Planks for Beginners
(BEST PLANKS FOR BEGINNERS AT HOME)
Build Core Strength and Stability with Planks for Beginners
To do a plank as a beginner, place your hands under your shoulders, step your feet back and hold your body in a straight line from head to heels while you brace your abs and breathe steadily. Hold for 10 to 60 seconds at a time and repeat until you reach about 60 seconds in total, as Harvard Health suggests; if that’s too hard, rest on your forearms and knees instead. Planks need no equipment, so you can do them anywhere.
This guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of planks, their benefits, and tips for performing them correctly to maximize their effectiveness.
Planks for Beginners
1. Exercise Overview
2. How to Perform Planks
3. Exercise Videos and Related Guides
Before we dive into how to perform planks, let’s first understand what makes an exercise effective for core development. This will help you make an informed decision when choosing the right exercises for your routine.
1. Exercise Overview
Effective plank exercises focus on holding a position that engages the core muscles, including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back.
Planks are isometric exercises, meaning they involve holding a static position. This type of exercise is excellent for improving core strength and stability.
How long can people hold a plank? These are the average results of plank endurance tests in two studies. Times varied widely from person to person, so use them as context, not as a goal for your first workout:
| Group | Average maximum hold | Study |
|---|---|---|
| College students who aren’t athletes | 83 seconds | Strand 2014 |
| College athletes | 123 seconds | Strand 2014 |
| College women | 83 seconds | Strand 2014 |
| College men | 124 seconds | Strand 2014 |
| People without back pain | 72.5 seconds | Schellenberg 2007 |
Sources: Strand 2014 (471 college students, forearm plank held until exhaustion or until their form broke) and Schellenberg 2007 (43 people without back pain, prone bridge test, a plank hold). Start with short holds you can keep with a straight body and build up from there.
The High Plank is the most basic form of the exercise, targeting the entire core.
High Plank
The Knees On Ground Plank Hold is an easier version for beginners: you rest on your forearms and knees instead of your hands and toes.
Knees On Ground Plank Hold
The Roll Plank targets the obliques and improves stability on the sides of your body.
Roll Plank
The Low Plank Arm Reaches adds a dynamic element to the standard plank, increasing the challenge for your core.
Low Plank Arm Reaches
Understanding how to perform these exercises and incorporating them into your routine can help you achieve better muscle development and overall core strength. Next, we’ll explore specific workouts and how to perform them effectively.
2. How to Perform Planks
Once you can hold a basic plank with a straight body, try these variations. Each one adds a movement or changes your position to challenge your core in a new way.
Choose the variations you enjoy and can do regularly. To truly enhance your core routine and overall fitness, it’s essential to incorporate a variety of exercises and maintain consistency in your workout routine.
Reverse Plank – Build Core Strength
How to Perform a Reverse Plank
- Prepare Your Position: Sit on the ground with legs extended, placing hands a few inches behind your hips with fingers pointing towards your feet.
- Execute the Movement: Press through your palms and heels to lift your hips towards the ceiling, aiming to form a straight line from head to heels.
- Controlled Return: Hold the position with your chin slightly tucked and core engaged.
- Repeat: Maintain the lift for the set duration.
Plank Ups – Add Movement to Your Plank
How to Perform Plank Ups
- Prepare Your Position: Begin in a low plank with elbows close to under your shoulders.
- Execute the Movement: Lower your body towards the ground, then quickly push back up to the plank.
- Controlled Return: Ensure smooth movement without letting your hips or back sag.
- Repeat: Continue the up and down motions for the set duration.
Shoulder Tap High Plank – Increase Core Challenge
How to Perform a Shoulder Tap High Plank
- Prepare Your Position: Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders and feet hip-width apart.
- Execute the Movement: Lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder, then switch sides.
- Controlled Return: Keep your core tight and avoid letting your hips sway.
- Repeat: Alternate shoulder taps for the set duration, maintaining stability and control.
Remember, achieving optimal core strength involves maintaining a consistent workout routine and incorporating a variety of exercises. It’s crucial to find activities you enjoy and can perform regularly to maximize the benefits.
Try out the exercises in this section, and you’ll be on your way to a stronger, more stable core.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive fitness regimen to enhance your overall health and fitness, explore our LifeBuddy Apps to find the perfect program tailored to your goals and the equipment you have available.
Want more options? Browse all 42 plank variations in our exercise library, each with a video demo.
3. Exercise Videos and Related Guides
Every exercise in this guide has its own page in our free exercise library, with a video demonstration, step-by-step form tips, common mistakes to avoid and the muscles it works:
- High Plank
- Roll Plank
- Low Plank Arm Reaches
- Reverse Plank
- Plank Ups
- Shoulder Tap High Plank
- Knees On Ground Plank Hold
Browse more in our ab exercises lists.
Related guides: what muscles planks work, ab workouts, lower ab workouts, bodyweight exercises and a 30-day home workout plan for beginners.
Want a ready-made plan? Dumbbell Home Workout builds dumbbell workouts for every muscle group around your goal, level and schedule.
PLANKS FOR BEGINNERS FAQ
Hold for 10 to 60 seconds at a time, rest, and repeat until you reach about 60 seconds in total; if you can hold for 15 seconds, do 4 holds. That’s the approach Harvard Health suggests. For context, when 471 college students held a forearm plank for as long as they could with good form, the average was 83 seconds for women and 124 seconds for men (Strand 2014).
Rest on your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders, keep your knees on the floor, and hold your body in a straight line from head to knees without letting your hips sag, as in our knees-on-ground plank hold demo. When you can hold it with good form, try the full plank on your toes.
Not on their own. In a 6-week study of 24 sedentary adults, those who did ab exercises 5 days a week built more ab endurance than a control group but didn’t reduce their belly fat (Vispute 2011). To lose belly fat, combine planks with regular exercise and an eating plan that helps you lose fat overall.
Planks offer numerous benefits, including:
- Improved core strength and stability.
- Greater core muscle endurance.
- No equipment needed, so you can do them anywhere.
- Easy to scale: drop to your knees to make them easier, or try a variation to make them harder.
You can do planks a few times a week or even every day, as Harvard Health suggests. Start with one plank session a day and add a second or two to your holds as you get stronger.
Try LifeBuddy's free workout apps
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