Whether you run, play a team sport or do something else entirely, your trunk muscles help you move well. The forearm plank is a simple way to build their endurance alongside your training.

What trunk strength does for sport

Your trunk muscles help pass force between your upper and lower body, keep you steady when you change direction, and help you hold your form as you tire. Many coaches include trunk exercises like planks in training programmes.

What the research says

Research on trunk training and sports performance is mixed. Some studies show small improvements in things like balance and endurance, while others show little change in performance. Strength training in general is linked with fewer sports injuries, and trunk exercises can be part of that.

Setting up your forearm plank

You could try:

• Elbows under your shoulders, forearms flat.
• Pressing the floor away.
• Gently squeezing your bottom.
• Keeping a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Breathing steadily throughout.

Fitting planks into training

You could do your goal video on rest days, or add it to the end of a training session. If you’re tired after training, shorter holds still count.

Holding your form

In sport, holding your form as you tire is often what matters. In a plank, stopping as soon as your hips drop or lift helps train that control. A good plank comes before a long one.

Something to try this week

Add your goal video to the end of one training session or rest day this week.

What to take away

• Build trunk endurance alongside your training.
• Add your goal video to rest days or the end of sessions.
• Stop when your form starts to slip.
• Combine planks with other strength training.

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