If you only do one exercise at home, make it the plank

How long can you hold your plank? Showing off about plank times has become a sport all of its own.

Chris Hemsworth is a plank devotee. Picture: Greg Funnell

How long can you hold your plank? If you can stay in this midriff-toning position for more than two minutes, you probably think it’s something to boast about. Showing off about plank times has become a sport all of its own — and it’s not just hard-bodied celebrities who are displaying their ability to hold the position on social media.

At the last count, there were 1.3 million posts about the plank. The plank is the ultimate toning exercise, and if you hold it for long enough, it burns fat too. It’s one of the best exercises for all-round strength and stability, and can help prevent injuries from other forms of exercise. Age is no barrier either. Last month, George Hood, a 62-year-old former marine from Illinois, set a Guinness World Record when he sustained a plank for an abdominal-quivering eight hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds, having trained with four to five hours of planking each day.

For those who haven’t tried it, the plank involves using abdominal, thigh, back and arm muscles to keep the torso aloft while your toes and forearms are on the ground, with most Instagram posts showing images of abs exquisitely toned by the core-clenching position. Thanks to its powers to tighten the mid-section and strengthen the chest and back, it has stood the test of time even in the fickle world of fitness. You are as likely to find yourself performing a plank in a yoga class as in a hardcore Crossfit session, or a plank-off at the end of a circuit session.

Fitness bores boast about how long they can hold a plank, as do many Hollywood stars. Chris Hemsworth, 36, says he uses planks to get ripped for his roles. Cher, 73, says five-minute planks are the secret of her fit body. Superfit Halle Berry, 53, has said that if she could do only one exercise for the rest of her life it would be a plank variation, and the model Gigi Hadid did an interview while holding hers — but, then again, she is 24.

Newscaster Jon Snow, 72, said that, on the advice of his personal trainer, he has been performing two-minute planks as he is holed up in COVID-19 self-isolation at his home in London. The question is, though, are we planking properly?

Technique is everything

“Technique is very important with the plank,” says celebrity fitness trainer Matt Roberts. He says you should always start by lying face down before elevating your body either on to your forearms (with elbows bent at 90 degrees) or palms. Ensure your back is long and straight, with your shoulders, hips, and knees or ankles all aligned.

Keep hips and shoulders level and make sure your bottom isn’t sticking up; hips should be in line with your body. Maintain a neutral posture: this means a slight inward curve of the lower spine and slight outward curve of the upper back.

Look down to the hands, but don’t allow your head to drop: your neck should be aligned with your body. “A mistake people make is to assume the plank position and just hang there,” Roberts says. “Instead, think of it as a switched-on movement in which you are pulling elbows down and feet up so that abdominal muscles are activated and lats (the muscles down the side of the body) engaged, all working harder as a result.”

The easy way isn’t cheating

There are two versions, both of which bring benefits: the “basic” plank, and a “raised” or “high” plank, in which your palms are on the floor, engaging the arm and upper-body muscles more.

“A raised plank is marginally easier due to the increased elevation, although some people find it hurts their wrists,” Roberts says.

In a low or “hover” plank, your shoulders are stacked above your elbows with your forearms on the ground. Aside from taking the pressure off your wrists (potentially a problem if you have tendon pain from old injuries), “you will work your core slightly harder in the forearm plank”, Roberts says. “Ideally you should switch between the two, even moving from the raised to the lowered plank and back again, adding as much variation of movement as you can.”

It’s important not to put too much pressure on your back. If you start to feel the load in your lower back rather than your core, it’s good to drop to your knees. It’s not cheating — it’s an acceptable starting point for beginners. Adopt the lower plank position on your forearms and have your knees on the ground. Once you can hold it for 20-30 seconds, try lifting from your knees and come into a full hover for 10 seconds before dropping down to your knees to rest for a few seconds, then repeat. “Build up gradually, working towards holding a full plank for 30 to 40 seconds in a few weeks,” Roberts says.

If a plank is too easy or painful, chances are your technique is poor. “Keep your spine neutral before engaging the core muscles, as this helps to maintain stability and prevent your mid-section from sagging,” says Dylan Morrissey, a professor of physiotherapy at Queen Mary University of London. “Think of how you would stand with good posture and apply the same approach when you are in a plank: don’t allow your pelvis to sway downwards or your spine to become arched.’’