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

Plank tips & tricks
- Squeeze your gluteus;
- If you were to place a broomstick on your back, it should make contact with your head, upper back, and butt;
- Do not allow your hips to sag. Stay rigid;
- Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders;
- 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
- 45-Degree Plank:
- Kneeling Plank;
- Full Plank (Straight-Arm Plank);
- Elevated-Feet Plank;
- Reverse Plank;
- Single-Leg Elevated-Feet Plank;
- Extended Plank;
- Wide-Stance Plank with Diagonal Arm Lift;
- Wide-Stance Plank with Opposite Arm and Leg Lift;
- Swiss-Ball Plank;
- Swiss-Ball Plank with Feet on Bench
- 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.