands during planking.
- Shoulder tap: In this variation you stand in a high plank (On your hands) and tap your shoulders.