15 Best Plank Exercises For Abs And Core At Home (6 Pack Abs)

If you are looking for the best plank exercises for the abs muscles and core muscles, you are in the right place. Do not leave your place. Just read on to the end and I guarantee you that you will get the most benefit.

We all seek to appear with a sporty, attractive body, and none of us want to appear with a swollen and heavy belly with an abundance of fat. 

That is why we are always looking for solutions, and for all specialists, the best solution is to do some exercises that target the abdominal area.

The plank exercise is an isolated exercise that targets a group of muscles, the most important of which is the abdominal muscles, because it is one of the exercises that keep the abdominal muscles tight and tense throughout the exercise period. This is what makes it one of the most powerful abdominal and core exercises.

But most people are not familiar with all types of planks or variants of the plank exercise. You can do many different exercises in order to stimulate the abdominal muscles to burn more calories and get better results, and this is exactly what we will learn about shortly.

In this post, we will learn about a complete set of plank exercises and how to do them correctly, as well as the tips of professionals in order to get better results, so let’s follow together and discover that.

What is a plank exercise ?

It is a body weight exercise that primarily targets the abdominal area and is relied upon by athletes and many people to strengthen the core and abdominal muscles. 

This exercise puts the entire body in a plank position, hence the name. It keeps you like a wooden plank with your elbows on the ground and keeps the abdominal muscles tense.

• Utility: Auxiliary

• Force: Push

• Mechanics: Isolated

Regular Plank 1st Rule:

• Neutral Pelvis

• Engaged Core

• Contracted Glutes

Plank exercise muscle worked

This exercise targets a group of muscles of the upper part of the body, but it occupies the muscles of Rectus Abdominis in the first place.

According to ExRx.com 

Target:

• Rectus Abdominis

Stabilizers:

• Obliques

• Pecs (minor, major)

• Quads

• Serratus Anterior

Ant Stabilizers:

• Traps (middle, lower)

• Rhomboids

• Erector Spinae

Can I rely on plank exercises to strengthen abs and core ?

Plank exercise is strong and it may seem to you that it is easy and has no effect, but you must first try it and get used to it at least for 4 weeks and I am sure that you will get results that will dazzle you.

According to the healthline, the Plank exercise burns between 2 to 5 calories per minute, and here we talk about the abdominal area and everyone knows that the belly fat is stubborn and is not easy to remove, as it resorts to higher levels of fat burning, and also is one of the effective exercises In increased muscles and strengthening the core.

The strength of the exercise lies in the degrees of its intensity because the more difficult the results are the better, as the repetitions and rest periods play a role in the quality of the results that you will get. 

So we can say that it is good and effective in strengthening the abdominal muscles and core and motivating them to acquire muscles and Reducing the rate of fat mass.

What are the best variations of planks ?

• Regular Plank

• Single Leg Plank

• Leg Raise Plank

• Jack Plank

• Shoulder Tap

• In & Out Plank

• Plank To Push-Up

• Arm Raise Plank

• Knee To Elbow

• Tuck And Kick

• Mountain Climbers

• Hip Raise

15 Best plank exercises for abs and core 

It is good to rely on different types of plank exercises, this is beneficial for the muscles and puts the abdomen and core area in front of new challenges constantly. 

Also, this does not allow the muscles to get used to doing the same exercise always, so you can rely on the list of plank exercises that we will get to know shortly to achieve The greatest amount of benefit and restore your fitness or build abdominal muscles or any goal you want to achieve.

1- Regular Plank

We start with the regular and most famous plank exercise, this is the basic exercise that you should start with plank sessions in order to prepare your muscles to integrate with other types of plank.

The basic plank is the first challenge in which you will test the endurance of your muscles and stimulate them to grow and gain strength.

How to do a regular plank:

• First, take a push-up position, but place your elbows on the ground instead of your palms.

• The distance between your elbows should be like shoulder width.

• Keep your body completely straight like a plank.

• Keep your toes on the ground.

• Then try to hold out for as long as you allocate for this exercise.

Pro tip:

Try to keep your muscles tight, especially the abdominal area and the core. Also, do not ignore the lower body muscles, as they play an important role in keeping you stable, so tighten your thigh muscles and try to feel the tension of your muscles throughout the exercise.

2- Single Leg Plank

This is a slightly advanced type of plank. It is more challenging compared to the regular plank exercise, as you rely on one side of the leg muscles, and this requires additional effort and puts the abdominal muscles under greater challenges.

How to do a single leg plank:

• Like a regular plank, start in a push-up position but place your elbows on the floor instead of your palms.

