How to Perfect the Plank
The plank is one of the best isometric exercises you can do to strengthen your entire body.
The plank exercise is simple to get started with, you don’t need any equipment, and you don’t need a coach to teach you proper technique. What’s even better about the plank exercise is that there are numerous variations of varying difficulties, so you can effectively use the exercise to challenge yourself for many years.
Today, we’ll go over everything you need to know about how to plank, no matter where you stand right now.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Planks 101
Before we dive into the progression on the plank exercise, there are several fine points we need to become familiar with.
Plank Exercise 1: The Classic Plank
To do the classic plank, your body needs to be straight as an arrow – from head to heel. You should support your upper body on your elbows (which should be straight down from your shoulders), and your lower body should balance on your toes.
As a whole, the plank involves your entire body, but your core musculature plays the most significant role in keeping your body rigid.
As an exercise, the classic plank is an isometric hold (which is foundational building block in x2o Studio’s pilates workouts). Meaning, you contract your muscles and have them remain that way for an extended period. The exercise is particularly beneficial for core development because it trains these muscles as they are intended to work – keeping the body aligned against the force of gravity. Where your legs, for example, are better suited for dynamic movement, your abdominals, and lower back work better to keep static tension.
Common Plank Exercise Mistakes
Before we can perfect something, we first need to become familiar with its most basic elements. When it comes to the plank, there isn’t much you can do wrong. But, you should be aware of:
Not keeping your body in a straight line. Many folks either arch their back or let their butt dip. Both of these create misalignment and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
Allowing your shoulders to retract – this is when your shoulder blades get closer to each other. To make the plank more effective, you should maintain distance between your shoulder blades by actively protracting your shoulders.
Not aligning your pelvis correctly. This is seen when people raise their butt toward the ceiling by arching the lower back. If you’re looking to endure for longer, that’s a great strategy. But, if you want to maximize core involvement, you should tilt your pelvis forward and remove the arching of your lower back.
The Most Common Plank Variations
The classic plank is a fantastic variation for most people who are starting. But, there are easier and more challenging options you can go with. Some include:
Wall planks – this is where you lean against a wall;
Knee planks – a beginner-friendly variation that takes away some of the resistance;
Standard planks – the variation we covered above;
High plank – this is where you balance on both arms and legs, but your arms are straight, and you’re using your hands rather than your elbows;
Single-arm or leg plank – a variation where you balance yourself on one elbow or foot, thus making it more difficult;
Single-arm and single-leg plank – a variation where you balance on one arm and the opposite leg;
XFormer Plank under tension — a variation where you plank on the pilates machine while under consistent tension via a spring load.
Beginner-Friendly Plank Exercise Progression Scheme
Progressing the plank (and, really, most static exercises) happens in two ways:
Using one variation of the exercise and progressively doing it for more time (training volume).
Progressively using more challenging variations of the classic exercise (intensity and variety).
When it comes to productive plank progression, we’ll be using a combination of the two. More specifically, we’ll be starting with the easiest variation for a set amount of time and slowly work our way to the most challenging option.
Here goes:
Step #1 – Select a plank exercise variation that you can hold for 30 seconds with proper technique. Most beginners can start with the classic plank, but you can begin with knee or wall planks.
Step #2 – Do one round of that plank and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
Step #3 – Rest for up to two minutes and repeat for one more round.
Step #4 – Come back a couple of days later and repeat this. If you can easily hold two 60-second holds, move to the next plank variation.
Step #5 – Repeat the whole process until you work up to the most challenging static plank variation.
Here is an example of a linear progression over three weeks:
Week 1
Monday (Classic plank)
Round 1 - 60 seconds
Round 2 - 50 seconds
Wednesday (Classic plank)
Round 1 - 60 seconds
Round 2 - 60 seconds
Friday (High plank)
Round 1 - 55 seconds
Round 2 - 48 seconds
Week 2
Monday (High plank)
Round 1 - 60 seconds
Round 2 - 55 seconds
Wednesday (High plank)
Round 1 - 60 seconds
Round 2 - 60 seconds
Friday (Single-arm plank)
Round 1 - 45 seconds
Round 2 - 40 seconds
Week 3
Monday (Single-arm plank)
Round 1 - 55 seconds
Round 2 - 50 seconds
Wednesday (Single-arm plank)
Round 1 - 60 seconds
Round 2 - 60 seconds
Friday (Single-leg plank)
Round 1 - 45 seconds
Round 2 - 38 seconds
And so, the process repeats as you work your way up to two rounds of 60 seconds before moving up.
Remember, the plank is one of the best isometric exercises you can do to strengthen your entire body to be ready for your first pilates class at x2o Studio!