How to Do a Plank to Work Your Core

Prepare for the plank by resting the elbows alongside the ribcage.

The benefits of working your core are numerous and can include improved posture, better balance and stability and relief from various aches and pains. When you do a plank successfully, you are engaging the core muscles which include the abdominals and the muscles of the hips, buttocks, inner thighs and back. The basic plank is easy to learn but challenging to perform accurately. Once you have mastered the basic technique, you can experiment with numerous plank variations to keep your core exercise routine fresh.

Instructions

1. Lie on your stomach with your legs fully extended behind you. Hold your elbows alongside the ribcage and place the forearms on the floor with palms facing down. Flex the feet and tuck the toes under.

2. Engage the abdominal muscles and press up into a "plank," aligning the top of your head with your shoulders, hips and legs to create one continuous line with the body. Continue to press the palms into the floor or clasp your hands together. Ensure that your elbows remain on the floor and are in line with your shoulders.

3. Check in the mirror to ensure that the head, shoulders, back, buttocks, and legs remain aligned. Resist arching or dipping the back and raising or lowering the buttocks. Continually pull the belly-button into the spine and fully engage the muscles of the back, buttocks and legs.

4. Hold the position for 15 to 45 seconds before returning to the initial position. Repeat for a total of three sets.

5. Stretch out by sitting back on the heels, rounding the back slightly and extending the arms in front of you on the floor. Hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds.

Tips & Warnings

• Resist holding your breath. Breath evenly throughout the exercise.

• If you are working your core muscles correctly, they may quiver. This is normal and not a cause for worry.

• Variations of the basic plank include plank with hip- or leg-lift, plank with hip-drop side-to-side and plank while drawing the knee to the chest. Additional possibilities include basic side and basic reverse plank. These, too, can incorporate hip- and leg-lifts.

• Lower back pain or discomfort in the elbows may indicate that your alignment is poor or that your core muscles are not fully engaged. Adjust your alignment and squeeze the muscles to remove pressure from the back and limbs.

References

• Rice University: Spotlight on Fitness Archive -- The Core
• UMass Amherst; Planks; Emily McLaughlin; 2011