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Fundamentals

Plank

Hold the body in one straight line from head to heels, supported on the forearms and the toes. This page covers the forearm plank; the straight-arm plank on the hands is a variation.

Side view: the elbows stay under the shoulders and the body forms one line. A side view cannot show the tilt of the pelvis, the position of the shoulder blades or any twisting; the text describes them. The two positions are separate: nothing is drawn between them.
Difficulty
Beginner
editorial estimate
Steps to it
3 steps
Beginner → Beginner
Usually done on
Floor
Start with the first stepHow it is done

Prepared by Calisthenics Balkan. Not yet reviewed by a qualified coach. 7 sources

The road at a glance

A short overview with links. Every step is explained in full under Progressions.

Helps to have first

A starting point: no other movement in the Atlas is needed first.

This skill

Plank

Leads towards

No movement in the Atlas builds directly on this one yet.

01

What it is

The plank is a hold: the body stays in one straight line from head to heels while the forearms and the toes carry the weight. A trainer-education article describes it as core stabilization, the trunk resisting movement so the spine stays neutral. This page treats the forearm plank as the main version.15

Sources agree on the straight line and on the common faults, but they frame the pelvis and the shoulder blades differently: NASM coaching text asks for a neutral pelvis and no shrugging, while a small EMG study compared four pelvis and shoulder-blade positions in 15 people (10 men, 5 women) and found higher overall muscle activity and effort with the shoulder blades drawn together and the pelvis tilted backwards than with two of the other three positions. That shows what changes under those conditions in those 15 people; it is not one correct recipe for every plank, and it shows nothing about benefits or injury prevention.16

In the Atlas a plank also appears as a step on other pages, such as Handstand, where it means the straight-arm version. Holding a plank well does not certify readiness for any other skill, and the relations on the map describe useful links, not a compulsory order.

One straight line from head to heels. If the hips sag or rise, change the leverage instead of holding a different shape.

02

How it is done

  1. Set the elbows and feet

    Lie face down. Place the forearms on the floor, parallel, with the elbows directly under the shoulders and the palms down. Feet about hip-width apart with the toes on the floor.124

  2. Lift into one line

    Lift the body so the weight rests on the forearms and the toes. Keep a straight line from head to heels: do not bend at the hips and do not let the belly drop. With the knees on the floor the line runs from the head to the knees, an easier version.145

    CueForm a straight line from head to heels.5

  3. Brace and set the head and shoulders

    Draw the navel towards the spine, squeeze the glutes and pull the ribs down. Tuck the chin slightly and look slightly forward. Push the floor away so the shoulders do not shrug. Coaching texts differ on the exact pelvis and shoulder-blade position (see above), so do not treat one cue as the only correct one.12

    CuePush the floor away.1

  4. Keep breathing, end when the line goes

    Breathe continuously; one coach suggests counting breaths instead of seconds. End the hold when the posture breaks, with sagging, piking or twisting, and come down to the knees or a higher surface. Sources give hold times as programmes; this page gives none.14

03

Progressions

A raised surface and the knees are two ways to make the plank easier, not mandatory consecutive stages. The Atlas lists them so you can note the position you are working on; move on when the whole line stays controlled.

What to have first

  • Nothing is required

    No other Atlas skill is needed. Choose a version, higher surface or knees, whose line you can control; push-ups and hollow body holds are related, not required.

  1. Step 1Beginner

    Incline plank

    Place the hands or forearms on a stable raised surface such as a wall, countertop or bench and keep the same line. A higher surface reduces the load.

    Technical note: The surface must be sturdy and unable to slide.14

  2. Step 2Beginner

    Knee plank

    Keep the knees on the floor and hold the line from the head through the knees. One source also lifts the upper thighs off the floor.

    Technical note: A deliberate regression, rather than letting the hips sag in the full plank.14

  3. Step 3BeginnerGoal

    Forearm plank

    Forearms and toes on the floor, elbows under the shoulders, and one straight line from head to heels.

