Plank Exercise Guide *PRO*

Planking is a simple but effective bodyweight exercise. Holding the body (light as a feather) stiff as a board develops strength primarily in the core—the muscles that connect the upper and lower body—as well as the shoulders, arms, and glutes.

This static exercise—meaning the body stays in one position for the entirety of the move—requires no equipment and can be performed just about anywhere (well, use your judgment). Find out how to perfect your plank and fix some of the most common planking mistakes with this guide.

1. Plant the hands directly under the shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder-width apart) like you’re about to do a push-up.

2. Ground the toes into the floor and squeeze the glutes to stabilize the body. Your legs should be working in the move too; careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.

3. Neutralize the neck and spine by looking at a spot on the floor about a foot beyond the hands. Your head should be in line with your back.

4. Hold the position. As you get more comfortable with the move, hold your plank for as long as possible without compromising form or breath.

Ways to improve your plank time: the longer you can hold the plank, the more resilient your lower back will be to injury, and the better your abs will look once you burn the fat off them. Follow these tips for longer plank times.

Practice: Perform planks several times each day, trying to hold the position a little longer each time.
Use bodyweight exercises: Pushups and pullups will improve your core strength.
Squat and deadlift: Guys who are strong in these specific lifts find planks are no problem.

If you don't have the core strength yet to do a regular plank, you can build up to it by doing a bent-knee plank. If you can hold a plank for more than two minutes with ease, you can move on to these tougher variations.

Lift one leg up. By simply raising one leg in the air, you dramatically increase the demand on your core to fight your body's natural urge to rotate.
Lift one arm up. Again, your body will want to fall to one side. Don't let it.
Use a Swiss ball. Rest your forearms on the ball and you'll have to stabilize your body and stop the ball from rolling out from under you.