I'm a Trainer, and This Is My Favourite Exercise For Strength Training and Weight Loss

A plank can be completed on your hands, elbows, knees, or toes. You can also complete a side plank on your forearm or outstretched arm. Centre and side planks work on balance, strength, and endurance, and help you trim inches off your waist. It's common for beginners to start in the half plank position on their knees and build up to a full plank position on your toes. Keeping your core muscles tight, body in a straight line, and continuing slow and controlled breathing is important during planks, as it's very easy to hold your breathe during isometric and difficult exercises.

To make a plank more challenging, you can try a variety of foot and hand positions. Balancing on one leg is the first variation I recommend to clients, and then you can move on to more advanced plank positions like alternating shoulder taps, alternating leg lifts, alternating knee to chest, walking plank, superman plank, and hip dips. Each plank hits a variety of muscle groups and works on balance and coordination.