Goal: Hold a steady plank
What a good plank looks like and what it builds
Dr Nicola Tik
Planks look simple until you’re 15 seconds in and everything starts to shake. That wobble is completely normal. It’s your muscles and nervous system working out how to hold you steady, and it settles faster than most people expect.
A plank trains the muscles around your trunk to work as a team. That includes your stomach muscles, the deeper muscles that wrap around your trunk, and your back, glutes (the muscles in your bottom) and shoulders. This is endurance rather than raw strength, meaning how long these muscles can keep you steady. It helps with carrying shopping, lifting a suitcase or staying comfortable through a long day.
In the first three to five weeks of a new strength programme, much of the improvement comes from your nervous system. Your brain gets better at switching on the right muscles at the right time, which is why holds often get steadier quickly. After that, the muscles themselves start to adapt.
You don’t need to grind out one long hold to make progress. Some spine researchers suggest that several shorter holds in good form are a useful way to build trunk endurance. So if you need to drop out of a hold early and go again, that still counts.
Everyone starts from a different place, and many people notice their hold time creeping up within the first few weeks. A steady 30 to 60 seconds in good form is a strong, useful goal for everyday life. For context, studies of healthy young adults found average plank times of around one to two minutes, with a wide range from person to person.
Your goal plank is a forearm plank on your toes, and that’s the version we’ll time at each weekly check-in. A forearm plank on your knees is the easier option, and it builds the same muscles while you work up to the full version.
Your forearms sit under your shoulders and your body forms a long line from head to heels, or from head to knees if you’re on your knees. Your hips stay level, neither lifted nor dipping. Your neck stays relaxed, your eyes look at the floor just ahead of your hands, and you keep breathing.
There’s a new video for every day of the programme, and each session takes about 5 minutes. Because the sessions are short and use your own body weight, most people can practise daily. If your muscles feel tired or sore one day, you could choose another video from your daily programme or take the day off. At the end of each week we’ll check in by timing how long you can hold a plank in good form, so you can see your progress. The programme sets out every session, so all you need to do is press play.
Alongside planks, you’ll see knee planks, dead bugs (lying on your back and moving the opposite arm and leg), bird dogs (on your hands and knees) and side planks. Each one builds part of the control a full plank needs, so the whole thing comes together over time.
Expect effort and warmth around your trunk, shoulders and maybe your thighs. Some shaking is normal. If you feel a pinch or ache in your lower back, drop to your knees or take a rest.
Your sessions are ready. Press play and we will take you through each move.