• Keep your body completely straight and tighten your muscles well.

• Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart and keep your elbows directly under your shoulders.

• Keep one of your feet on the ground and raise your other foot off the ground and keep it straight.

• When the repetition period is over, do the same with the other foot.

Pro tip:

This exercise requires you to remain steadfast by relying on one of your feet. You will feel your abdominal muscles tearing, and this is a good thing, but try to focus more on staying still throughout the exercise and keeping your abdominal muscles tight throughout the exercise.

3- Leg Raise Plank

This is another type of plank exercise that you can rely on well, as it requires additional effort from the muscles of the lower body and is more mobile than the previous exercises.

You can rely on it to improve the core and abdominal muscles, it will make your muscles tear throughout the exercise period, and it will also improve the function of the hips.

How to do plank leg raises:

• Just like the previous exercises, drop into a push-up position, but place your elbows on the ground instead of your palms.

• Keep your elbows directly below the shoulders.

• Keep your body completely straight like a plank.

• Then during each repetition, lift one of your feet up and lower it again.

• Make the repetitions alternating between your feet until you finish the exercise period.

Pro tip:

Try not to make your movements too fast, focus on slowing down a bit and try to feel the tension of your muscles well. You are not required to raise your leg to a very high level, but try to raise it to a level that makes it straight with your back at least.

4- Jack Plank

It is called a plank jack because it is in line with the idea of ​​the jumping jack exercise, except that this exercise applies the same principle, but by placing the palms of your hands on the ground.

This exercise may not be easy, although it seems so, because we know that jack jumps are a great cardio exercise that helps you raise your heart rate, but in the plank position it is different and more challenging, although it is a tremendous exercise and will help you strengthen your muscles and stimulate them to grow.

How to do plank jack:

• Lower into the push-up position again, but this time you can keep your palms on the floor as if you were going to do a push-up.

• Keep your body straight and steady like a plank.

• At the beginning of the movement, keep your feet close together and your palms directly below your shoulders.

• Then start pressing your toes and open them out and press them again and pull them together.

Pro tip:

Try to benefit from this exercise well. You must be ready, fat and physically, and try to have good contact with your muscles. You should also keep your abdominal muscles tight, as well as the muscles of the lower body.

5- Shoulder Tap

We have already talked about this exercise in many posts previously. It is a good exercise, although it seems very easy, but believe me, it will not be the same after doing several repetitions.

Anyone can do this exercise and rely on it as an exercise for the abdominal muscles and the core at home. It is a great addition to the group of exercises that we are talking about today.

How to do Shoulder tap plank:

• It works the same idea as plank leg raises, except that this exercise requires you to raise your hands instead of your feet.

• Go down to the push-up position, this time also you can put the palms of your hands on the ground as if you were doing a push-up.

• Keep your back straight, good muscle tone, and be more prepared.

• Keep your arms straight down, directly under your shoulders.

• Start by raising your right palm and placing it on your left shoulder blade.

• Return your palm to the ground and do the same with the other hand.

Pro tip:

Keep your back straight and your entire body, also try not to raise the palm of your hand to your shoulder affect the balance of your body, you must remain stable in one position even though you rely on one arm to keep your body balanced, that is, you must keep your shoulder blades in a position parallel to the ground throughout the exercise.

6- In & Out Plank

This exercise is also a type of plank that will add more challenge to your routine as it tends to be a cardio exercise because it is characterized by movement and raises the heart rate.

It also helps greatly to improve the movement of the hips, the pressure of the abdominal muscles, and the improvement of the core muscles. 

It is an exercise that you can rely heavily on and do as many repetitions as you can.

How to do In & Out plank:

• Always start in a push-up position, you can keep your palms on the ground as if you were going to do a push-up.

• Keep your palms about shoulder width apart.

• Keep your back straight and do not let your hips drop down.

• Then start pulling your feet together down to your chest, it will look like you are trying to touch your elbows with your knees.

• Press your toes, bend your knees, make a small jump, and push them forward to the bottom of your chest.

• Then return them to the previous position in the same way and so on.

Pro tip:

Keep your palms on the ground throughout the exercise and keep your arms straight and do not bend your elbows. 

Try to squeeze your abdominal muscles and use the largest amount of space available to you to pull your feet well below your chest.

7- Plank To Push-Up

Plank to push-up is one of the most popular exercises in fitness halls. It is an advanced type of plank exercise. It is also not as easy as it seems, and some may find it a difficult exercise.

But this type of exercise must be done because it is more effective in adding a dose of strength to the core area and pressing the abdominal muscles more and keeping them under tension throughout the exercise.

