Skip to content
ascend.
Exercise guide

Plank

How to do the Plank with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationBody OnlyBeginnerStatic
Primary muscles

Abs

Secondary

,

Equipment

Body Only

Step by step

How to do the Plank

  1. 1

    Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder.

  2. 2

    Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Plank set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your abs volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More abs exercises

FAQ

Plank: common questions

What muscles does the Plank work?

The Plank primarily works the Abs.

Is the Plank suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Plank is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.

What equipment do I need for the Plank?

None. The Plank is a bodyweight exercise, so you can do it without any equipment.

Is the Plank a compound or isolation exercise?

The Plank is an isolation exercise, it targets the abs through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.

How do I do the Plank with correct form?

Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

Try the climb

Log your Plank sets, free.

Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.

Free to join · No card · Founder badge kept
Ascend Club

The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.

Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.

See Club plans

14-day free trial · no card to start

 FreeClub
Tracking, the climb and streaks
Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables
Muscle-league tiers
The AI coachnudgesFull conversation
Worldwide leagues and challenges,
PR projections and deep analytics,
Unlimited crews,
Themes, export and higher AI limits,