The plank looks like an easy exercise—after all, you’re not even moving during it. But there’s more involved in how to do a plank than you may think. And if you master the exercise, you will reap some serious total-body benefits.
That’s because if you do a plank with proper form, your abs won’t be the only muscles that feel the move.
“I would call the plank a total-body exercise for sure,” trainer Steph Dorworth, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., tells SELF. “In addition to working the core, which helps stabilize the low-back spine area, it really works the shoulder stabilizers and the glutes as well.”
There’s a lot of real-world carryover to building strength in these areas too: The exercise is considered an isometric move—meaning one that challenges your muscles with a static contraction rather than putting them through the lengthening or contracting phases—so it helps you build strength as you strive to keep your entire body stable, says Dorworth. This works your joints, tendons, and ligaments as well as your muscles.
Planks also help you build endurance, since you try to hold the move for a certain amount of time (more on that later). You’ll also improve your posture, since you have to be very aware of your body’s positioning during the move. When you do a plank with proper form, you focus on keeping your shoulders down and back, Dorworth says.
“It really works that mind-muscle connection to hold your body still in an isometric position,” she says.
That all sounds pretty good, right? No argument here. In fact, because of how much it improves strength, stability, endurance, and posture, Dorworth considers the plank one of her top-five exercises overall.
What’s the right way to do a plank?
When people say “plank,” they generally are referring to the forearm plank, where your elbows and forearms are on the ground, rather than when your palms are on the ground (like in the start of a push-up). That’s referred to as a “high plank.”
To make the most out of the forearm plank, it’s really important that you take the time to learn how to do a plank properly. This will ensure that you’re working the muscles you want to be working—again, your core muscles, shoulder stabilizers, glutes, and even your quads—and not overstressing other muscles, says Dorworth.
First, on an exercise mat or yoga mat, position your elbows directly under your shoulders and rest your forearms on the ground. Many people keep their hands in fists, but some flatten them out on the ground—either way is fine. Then you’re going to pop up on your toes, keeping your body in a straight line from head to toe, says Dorworth.
Make sure you’re engaging your core—think of pulling your belly button up to the ceiling—firing your glutes and quads and focusing on keeping the weight distributed evenly throughout your body.
Once you’re up, there are some important cues you should keep in mind: For one, you should keep your eyes down on the ground—look at a spot between your hands. This will stop you from cranking your neck up.
“This means that your spine can remain in a neutral, normal alignment,” Dorworth says.
Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades back and together (you want them to adduct, or come together toward the midline of your body, rather than abduct, or pull away). This will prevent your shoulders or upper back from rounding—one of the top plank mistakes Dorworth sees with clients. If you tend to do this, you may feel the plank more in your shoulders than spread evenly throughout your body.
You also want to make sure your hips stay level. People tend to hike up their hips or stick their butt out, almost like they’re setting out to do a Downward Dog yoga pose. “It’s usually because they don’t have the core strength yet to control that neutral position,” says Dorworth. (If that’s the case, focus on pulling your belly button up, which can help cue your hips into more of a posterior pelvic tilt.)
And, finally, breathe. People tend to hold their breath when they’re holding an isometric contraction, but you want to make sure you’re taking deep, regular breaths while you’re performing a plank, she says.
When people say “plank,” they generally are referring to the forearm plank, where your elbows and forearms are on the ground, rather than when your palms are on the ground (like in the start of a push-up). That’s referred to as a “high plank.”
To make the most out of the forearm plank, it’s really important that you take the time to learn how to do a plank properly. This will ensure that you’re working the muscles you want to be working—again, your core muscles, shoulder stabilizers, glutes, and even your quads—and not overstressing other muscles, says Dorworth.
First, on an exercise mat or yoga mat, position your elbows directly under your shoulders and rest your forearms on the ground. Many people keep their hands in fists, but some flatten them out on the ground—either way is fine. Then you’re going to pop up on your toes, keeping your body in a straight line from head to toe, says Dorworth.
