Plank

How to

1. 1Lie face down on a mat with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your palms flat on the floor.
2. 2Tuck your toes under and set your feet about hip width apart.
3. 3Brace your abdominals and squeeze your glutes so the trunk becomes one rigid segment.
4. 4Push through the forearms and toes to lift your hips and knees clear of the floor.
5. 5Hold the straight head-to-heel line while breathing steadily, keeping the neck long and the ribs down.
6. 6Lower your knees and hips back to the mat under control to finish the set.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which loads the lumbar spine instead of the abdominals.
• Piking the hips up into an inverted V, which shortens the lever and removes the anti-extension demand.
• Drifting the elbows forward of the shoulders, which shifts load onto the shoulder joint and shortens the hold.
• Holding your breath to stay rigid, which raises intrathoracic pressure and ends the set early.