How to Do the Front Plank

Three, two, one: lift! Learn how to do a front plank and engage your core with these Pro Tips.

If you think that 15 minutes isn’t enough time to get a workout in, think again. You can do this strength training exercise at home, in the gym, on the beach or anywhere with a flat surface.

The front plank exercise is designed to create tension and brace your trunk. According to corrective exercise and performance enhancement specialist Drew Walsh, this is important for an athlete to develop power, strength and body awareness.

“The plank is a great exercise to strengthen your overall core and musculature, while also learning how to create tension within the body to brace or stabilize the trunk and pelvis,” Walsh says.

The front plank is an exercise that doesn’t require equipment, but you can bring along a gym mat instead of touching the ground.

HOW TO DO A FRONT PLANK

If you elect to use a gym mat, lay it on the ground. Then, get into a tall-kneel position on the mat. Next, transition down to your forearms. Your knees and toes should be touching the ground.

Once you are in this position:

• Lift your knees off the ground. Only your toes, forearms and hands should be touching the ground. Be sure to keep your back in a straight line, with your backside not pointed up too high. Your heels should be up toward the ceiling.
• Keep your arms shoulder-width apart.
• Place your palms flat on the ground and spread out your fingers to help stabilize your body.
• Drive your elbows into the floor. According to Walsh, this creates tension through the body by “contracting the glutes, quads and core.”
• Hold this position for one minute.

Use the front plank to prop up your workout routine. Further test your stability by adding the side plank to your next workout.