Hold a straight line from head to heels on the forearms and toes, bracing the abs and glutes so the hips neither sag nor pike.
- Elbows under the shoulders
- Squeeze glutes, ribs down
- Keep the hips level, no sagging
Muscles worked
Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.
Ratings
Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.
Muscle growth higher is better1.3
Poor stimulus; little growth even near failure. 3 sources.
- 1/5 F tier for building abs: no stretch or range, hard to overload, shoulders tire first; fine for teaching bracing. Jeremy Ethier, It's Weird, But Destroyed Every Ab Exercise I Tested @ 9:15videoExpert opinion2026checked by AI
- 1/5 Isometric only, which may be the least growth-promoting contraction, and it hurts without much payoff. Renaissance Periodization, The Worst Exercises People Still Do (And What’s Better) @ 1:01videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
- 2/5 Traditional plank lets the low back sag and loads shoulders more than the core, so it activates the core poorly. Jeremy Ethier, 4 “Must Do” Exercises You’re Doing WRONG (Less Gains, More Injury) @ 0:00videoExpert opinion2019checked by AI
