Really want to get into the deepest parts of your core? How about a plank? There are difficult varieties like the hardstyle plank [1] and eight-point plank, a favourite of pro surfer Lakey Peterson [2]. There are also modifications you can make to take down the intensity a bit [3] but keep the transverse abdominis, or TVA, engaged (aka your deep core!).
Before you try any variations that are a bit more challenging, you'll definitely want to perfect proper form. As Kenzie Hayes [4], a coach for personal-training platform Ladder, ACE-certified group fitness instructor, and personal trainer, told POPSUGAR in a previous interview, an elbow plank is "the foundation for almost all other planks [5], so it's very important to have correct form in this move. Planking in front of a mirror or with a workout buddy can help you ensure that your core is properly engaged and that your booty is down and in line with your shoulders."
If you're interested in taking it up a notch, check out this basic yet effective four-minute plank workout [6]. And ahead, you'll find a handful of videos you can follow along to that focus on all kinds of planks. There's a Class FitSugar squat and plank routine and some "plank challenges," all 10 minutes or fewer.
8-Move, 4-Minute Plank Challenge With Heather Robertson
Trainer Heather Robertson [7] will walk you through eight different types of planks that you'll hold for 30 seconds each. You'll be doing elbow planks, side planks, plank toe taps, and more. Brace your core!
3-Minute "Perfect Plank" Workout With Bowflex
Exercise physiologist and Bowflex fitness advisor Tom Holland [8], MS, CSCS, wants you to do plank variations for three minutes straight without stopping. "If you need to take breaks, take breaks," he said, "and then jump back in." You'll add leg raises to regular planks, and you'll also do, among other moves, Spiderman planks (my personal favourite).
10-Minute Squat and Plank Workout With Class FitSugar
In just 10 minutes, this Class FitSugar workout will take you through a variety of squat and plank moves. You'll start with squat and reach, and up-down planks [9], goblet squats, side plank with dips, and more will follow.
8 Minutes of Planks For a Stronger Core With Jared Beckstrand
Jared Beckstrand, PT, DPT, calls this his "Ultimate Plank Challenge." It consists of 16 30-second plank holds for an eight-minute workout — that's it! "There are few exercises that work the entire abdominal wall more completely than planks and plank variations," he wrote in the YouTube description. Keep scrolling for his 10-minute plank workout that takes it to the next level.
10-Minute Advanced Total-Body Plank Workout With FitnessBlender
This workout video from FitnessBlender focuses on eight different exercises for a total of 10 minutes. It includes what they call "plank up and out knee tucks," the same thing in side planks as well as in a reverse plank [10], etc. The plank extensions toward the middle of this workout will also bring the heat.
6-Minute Plank Challenge With Heather Robertson
Heather has another plank challenge for you, this time only six minutes long. Having a strong core, she said, is great for lower-back support. She noted you can do this more than one time through for a harder workout. Get ready to follow along!
4-Minute Advanced Plank Workout With Bowflex
Tom is back with Bowflex and an advanced plank challenge that only takes four minutes. Side plank crunches or star planks (you can choose either) will be your first exercise after a basic elbow plank. This is not a beginner workout, so prepare your core!
10-Minute Total Plank Challenge With Jared Beckstrand
Can you hold 10 different variations of planks? We think you can! You'll add dynamic motions to elbow planks and need a tight core the entire time. This workout also proves that repetition really brings the intensity.