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Exercises / Core / anti-movement

Front plank

Core / anti-movement Bodyweight Complexity 2/5

Front plank demonstrated

Working position

Setup

Forearms under the shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels.

Execution

Hold, breathing normally, without letting the hips drop or pike.

Coaching cues

  • Squeeze the glutes
  • Ribs down toward the hips
  • Breathe throughout

Common fault

Hips sag and the lower back extends

Fix: Regress to a plank from the knees or hands on a bench.

Muscles trained

Primary: Rectus abdominis (abs)Transversus abdominis (TVA)

Secondary: Erector spinae (spinal erectors)Deltoid (delts)

Regression and progression

Easier: Bird dog

Harder: Ab wheel rollout

Rule

Never advance complexity and load in the same week. When the variation gets harder, the load comes down.

Demonstrations