Reaching a two-minute plank takes steady work, and it’s worth taking a moment to notice. From here, you can choose what comes next. There’s no single right answer, but a few options tend to work well.

Keep what you’ve built

If you’re happy with your plank, a couple of sessions a week, with your weekly check-in, can help you keep it. You don’t need to keep training as if you were still working towards the goal.

Make it harder rather than longer

Going much beyond two minutes adds time to every session without adding much variety. Many people find harder versions more interesting. Moving your elbows a little further forward in your forearm plank is one option. Research found this can make your stomach muscles work much harder in the same amount of time.

Build strength across your whole body

Your plank works your trunk, shoulders and hips. Health guidelines recommend strength activities for all the major muscle groups at least two days a week. Adding moves for your legs, back and arms, like squats, lunges or rows, rounds out the strength you’ve built.

Try another VIDA goal

Other goals in VIDA can build on what you’ve done:

• Touch my toes adds flexibility to your strength, so you can move well through a fuller range.
• Move more helps you build regular movement into long days of sitting.
• Stop slouching uses the trunk control you’ve built to help you sit tall for longer.

Check in now and then

Every so often, you could time a forearm plank on your toes to see how it’s holding. If it’s slipping, a few extra sessions usually bring it back.

Something to try this week

Choose one next step from the options above and try it once this week.

What to take away

• A couple of sessions a week can help keep your plank.
• Harder versions can be more interesting than ever-longer holds.
• Strength work for your whole body rounds out what you’ve built.
• Other VIDA goals, like Touch my toes or Stop slouching, are good next steps.

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