Abs exercise
Plank (Forearm)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Abs
- Also works
- Obliques, Front delts, Glutes
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Plank?
- Lie face down and prop yourself on your forearms, elbows under your shoulders.
- Tuck your toes under and straighten your legs, feet about hip width apart.
- Tighten your stomach, buttocks and thighs, then lift your hips off the floor.
- Hold a straight line from head to heels while breathing steadily.
- Lower your knees to the floor to finish.
Cues
- Elbows under shoulders, palms flat.
- Straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your buttocks and keep breathing.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging: tighten your stomach and buttocks to lift them back into line.
- Hips too high: lower them until your body is one straight line.
- Holding your breath: breathe slowly and shorten the hold if needed.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Forearm plank on the toes, forearms parallel, palms down. This is ACE's "front plank" and the standard version coaches teach first; the knees-down version is the regression, not shown.
Starting position
Face down, propped on both forearms. Elbows directly under the shoulders, forearms parallel and pointing straight ahead, about shoulder width apart (30–35 cm between elbows), palms flat, fingers forward. Legs straight, feet about hip width apart (15–20 cm), weight on the balls of the feet with the toes tucked under. One straight line from ear through shoulder, hip and knee to ankle. Head neutral, eyes on the floor just ahead of the hands.
The movement
An isometric hold. Nothing travels: thighs are tensed to lock the knees straight, the abdomen and buttocks are braced, and the shoulder blades are pressed slightly apart so the upper back does not sink between them. Only the ribcage moves, a little, with each breath.
Breathing
Breathe steadily through the hold; never hold the breath.
Tempo
Real sets: beginners 10–15 s holds, building to 30–45 s with good form (NASM), 2–3 rounds.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Elbow flexion 90°; upper arm vertical, elbow under the shoulder (source).
- Hip flexion 0° and knee flexion 0°: the hips sit on the line, not above or below it.
- Ankles at about 90° (toes pulled towards the shins), heels stacked over the balls of the feet.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Plank is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
