WhatWorksWhat.
Abs

Plank

Whole-trunk brace. If only your shoulders burn, brace harder with the abs.

Complexity · Lowstabilitybeginner+Bodyweight
Check Your Form
  • Abs
  • Abs - Lower abs
  • Abs - Upper abs
  • Lower back
  • Obliques
  • Upper abs
  • Lower abs

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Upper abs

    Hit

    Crunches - ribs move toward pelvis.

  • Lower abs

    Hit

    Leg raises - pelvis moves toward ribs.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

3:59· E3 Rehab

How To Plank (Proper Form | Cues | Progressions)

Hold

Hold

Forearms on floor, body in a straight line head to heel. Squeeze glutes, brace abs as if expecting a punch. Stop the moment hips sag.

Common mistakes

  • Hips drooping - exercise is over, you're just resting on your back.
  • Hips spiked up - you're resting on your skeleton.

Where you should feel it

Whole-trunk brace. If only your shoulders burn, brace harder with the abs.

Injury risk · 1/10

SafetyIf your hips sag, the set is over - drop to your knees before the lower back takes over. Quality beats time.

Progression

Step back, or step up.

Same movement family, different rung. Harder versions sit above, easier versions below — tap a rung to land there.

  1. Progress toHanging leg raiseAnti-extension under load, hanging from a bar.
  2. Progress toLong-lever plankSlide forearms forward to extend the lever and ratchet up the demand.
  3. Progress toRKC plankMaximum tension for 10 seconds beats a 2-minute drift every time.
  4. You're herePlank
  5. Step back toKnee plankSame brace, half the lever arm.
  6. Step back toDead bugSame anti-extension target, easier to feel the brace lying on your back.

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains abs. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • RKC plank (max-tension, 10s)

    Squeeze everything for 10s.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Long-lever plank

    Forearms slid forward.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Side plank

    On one elbow.

    80% on target

    On target

    Obliques.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Happy Baby

    Lying on the back. Grab the outsides of the feet, knees pulled toward the armpits. Gently rock side to side. 60s. The cheapest lower-back decompression you can do.

    GlutesLower backHamstrings

  • Seated Forward Fold

    Seated, legs straight in front. Hinge from the hips and reach the hands toward the feet. Don't force the back to round - go where it goes. 60s.

    HamstringsLower backCalves

Evidence