• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Plank but Were Afraid to Ask

Bet you didn't know how much history we have on the plank. Here's what it’s good for, its variations, and debunking some of the myths surrounding this ideal pandemic-friendly exercise.

Written by Editorial Last updated on March 23, 2020

Let’s start with the first and most commonly known thing about the plank and that is how to perform one. A standard plank is performed with arms shoulder-width apart and toes on the ground, raise your body until your body is in a line, from the top of your head to the top of your heels. If you are interested in learning more about the plank and its history and variations, continue reading below.

Let’s start with the first and most commonly known thing about the plank and that is how to perform one. A standard plank is performed with arms shoulder-width apart and toes on the ground, raise your body until your body is in a line, from the top of your head to the top of your heels. If you are interested in learning more about the plank and its history and variations, continue reading below.

How Planks Became So Ubiquitous

It all started with Joseph Pilates. That’s right, the inventor of the massively popular Pilates system is said to “invent” the plank. In Pilates, he would perform an exercise known as leg pull front. This exercise would be performed for reps and as a strengthening exercise.

And while we see several of the movements from pilates come up, this one’s popularity is not just due to Pilates. It wasn’t really until 2005 when Brian MacKenzie came out with his 101 Evaluation Tests for athletes where the plank was used to determine core strength. We then saw other people jump into the fray.

First Ace Fitness began to jump in and talk about the benefits of the plank. Expressing that the sit-up should be replaced by the plank. Then in 2009, the International Association of Fire Fighters included the plank in their fitness evaluation. Today, the International Sports Science Association calls planks one of the most effective abdominal exercises one can do.

If you want to dig a little deeper, try The History of the Plank Exercise by Conor Heffernan.

Is the Plank an Accurate Marker for Abdominal Strength?

So, we move forward to today. While I agree that the plank is one of the simplest and easiest exercises to coach and perform there is, let’s look at what it is good for. It is no secret that the plank is an easy way to quantify the core stability and muscular endurance of your core.

However, if you look at the world record holder George Hood, who is a 62-year-old former Marine who has a record for holding a static-hold plank for 8 hours 15 minutes and 15 seconds. What in impressive feat!

So while impressive, common thought would illustrate that it is more of a specific adaptation rather than a universal marker of strength. If it were a universal marker of strength, we would see individuals between 20-40 years old peaking on this rather than a 62-year-old man.

We are in our peak performance age between 20-40 years old. So we are able to build our static sagittal core stability while performing this exercise, however, it’s expression as the be-all and end-all of abdominal strength is overstated.

The Limitations of Planking

The core is capable of doing a great many things. The first limiting factor is that it does not work or improve our rotational stability; this can be done with a side plank with a reach through.

By turning on your side and reaching one arm up to the sky and stretching as far as you can and returning to the starting position, you are improving the rotational core stability and strength.

We can also do a side plank manipulation where you touch your hip to the ground and elevate to work your obliques. Beyond this, for those of us obsessed with the rectus abdominis or the six-pack, you can do a low mountain climber to really work those muscles.

The myth of the plank working the glutes goes back to Pilates’ root exercise. When you plank your glutes are in their natural position thus you are not actually not fighting gravity thus this is the same as just squeezing the muscles.

An amazing variation of the plank is actually the reverse plank; this is much harder and has resistance in the glutes and scapular retractors. In the reverse plank, you will flip over facing the ceiling squeezing your back and glutes tight to elevate yourself.

Today you will not find a single abdominal routine that does not incorporate some variation of the plank. There are amazing devices out there to help you perform the plank. That will assist you in timing, positioning, as well as cushioning.

The plank is an activity that no exercise routine is complete without, however, we need to make sure that we do not overemphasize it. While it should be included it shouldn’t be over-promoted.

About Editorial

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

glidepushup
5 Unique Push Up Variations to Increase Your Strength
plank2
6 Plank Variations to Test Your Core Strength
Long-haired person wearing glasses in gym on ground performing bear plank.
How to Do the Bear Plank for Stronger Abs and Total-Body Stability
Method Man Incline Dumbbell Presses December 2022
Check Out Rapper Method Man Cruising Through 120-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses for 10 Reps

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Justin Medeiros Walks Through a Full Tour of His Home Gym Before CrossFit Season

Powerlifter Jimmy Kolb Logs 612.5-Kilogram (1,350.3-Pound) Equipped Bench Press World Record

The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced

Strongman Legend Hafthor Björnsson Receives International Sports Hall of Fame Induction

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About