ROANCore · Bodyweight
Plank
How to do the Plank with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (abs), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Abs
- Secondary
- Delts, Glutes
How to do it
- Lie face down on the floor with your forearms resting flat on the ground, elbows positioned directly underneath your shoulder joints.
- Extend your legs straight back behind you and rise up onto the balls of your feet.
- Squeeze your glutes tightly and brace your abdominal wall as if preparing to take a punch.
- Establish a perfectly straight, rigid line from the back of your head down through your hips to your heels.
- Keep your gaze fixed on the floor slightly ahead of your hands to maintain a neutral neck alignment.
- Breathe steadily and hold this rigid position for the designated duration without letting your hips sag or pike upward.
Coaching cues
- Body forms a rigid plank from head to heels
- Squeeze the glutes and brace the core
- Keep hips level, no sagging
Common mistakes
- Sagging the lower back toward the floor due to fatigue or weak core engagement
- Piking the hips high up into the air, reducing abdominal load
- Holding your breath during the hold
Equipment and setup
Bodyweight
Face down on the floor.
Also known as: Forearm Plank, Standard Plank
Track your Plank in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
