How To Do A Plank With Proper Form, According To A Personal Trainer

Staying still is hard work. Try holding a complex yoga pose or bracing through a plank, and tell me I'm wrong. You can really feel the burn without moving a muscle. Planks, which work muscles from your shoulders all the way to your legs, are a true rockstar in the world of isometric exercises.

This simple bodyweight move is really effective on its own, and planks help you level up the rest of your workouts. "This is a great foundational movement, because a lot of exercises start with a plank," says Betina Gozo, NASM-certified personal trainer. Think: pushups, mountain climbers, or one of the many other plank variations.

Meet the experts: Betina Gozo, CPT, is a NASM-certified personal trainer, Apple Fitness+ Trainer, Nike Master Trainer, and winner of WH's 2017 "Next Fitness Star." Adam Rosante, CPT, is the author of The 30-Second Body, specializes in exercise for kids, and is a strength and nutrition coach for actors and pro athletes.

"Planks are one of my favorite exercises because it's not only great for your abs but it's a great overall strengthening move for your back, shoulders, and hips," says Gozo. "It builds stability around all of those muscles. It will help strengthen your core for strength training, running, or even just every day life activities."

But even if you plank for an hour (figuratively... this is actually how long you need to hold a plank), it isn’t doing you any good if your form is off.

Read on for all the expert tips on perfecting your plank form, all the benefits of the exercise, and more variations to level up your core workout.

How To Do A Plank With Proper Form

How to:

Start on the floor on your hands and knees.
Place your hands directly under your shoulders.
Step your feet back, one at a time. (For more stability, bring your feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge.)
Maintain a straight line from the top of your head through your heels, gaze down just above your fingertips.
Now, tighten your abs, quads, glutes, and hold. Think about digging through your heels, squeezing your quads, and keeping everything nice and tight. (If you feel your body shake, that's a good sign you're creating enough tension from head to toe.)

Sets/reps for results: Start with small increments of time: 15 seconds, 30 seconds. “Use a timer to see how long you can hold a plank before your form breaks," per Adam Rosante, CPT. "That's your set time. Do three to four sets aiming to hold for that length of time with perfect form.” As you get stronger, build up to a minute or even two minutes.

Benefits Of Planks

There are a bunch of perks that come with sweating it out in your planks. The move is a fave among trainers for targeting the core, but planks do a whole lot more.

Strong, toned core. Planks work the abs you see and the deeper core you only feel. “The plank is a great exercise for strengthening your deep inner core: your transverse abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm, and pelvic floor,” explains Adam Rosante, certified personal trainer and author of The 30-Second Body.

Improved posture. Planks work muscles that support and control your spine. The result? You'll find yourself standing taller.

Better overall movement. The muscles engaged in a plank are the foundation of basically everything you do, per Rosante. That's in the gym and your everyday life.

Total body strength. Planks work much more than your core. If you're doing it right, the plank is a great total-body move. You engage your quads, glutes, arms, and more.

Avoid These Common Plank Mistakes

Now that you know all the form tips to nail a perfect plank, you should also note what not to do. “It can be hard at first to have an awareness of your body in space,” Rosante says. “When you're first starting out, it can be helpful to use a mirror to check your form." Here are the most common plank missteps and how to fix them stat.

Looking forward or up. This is the most-common mistake people make, says Rosante. “That strains your neck and eventually kills your entire form,” he explains. “Look at the floor in front of you. Imagine holding a tennis ball between your chin and neck.” That will keep your spine neutral and help you avoid pain or injury.

Sagging hips. "A lot of times I see people let their shoulders fall back, the rib cage flares up, and the hips drop," says Gozo, and Rosante agrees: “This is one of the first things to happen when your core fatigues,” he says. “On top of making the move less effective, it strains your lower back.”

Overworking your arms. If you let your back will arch or hips pike up, your arms can take over. “When your core fatigues, your knee-jerk reaction is to support it by taking some, or in most cases, most of the weight into your arms,” says Rosante. This position loads pressure into your shoulder joints and spine, which you don't want, and takes the work off of your core.” And that just defeats the purpose of the whole move.

When this happens, squeeze your glutes and think about moving your hips back in line. “Moving your feet further apart will also give you a more stable foundation, making the move a bit easier," says Rosante. "As you get stronger, you can start to close the gap.”

