Six weeks to a stronger plank

In six weeks you will have a plank you can time and improve. If you are getting going, that means moving from a worktop plank to holds on the floor. If you are already fit, it ends with a timed test and a goal of one continuous five-minute hold.

Why this works

DonnaJean Wilde began planking about 15 years ago, when a forearm plank was something she could do with her arm in a cast, she told NPR. She could hold it for a minute or so. In October 2026 she held one for five hours at the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah. The method behind that is the one in this plan: short holds, repeated often, made longer a little at a time.

The NHS (the UK health service) recommends strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups, including the abdomen and back, on at least two days a week. A plank covers the trunk with no equipment. A 2023 review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 270 trials and found that isometric exercise, holding a position such as a plank or wall squat, lowered resting blood pressure more than other types of exercise, Blood Pressure UK reported. Take that as a reason to include holds in your week, not as a treatment.

Before you start

Check with your GP (family doctor) first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a back or shoulder problem, or have not exercised for a while.
Find your spot. A clear patch of floor, a mat or folded towel for your forearms, and a kitchen worktop or sturdy table for the standing version.
Learn the shape. Forearms on the floor, shoulders directly over elbows, body in one straight line from head to heels (or knees), eyes on the floor. An NHS physiotherapy guide from Kent and Medway says not to let your lower back sink.
Breathe steadily through every hold. If you cannot, the hold is too hard: make it easier.
Have a timer on your phone or a kitchen clock you can see from the floor.

The plan

Week	Do this	How often	Notes
1 (getting going)	Worktop plank: hands on the edge, feet back, body straight. Hold 10 seconds, rest 30, five times.	3 days	Stand further back to make it harder.
1 (already fit)	Timed test: one forearm plank on your toes, stopped when your hips sag or lift. Then 3 holds at half that time.	Test once, then 2 more days	Write the test time down. This is your baseline.
2 (getting going)	Worktop plank, 15 to 20 seconds, five times.	3 days	Add a wall press-up or two between holds if you like.
2 (already fit)	Four holds of 1 minute, 1 minute rest between. Add a side plank of 20 to 30 seconds each side.	3 days	Knees down for the side plank is fine.
3 (getting going)	Move to the floor on forearms and knees. Hold 10 seconds, five to eight times.	3 days	A towel under the knees helps.
3 (already fit)	Four holds of 90 seconds, rest 2 minutes.	3 days	Keep the line. A sagging hold does not count.
4 (getting going)	Forearms and knees, 15 to 20 seconds, eight times.	3 days	Try one hold with something to read on the floor.
4 (already fit)	Four holds of 2 minutes, rest 2 minutes: the routine suggested by the 2023 review’s researchers.	3 days	One long hold a week: add 15 to 30 seconds to it.
5 (getting going)	Try two holds on your toes for 5 to 10 seconds; the rest on your knees.	3 days	If your back sags, go back to knees.
5 (already fit)	Two sessions of 4 x 2 minutes, plus one long hold with a book or podcast.	3 days	Aim for 4 minutes on the long hold.
6 (getting going)	Your best: time one forearm-and-knees hold, and one on your toes.	3 days	Compare with your week 1 times.
6 (already fit)	Retest the timed plank. Then go for one continuous 5-minute hold.	3 days, test once	Rest at least a day between hard sessions.

If it goes wrong

Your lower back aches during the hold: your hips have dropped. Stop the set, shorten the next one, or go back to knees or the worktop.
Your shoulders or elbows hurt: add padding, check your shoulders are over your elbows, and shorten the holds. Pain that lasts after a session needs a GP or physiotherapist.
You feel dizzy or find yourself holding your breath: come down, rest, and use an easier version until you can breathe steadily throughout.
You miss a week: start again at the week before, not at week 1.
Chest pain that spreads or does not ease, severe breathlessness or fainting: stop and call 999 (911 in the US).

Track it

Keep one line per session: date, version (worktop, knees or toes), how long each hold lasted, and how it felt from 1 (easy) to 5 (very hard). Once a fortnight, time one hold in your best form. A rising number is the clearest sign the plan is working.

What next

Keep two plank sessions in your week and add other strength work, so legs, hips, chest and arms get their share too. Our guide on why strength training matters, and how to start at home covers the rest of the body, and Ravi Sood’s story shows where steady strength work can lead.

General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.