Hips sagging
Squeeze the glutes and tuck the pelvis slightly to bring the hips up in line.
Isolation · Bodyweight
Plank
A static hold on forearms and toes with the body in a straight line. It trains the abs and deep core to resist sagging and hold the spine steady. A solid starting point for beginners and a useful accessory for everyone.
- Primary
- Abs
- Starting rep range
- 30–60 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- Add reps, then difficulty
Muscles worked
The abs and obliques work to stop the hips sagging and the lower back arching. Glutes and quads help hold the straight line; squeezing them makes the hold harder.
How to set up
- Place your forearms on the floor with elbows under your shoulders.
- Step your feet back so your body forms a straight line.
- Set your feet hip width apart.
- Tuck your pelvis slightly and squeeze your glutes.
How to do each rep
- Brace your abs as if bracing for a punch and hold.
- Keep the hips level with the shoulders; no sagging or piking.
- Breathe steadily without losing the brace.
- Stop the set when your form breaks, not when the clock says.
Common plank mistakes
Hips piked high
Lower the hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
Holding for minutes with poor form
Hold shorter with a hard brace instead of chasing long times.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the plank at 30–60 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Once you can hold a hard brace for 45-60 seconds, make it harder rather than longer: add weight on the back, lift one limb, or move to an ab wheel.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Plank alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
How long should I hold a plank?
For most people 20-60 seconds with a strong brace is plenty. If you can hold longer easily, progress to a harder variation instead.
Do planks build visible abs?
Planks strengthen the core but do little to grow the abs on their own. Visible abs depend mostly on body fat, plus loaded exercises like cable crunches.