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17 Great Plank Abs Exercises you can do at Home to Build a Strong and Toned Core

The plank in all its forms is one of the great abs exercises. 

PLANK ABS EXERCISES – FORM

The plank can be as easy or hard as you make it; it’s your job to make it hard to get the most out of it.

That means creating full-body tension. You want your whole body rigid for the plank, so you should maintain some tension in your shoulder blades, drive your upper arms, from elbows to shoulders, perfectly perpendicular to the ground, maintain a ton of tension through your core (obviously) and squeeze your quads to straighten your knees. It’s better to hold a truly focused plank for 30 seconds to a minute than to hold a lousy plank for 4 consecutive minutes.

If there’s one thing people forget to involve in the plank, it’s their glutes. And that leads to the most common flaw you see in a plank: the butt being the highest point in the plank and the loss of a truly flat back. You avoid this by actively squeezing your glutes: That’ll drive your hips into a cleanly neutral position and help you maintain a truly straight line from shoulders down through legs.

This is typically an ab exercise, after all, so attack it like one. Don’t just keep your core tight, but flex your abs, and work to feel them working. Think about using them to keep your ribcage closed; that’ll engage the entire core complex and make this a better workout.

Muscles Worked by the Plank

This targets a wide range of muscles, especially the rectus and transverse abdominis. The rectus abdominis are the front muscles in the abdomen that support the muscles of the spine and help keep organs in the abdomen area in place. They’re known as the “six-pack muscles” because they give your abs shape and definition.

On the other hand, the transverse abdominis (TVA) muscles are known as the “corseting muscles” because they cinch the waist and act as core stabilizers that support the low back. In fact, a weak TVA is often the culprit of lower back pain.

Planks also target the trapezius and rhomboid muscles (upper back muscles) in your back, as well as the pectorals (chest) and serratus anterior (the serrated-shaped muscles that wrap around the side of your chest and shoulder).

PLANK ABS EXERCISES

1. Plank

Place your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists.

Extend your legs behind you, feet hip-width apart.
Tuck your tailbone and engage your core, butt, and quads.
Hold here for a set amount of time.

Targets the deltoids, latissimus dorsi, glutes, and core.

2. Forearm Plank

Place your forearms on the floor, elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel.
Extend your legs behind you, feet hip-width apart.
Tuck your tailbone and engage your core, butt, and quads.
Hold here for a set amount of time.

3. Forearm Plank Rock

Start in a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel, and legs extended behind you. Tuck your tailbone and engage your core, butt, and quads.
Rock your entire body forward a couple inches so your shoulders go past your elbows toward your hands.
Rock back a couple inches. That’s 1 rep.
Make sure to keep your core, butt, and quads engaged the entire time.

Targets the core, latissimus dorsi, glutes, and deltoids.

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