In the tower the plank hits by the second, and every fifth second in a row hits harder. About three minutes of plank weigh the same as 30 push-ups.
How to hold a plank the camera will time
Forearms on the floor under your shoulders, legs straight, and one line from shoulders to heels. Hold it as long as the line holds. The phone stands to your side, and Pushgard runs the timer only while your hips stay in line.
0:00.0Ready
Press start, then drag the hips down to see what happens.
Four steps, one solid hold
The core does the holding, with the shoulders and glutes keeping the line.
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1Forearms down
Forearms on the floor, elbows right under your shoulders. Start from your knees to find the line.
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2Legs back
Step your feet back and rise onto your toes. Shoulders, hips and heels make one straight line.
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3Brace
Squeeze your glutes, pull your belly in and push the floor away with your forearms. Look at the floor just ahead of your hands.
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4Stop when it sags
When your hips start to drop and you can’t lift them back, the hold is over. A sagging plank works your lower back, not your core.
What breaks a plank, and what to try instead
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips put the load on your lower back. Squeeze your glutes and lift the hips back into line.
- Bent knees drop the hips without you noticing. Straighten your legs, or plank from your knees on purpose.
- Hips piked up high make the hold easier and shorter on work. Keep one line.
- Holding your breath ends the hold early. Breathe slowly through the whole set.
Easier
A plank from your knees with your hips in line, or shorter holds with a rest between them.
Harder
Longer holds, feet closer together, or a straight-arm plank once the forearm version is easy.
Seconds, not reps
The phone stands to your side at hip level, with your knees in the frame.
The plank is the one exercise measured in seconds. The camera checks that you are on your forearms and that your shoulders, hips and knees make a straight line, and the timer runs while that line holds.
If your hips sag, the app tells you so and the timer stops. You get 5 seconds to get back in line, then the set ends. The big number on screen is your current hold.
How counting works All four exercises
This page explains technique; it is not medical advice. If you have an injury, a heart condition or pain during the movement, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first, and stop a set that hurts.
Plank, answered
Framing, sagging hips, knees and how it compares to reps.
Where does the phone go for the plank?
To your side, at hip level, so the camera sees you in profile with your knees in the frame. The app checks that you are on your forearms before the timer starts.
What happens if my hips sag?
The app tells you not to let your hips sag and the timer stops. You have 5 seconds to get back in line; after that the set ends. A plank is one attempt.
Does a plank from my knees count?
Yes, as long as your shoulders, hips and knees stay in one straight line.
How does a plank compare to push-ups in the game?
The game weighs it by time: about three minutes of plank count roughly the same as 30 push-ups. In a plank duel the clock runs up to ten minutes.
Sources
- Escamilla RF et al., 2016. Muscle activation among supine, prone, and side position exercises with and without a Swiss ball. Sports Health 8(4).
Free on iPhone and Android
Your first plank hits a slime
Put the phone at your side, drop to your forearms and hold.