How to Do a Front Plank: Proper Form and Core Benefits

Master the front plank with our expert guide. Learn correct alignment, common mistakes to avoid, and how to build a stronger core with no equipment.

How to Perform

  1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your forearms flat, elbows positioned directly underneath your shoulders.
  2. Extend your legs straight back and tuck your toes so that your weight is supported by your forearms and the balls of your feet.
  3. Engage your glutes and pull your navel toward your spine to create a rigid, straight line from your head to your heels.
  4. Keep your neck in a neutral position by gazing at a point on the floor about six inches in front of your hands.
  5. Maintain active tension throughout your entire body, ensuring your hips do not sag toward the floor or rise toward the ceiling.
  6. Breathe deeply and rhythmically while holding this position for the prescribed duration.

Common Mistakes

  • Arching the lower back and letting the hips sag toward the ground.
  • Piking the hips too high, which shifts the tension away from the core.
  • Holding your breath instead of maintaining steady oxygen flow.
  • Clasping hands together, which can cause internal shoulder rotation and instability.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Abs

Stabilizers

  • Obliques
  • Shoulders
  • Glutes
  • Lower Back

Related Guides

Abs · Core