Make Planks Part Of Your Workout

Beyond your core, if you're doing it right, the plank is a great total-body move.

Planks can easily be part of your daily routine. "Planks are something you can do every single day, but it is not necessary to do them for very long," says Gozo. "I do think it's a great idea to do a few different planks throughout the day, at different times of the day because you are under different fatigue. The more you can train your body to be stable under so many different conditions, the stronger it will be!"

Best Plank Variations To Try

Side Plank

How to:

Lie on your side with your right forearm flat on the floor, elbow under your shoulder, and both legs extended, forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Feet can either be staggered for more stability, or stacked for more of a challenge.
Engage your core and lift your hips off the floor. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

Inchworm

How to:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Slowly bend over and touch the floor in front of your feet with both hands.
Keeping your legs as straight as possible and core tight, walk your hands forward, without letting your hips drop, until you reach a high plank position.
Pause, then slowly walk your feet toward your hands. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps.

Stability Ball Stir The Pot

How to:

Rest your forearms on a stability ball with elbows in line with shoulders.
Extend your legs directly behind you into a high plank—your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
Brace your abs and move your forearms in a full circle, so the stability ball moves as well, keeping the rest of your body still. That's one rep. Do 10 reps then reverse the circle for 10 reps.

Mountain Climber With Hold

How to:

Start in a high plank, shoulders over wrists, pelvis tucked, and ribs drawn toward hips.
Drive your right knee toward your chest, then the left.
Pull your right knee back toward your chest and pause.
Repeat the pattern starting with the left knee. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps.

Sprawl

How to:

Start in a high plank position.
Squeeze your glutes and core to maintain a straight spine.
Hop your feet forward just behind your hands.
Rise up into a low squat position, and hold for a second.
Place your hands back on the ground and jump your feet back to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps.

Renegade Row

How to:

Assume a high-plank position with your hands holding a pair of dumbbells, arms extended, palms facing each other without a crease at the wrists, and feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
Bend one arm and raise the weight to chest level, keeping your hips and shoulders level.
Lower the dumbbell to the floor, then repeat the move by rowing the other weight. That's one rep. Do 20 reps.

Plank With Knee Tap

How to:

Get into a forearm-plank position with your elbows stacked under your shoulders.
Slowly and with control, lower both knees until they lightly tap the ground.
Return to your plank. That's one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds.

Side Plank Dips

How to:

Lie on your left side with your legs straight and your right leg stacked on your left.
Position yourself so your weight is resting on your left forearm and the outside edge of your left foot. Your elbow should be directly beneath your shoulder and your upper arm should be perpendicular to the floor. Align your body so it forms a straight line from your head to your ankles, and place your right hand on your hip.
Lower your hips toward the ground a couple inches, then come back up to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps on each side.

Side Plank And Reach Through

How to:

Lie on your left side with your legs straight and your right leg stacked on your left.
Position yourself so your weight is resting on your left forearm and the outside edge of your left foot. Your elbow should be directly beneath your shoulder and your upper arm should be perpendicular to the floor. Align your body so it forms a straight line from your head to your ankles, and stretch your right hand in the air.
Engage your core, and slowly twist your chest toward the left until it’s parallel to the ground.
As you do this, thread your right arm through the space between your body and the floor.
Reverse the movement to return back to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps on each side.

Plank With Hip Dip

How to:

Start in a forearm-plank position. Make sure your abs are tight and you’re squeezing your butt.
Slowly dip right hip to right side until it's about one inch off the ground.
Return to center with control, then repeat on the other side. That's one rep. Do 15 reps.

Plank With Lateral Arm Raise

How to:

Assume a forearm-plank position, elbows directly under your shoulders and hands on the ground.
Extend your right arm out in front of your body keeping your butt and hips stable.
Return hand to start with control. That's one rep. Do as many reps as possible for 50 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Plank With Leg Raise

How to:

Assume a forearm-plank position, elbows directly under your shoulders and hands on the ground.
Lift your right leg up keeping your leg in line with your hips. Be sure to keep your butt and hips stable.
Lower the leg back to start.
Repeat with the left leg. That's one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Plank With Alternating Arm Raise

How to:

Assume a forearm-plank position, elbows directly under your shoulders and hands on the ground.
Lift your right arm out and away from your body keeping your butt and hips stable.
Lower hand back to start, then repeat on the other side. That's one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds.

Jennifer Nied

Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.