Exercise Tutorial: Plank
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)
Table of Contents
What Is a Plank
The Plank is a bodyweight exercise commonly used to build core strength, stability, and endurance. The core is used to stabilize the Plank position against gravity and is often performed as an isometric movement. Overall, the Plank is a versatile exercise that is suitable for all types of athletes regardless of your fitness level.
How to Do a Plank
The Plank is a simple bodyweight exercise to perform. To learn how to do the Plank, follow these simple steps,
Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended straight out behind you. Place your elbows and forearms on the floor, with your shoulders stacked directly over your elbows. Lift yourself off the ground by pressing into the ground with your arms and toes, keeping your elbows bent at ninety degrees and your knees straight.
Squeeze your glutes and engage your core to keep your hips from sagging towards the floor. Aim to keep a straight line from your head down to your heels. Hold this position for a designated amount of time or until you are unable to hold yourself up in the proper form.
Plank Form
As with any exercise, executing the proper form during the Plank is imperative to reducing the risk of injury. Keeping your eyes pointed towards the floor during the Plank will help ensure your neck stays in line with your spine. Keep the Serratus Anterior and lower Trapezius muscles engaged to keep your shoulder blades stable and pulled down away from your ears. This will prevent your shoulders from rolling forward into a poor Plank position. Engaging the glutes and lower abdominal muscles will keep your pelvis from tilting forward, resulting in overextension of the lower back.
Plank Muscles Worked
The primary muscle worked in the Plank is the Rectus Abdominis. The secondary muscles required to hold the Plank position include:
Plank Benefits
The Plank is an extremely effective, versatile, and simple way to build your core. It can be done almost anywhere with no equipment and can be progressed in different ways to give anybody a challenge! Including the Plank or its many variations in your program can help you to,
Build core strength, stability, endurance
Improve posture
Improve breathing & bracing techniques
Improve full body strength & stability
Why Is the Plank Useful
The Plank is a simple exercise that can be the foundation of your core training. The basic Plank requires no equipment and can be easily incorporated into any workout.
The Plank can be used to build tremendous core strength and stability that can improve your balance, overall strength, and performance in other activities.
Additionally, the Plank can be loaded with extra weight on the upper back, or variations can be added for complexity to further increase core and full-body stability.
Plank Variations
There are so many Plank variations out there, you will never get bored. Check out our video on 10 Plank Variations to see them in action!
Push Up Plank
The Push Up Plank is a great Plank variation for those who are looking for a challenge. You can read our exercise tutorial on how to perform a Push Up Plank here.