How to fix your planking 

The plank: a simple, humble exercise that everybody, from the beginner exerciser to the seasoned vet in the gym does. 

It’s also an exercise I frequently see botched. So let’s talk about what a plank is for and how to fix it to get the most out of it. 

At its core (see what I did there?) a plank is an exercise in anti-extension. No matter what variation of it you elect to do, the entire goal of this movement is to prevent your back from going into extension by bracing your core. 

And that’s where I see it go wrong. Most people think it’s about how long you can stay in a prone position, but it’s about the quality of the movement–not the duration of time. 

Take a look at this: 

Don’t do this, please.

This is a good example of what not to do. You’ll notice my low back arching and though you can’t really see it because of my shirt, I’m also hanging off my shoulders (there’s a space between my shoulder blades). 

I am literally in hyper extension which is the exact opposite of what I want to do in an anti-extension exercises. 

It’s also an extremely passive way of waiting out some random allotted time limit that I should be aiming for in a plank. 

I’m not getting a thing out of this besides a sore low back and cranky shoulders. 

So let’s fix it. 

Yassssss

• Squeeze your butt cheeks together like you’re pinching a penny. Or quarter. Or hundred dollar bill. Whatever motivates you to not unsqueeze those cheeks. 
• “Tuck your tail under” is another cue I use to get people to posteriorly til their pelvis and get it in the optimal position. Or, you could imagine you want to show yourself your belt buckle. 
• Push the ground away from you. Notice I’m not hanging off my shoulders any more and there’s more space between me and the floor. 
• BREATHE. I don’t ever bother timing myself for a plank, preferring to count full exhales instead. The exhale forces your core to contract more, reinforcing good rib and pelvic positioning. I tell people to pretend they’re blowing out candles. It works, and it works well. 

Try a few sets of ten full exhales the next time you go to plank. You can thank me later.