Plank — form guide
Core · TVA · Glutes · Shoulders. Equipment: Bodyweight. Difficulty: Beginner.
Quality > duration. A perfect 30-second plank beats a sloppy 2-minute one. Squeeze glutes hard the whole time.
Sets & Reps
Programming defaults depend on your goal. Pick the row that matches yours:
Cues
- Forearms under shoulders
- Body rigid plank from heels to head
- Squeeze glutes throughout
- Pull belly button to spine
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging or piking
- Holding breath
Injury notes
Foundational for any back rehab program.
Progression
Start with 3×30s. Add 10s/week. Plateau at 60s → switch to harder variants (RKC plank, side plank).
Indian gym reality
Zero-equipment lift — works in a hostel room, PG, or a park. No excuse for skipping it on travel or gym-closed days.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Zero-equipment variant works — see the home version below.
Home & hostel version
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts with a filled water bottle in each hand — same hinge pattern, no bar needed.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Programs that feature Plank
Full workout plans where this lift sits in the main slot — pick the goal, split, and frequency that fits your life.
Eat to support this lift
Recovery and growth happen at the plate. A meal plan matched to the training goal:
Frequently asked
What muscles does Plank work?
Primarily Core · TVA · Glutes · Shoulders. Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Plank per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
What if I'm training at home in India?
See the home & hostel version above. Bodyweight variants of every major pattern exist and progress for months if you're intentional about it.
How often should I do Plank?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.