MovementsGymnastics
Plank
Also known as: Front Plank · Forearm Plank · Plank Hold
A hold on the forearms or hands with the body in one straight line from head to heel. It is the baseline midline position, and it shows up as the scaled option almost everywhere a harder hold is prescribed.
PlankGymnastics
The standard
A valid hold keeps a straight line from the shoulders through the hips to the heels for the prescribed time, with the hips neither sagging toward the floor nor piking up.
How to do it
- 01Set the elbows under the shoulders, or the hands under them for a high plank.
- 02Extend the legs behind you with the feet about hip-width apart.
- 03Squeeze the glutes and draw the ribs down so the lower back flattens.
- 04Push the floor away so the upper back is broad rather than sinking between the shoulders.
- 05Breathe steadily and end the hold when the line breaks, not when the clock says so.
Common faults
- · Hips sagging, which hands the work to the lower back.
- · Hips piking up into a tent to make it easier.
- · Head dropping or craning up instead of staying in line with the spine.
- · Holding the breath and calling the resulting shake core strength.
Scaling & progressions
- · Drop to the knees and hold the same line from shoulder to knee.
- · Raise the hands onto a box or a bench to reduce the load.
- · Accumulate the time in short sets with brief rest.
- · Progress to a side plank, a shoulder tap or a plank with the feet elevated.
Coaching tips
- · Squeeze the glutes hard: it fixes a sagging hip faster than any cue about the abs.
- · A perfect 30 seconds is worth more than a broken two minutes.
- · If you are shaking, that is fine; if you are arching, stop the set.
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