Core · Abs
Front plank
How to do a proper front plank: elbow, hip and core position, how long to hold it, common mistakes and alternatives if your wrists or ankle bother you.
| Focus | Abs · glutes, shoulders (stabilizers) |
| Movement | Plank |
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
| Suggested sets | 3 × 45 s |
| Estimated time | ≈ 4 min |
| Joints loaded |
The front plank is an isometric exercise: you hold your body in a straight line supported on your forearms and toes. It trains your core's ability to keep your spine from arching, which is its main job when you lift weights or carry things.
Muscles worked
The rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis hold the spine. The obliques, glutes and shoulders stabilize the position.
How to do it
- Place your forearms on the floor with your elbows under your shoulders.
- Stretch your legs back and rest on your toes, feet hip-width apart.
- Form a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs, as if pulling your belly button toward your spine, and breathe steadily.
- Hold for the prescribed time without letting your hips sag or rise.
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips, which load the lower back.
- Hips too high, which takes work away from the abs.
- Holding your breath.
- Holding for minutes with poor form. Well-executed 20–45 second sets are better.
Variations and progression
- Easier: plank on your knees or with your hands on a bench.
- Harder: lift one arm or one leg, or rest your forearms on a stability ball.
- Side plank: works the obliques more.
Precautions
It loads the shoulder, elbow and ankle (because you rest on your toes). If you have an ankle injury, the dead bug trains the same thing lying on your back with no foot support.
Alternatives with less joint load
They train the same muscle group. Highlighted joints are also loaded by the exercise on this page.
- Machine crunch · Crunch
- Standing cable crunch · Crunch
- Reverse crunch · Leg raise
- Dead bug · Core stability
- Lying leg raise · Leg raise
Log your sets for this exercise and see your progress month by month.
Start for freeIf you have an injury, pain or a medical condition, check with a professional before doing this exercise.