    Technical note: Full here means a controlled line, not a hold time.124

04

Community

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Tips from the community

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05

Common mistakes

  • Sagging hips

    The belly drops towards the floor and the lower back arches. Squeeze the glutes and pull the ribs down, or go to an easier position.145

  • Piking hips

    The hips rise above the line. Bring the body into one straight line and shorten the hold.14

  • Head position

    Keep the head in line with the spine. NASM's coaching article cues holding an imaginary apple under the chin, and its exercise page says to look slightly forward. Neither names a specific head fault.12

  • Shrugged shoulders

    Tension rises into the upper shoulders. Push the floor away and keep the shoulders over the elbows.14

  • Elbows too far forward or back

    The elbows belong under the shoulders; a position in front of or behind them is listed as a fault.2

  • Holding the breath

    Keep breathing throughout the hold. One source advises people with blood-pressure concerns to avoid excessive straining and breath-holding.124

  • Adding time before the line is solid

    Sources put quality ahead of duration: a shorter hold with a good line beats a longer one that breaks down.12

06

Variations and related skills

  • Straight-arm plank

    Hands directly under the shoulders and the arms fully extended, as at the top of a push-up. Sources disagree on how hard it is: a calisthenics coaching page calls it slightly easier than the bent-arm plank, while NASM's page says the straight arms lengthen the lever and make it harder. It is also the plank step on other Atlas pages.37

  • Side plank

    Holding the line on one side, a progression that asks the trunk to resist bending sideways. Newer trainees can bend the knees.1

  • Shoulder taps, arm or leg lifts

    Tapping a shoulder or lifting one arm or one leg from the plank adds a stability demand; for the taps the coaching cue is to keep the hips quiet.1

  • Feet on a wall

    Stance

    A coaching page uses planks with the feet resting on a wall behind you as steps towards the elbow lever, where you feel the weight on the arms and alignment matters.7

  • Stability ball or suspension trainer

    Equipment

    Planks on a ball or suspension handles add instability and are listed for well-progressed trainees.1

Related skillsPush-UpHollow Body HoldHandstandOne-Arm Push-UpL-SitDragon FlagHanging Leg Raise

On Calisthenics Balkan

07

Sources

What this page relies on. Titles and publishers are written as published.

The small numbers in the text point to the entries below.

  1. The Plank: Coaching, Progressions and Variations for Every ClientHeather Cherry, NASM content strategist · NASM, 2021, updated 25 Jul 2026 · coaching article for trainers; page text read; programming advice not used
  2. Plank (exercise library)NASM · exercise-library page, no author or date; page text read; the page has copy errors, so only the setup and fault list are used
  3. Straight-Arm Plank (exercise library)NASM · exercise-library page, no author or date; page text read; unsupported claims on the page are not used
  4. How to Do a Plank and a Modified PlankWorking for a Healthier Tennessee (State of Tennessee), instructions credited to ACE Fitness · no date; page text read; a public-health page, not ACE's own site
  5. Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-upsHarvard Health Publishing, reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD · 12 Jan 2026 · health article; page text read; the plank is mentioned in three lines of form advice only
  6. Influence of Scapular Position on the Core Musculature Activation in the Prone Plank ExerciseCortell-Tormo JM et al. · J Strength Cond Res 31(8):2255–2262, 2017 · surface EMG, 15 participants, four plank conditions; abstract only
  7. Elbow Lever ProgressionsHybrid Calisthenics · hybridcalisthenics.com, 2025 · coaching page for a different skill; only its plank steps are used; page text read, hold numbers not used

A note on safety. If you feel pain in the lower back, stop and ask a qualified professional before continuing; a state-health page crediting ACE Fitness gives the same advice. NASM separates muscle effort from pain and notes that forearm positions can help when the wrists are uncomfortable. Avoid breath-holding and straining. This is an editorial technique guide, not rehabilitation advice. The sources are a trainer-education article, exercise-library pages, a public-health page and a health article, plus one small EMG abstract; none of them is a study of plank injury or benefit. The figure is a simplified model, and the page has not been reviewed by a qualified coach.

Prepared by Calisthenics Balkan. Not yet reviewed by a qualified coach.

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