Make sure you’re engaging your core—think of pulling your belly button up to the ceiling—firing your glutes and quads and focusing on keeping the weight distributed evenly throughout your body.
Once you’re up, there are some important cues you should keep in mind: For one, you should keep your eyes down on the ground—look at a spot between your hands. This will stop you from cranking your neck up.
“This means that your spine can remain in a neutral, normal alignment,” Dorworth says.
Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades back and together (you want them to adduct, or come together toward the midline of your body, rather than abduct, or pull away). This will prevent your shoulders or upper back from rounding—one of the top plank mistakes Dorworth sees with clients. If you tend to do this, you may feel the plank more in your shoulders than spread evenly throughout your body.
You also want to make sure your hips stay level. People tend to hike up their hips or stick their butt out, almost like they’re setting out to do a Downward Dog yoga pose. “It’s usually because they don’t have the core strength yet to control that neutral position,” says Dorworth. (If that’s the case, focus on pulling your belly button up, which can help cue your hips into more of a posterior pelvic tilt.)
And, finally, breathe. People tend to hold their breath when they’re holding an isometric contraction, but you want to make sure you’re taking deep, regular breaths while you’re performing a plank, she says.
How long should you hold a plank?
There’s no one right answer for this, says Dorworth. The amount of time you should hold a plank has more to do with what feels challenging for you.
“For most people, a minute is going to be extremely difficult,” she says.
Start small with the plank. If you’re doing the exercise with proper plank form—with your core, glutes, and quads actively firing—it’s going to feel much harder at a shorter amount of time. You might start with just 10 seconds, gradually increasing by five seconds or so each week, until you can hit that minute mark, Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., owner of CORE in Brookline, MA, told SELF previously.
There is an easy answer to when you should stop the plank, though. When you notice your form is declining—say, your hips are starting to sag, or you feel your shoulders begin to round—that’s a sign that you need to end the set, says Dorworth. Take a break, rest, and try another set after.
So, like most things in the exercise world, quality matters over quantity. You want to hold the plank for as long as you can with good form. Holding it longer with deteriorating form is not going to bring you any benefits and can even end up overstressing the wrong muscles.
How can you make a plank easier—or harder?
One reason a plank is such a versatile exercise is because there are a number of plank progressions and regressions that can make it harder or easier.
Let’s say a regular forearm plank is too hard to start with. If that’s the case, you can try some easier plank variations first. Simply dropping to your knees when doing a forearm plank can help, since you’re “shortening the lever arm” and putting less stress on your body, says Dorworth. Another option is the reverse plank. Unlike with a regular plank, where you’ll be facing down, you’ll be facing up for this one. Start by sitting on your mat, then lean back, placing your hands and forearms on the ground on either side of your body, and drive your hips up toward the ceiling so your body forms a straight line from your ankles to shoulders.
There are also plank variations that can make the exercise harder. Performing a plank with your elbows or hands on a BOSU ball can make it more difficult, since your body will have to fight the unstable surface to keep steady, says Dorworth. (If you don’t have one, you can recruit a household member to give your body a few gentle nudges while you’re holding a regular plank, since this will also make your body work harder to stay still.) Moving your feet closer together will also make it harder too.
If you’re still feeling the need for more challenge, you can take away some points of contact with the ground, which will make your muscles fire more to stay stable. This can mean raising a leg, an arm, or even one of each, says Dorworth. A side plank can also be more challenging, since not only are you taking away two points of contact with the ground, but you’re also emphasizing the muscles on the side of your body, like your obliques, a little more.
How can you use planks in your workouts?
Planks, or plank variations, are great exercises to include in your workouts one to two times a week, though if your goal is to specifically get better at them, you may want to increase that to two to three, says Dorworth.
Pencil in your planks toward the end of your workout, she says. You want to get in your big, compound moves—think squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, or rows—early in your workout, when your muscles are fresh and you’re still feeling energized.
reprinted from self.com
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