Basic Forearm Plank

Planks refer to the many ways we can hold the trunk of our body off the ground in a straight line. The plank exercise is one of the best exercises you can do to build strength and endurance throughout your core – abs, lower back, obliques, and hips.

This exercise improve your ability to stabilize your spine. This is essential for lower-back health and peak performance in any sport. Stability exercises are also highly effective at working the abdominal muscles that are visible – including the ones that make up your six-pack.

How to Perform the Plank Exercise (Technique)

1. Start to get into a pushup position, but bent your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands;
2. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles;
3. Brace your core by contracting your abs if you were about to be punched in the gut;
4. Hold this position for 30 seconds – or as directed – while breathing deeply

Plank tips & tricks

1. Squeeze your gluteus;
2. If you were to place a broomstick on your back, it should make contact with your head, upper back, and butt;
3. Do not allow your hips to sag.  Stay rigid;
4. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders;
5. If you can’t hold the position for 30 seconds, start by holding for 5 to 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat as many times as you need to reach 30 seconds.

Exercise variations

Feet Elevated Forearm Plank

• Place the feet on a stability ball or a moderately unstable apparatus positioned on a raised platform. Note: Make sure that the unstable apparatus is relatively secure on the raised platform.
• With the elbows and forearms on the floor, lift the body so some part of the lower body is in contact with the unstable apparatus.
• There are many kinds of unstable appara­tus. As an example, if using a stability ball, the dif­ficulty progression might look something like this: (1) knees on ball, (2) ankles on ball, and (3) balls of feet and toes on ball.

Other plank exercises

1. 45-Degree Plank:
2. Kneeling Plank;
3. Full Plank (Straight-Arm Plank);
4. Elevated-Feet Plank;
5. Reverse Plank;
6. Single-Leg Elevated-Feet Plank;
7. Extended Plank;
8. Wide-Stance Plank with Diagonal Arm Lift;
9. Wide-Stance Plank with Opposite Arm and Leg Lift;
10. Swiss-Ball Plank;
11. Swiss-Ball Plank with Feet on Bench
12. Hollow body hold position (inverse plank)

Further reading

Top 10 plank exercise problems & mistakes. Find out how to solve most common problems you might encounter while performing this excellent core exercise for the first time.