How to do a plank push-up:

• Always start in a push-up position, but place your elbows instead of your palms on the floor.

• Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart.

• Keep your back straight with your lower body.

• Tighten your muscles well and prepare, then start moving to a push-up position, that is, lift your elbow off the ground, put your palm in its place, and raise the other elbow in the same way.

• Settle into a push-up position, then put your elbow back on the ground, followed by the second elbow, and so on.

Pro tip:

Keep your abdominal muscles tight throughout the exercise, and try to keep the speed of the repetitions as constant as possible, and it is necessary to keep your body straight and keep it neutral.

8- Arm Raise Plank

This is another type of plank exercise that you can rely on to tighten the lateral abdominal muscles more, because it is a type designed for that, as it allows you to extend your arms well forward, and this keeps the abdominal muscles under intense tension.

Also, one of the benefits of this exercise is that it does not require great muscle effort, but it exhausts the abdominal muscles and strengthens the core area well.

How to do plank arm raises:

• Like all plank variants, you will start in a push-up position and keep your palms on the floor as if you were doing a push-up.

• Keep your palms shoulder-width apart and keep your arms straight, just below the shoulders.

• Keep your back and lower body straight like a board.

• Tighten your leg muscles well, then start raising your right hand and extend it well in front of your face as if you are trying to touch something.

• Return your palm to its previous position and do the same with the other arm.

Pro tip:

Try to extend your arm forward, and you must feel the tension of your abdominal muscles and your side muscles, and stay as straight as possible, and try to engage your core as well throughout the exercise.

9- Knee To Elbow

This is also an exercise of the best plank variations, which will definitely help you gain more flexibility in the muscles of the hips, and will also help you tighten the abdominal area and strengthen the core well.

This exercise may seem easy to you, but believe me, it will not become so. After doing a few repetitions, you will feel your stomach muscles tearing, and this is useful, so this exercise is good.

How to do a knee to elbow:

• Get down to a push-up position again. You are free to place your elbows or the palms of your hands on the ground, but it is better to place the elbows.

• Keep your back straight and in line with your lower body.

• Tighten your muscles well, keep your elbows shoulder-width apart, and prepare for the next movement.

• Start pulling your right knee outward and push it forward towards your right elbow. It will look like you are crawling on the floor.

• Return your foot to its previous position and do the same with the other knee.

Pro tip:

It is necessary to maintain the path of your knee in the form of parallel to the ground, that is, you should not raise your knee high or vice versa, just keep it in a path parallel to the ground and in a straight line with your arms throughout the exercise.

10- Plank Tuck Ups

This is one of the advanced plank variations. Believe me, it makes you feel as if you are training on the abdominal machine. It is one of the most powerful exercises that will help you gain abdominal muscles and strengthen the core well.

You may find it difficult to do it from the first attempts, but if you are more persistent and committed, you will be able to do many repetitions, and you will get amazing results over time.

How to do Plank Tuck Ups:

• You will start from a push-up position again, place your palms on the floor and keep your arms straight.

• In this exercise, keep your back straight, but try to raise your lower back a little higher.

• Keep your toes close together and stretch your feet well.

• Put a towel or anything that can help you slide your toes back and forth.

• Then start pulling your feet forward, bend your knees, and try to touch your chest muscles with your thighs.

• Push your feet back until you are in the previous position and repeat again.

Pro tip:

Try to take advantage of the range of motion available to you and try to keep your muscles engaged throughout the exercise, also keep the upper body neutral and focus on pulling your feet and thigh muscles in the direction of the chest and keep your toes touching the ground throughout the exercise.

11- Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbs cannot be ignored when we try to rely on plank variables. This is a common exercise, and it is also a type of plank exercise, and you will definitely have done it before, so this is a good exercise to add to the exercise schedule.

Mountain climbers are one of the cardio exercises that will help you lose fat and focus on the abdominal area and the core well. It will also help improve the movement of the hips as well.

How to do mountain climbers:

• Always the first thing to get into a push-up position, place your palms on the floor and keep your arms straight.

• Keep your body straight and focus on keeping your back neutral and straight.

• Spread your palms approximately shoulder-width apart.

• Engage your muscles well, tighten them, and be more prepared.

• Then start slowly moving one of your knees bent in the direction of the elbow in front of it.

• Put your foot back in place and do the same with the other foot, then start speeding up your movement as much as you can.

Pro tip:

Try to stay in a push-up position throughout the exercise, keeping your lower back steady and neutral. Also, try not to touch your toes on the ground while pushing your knee forward.

12- Hip Raise or (Pike Plank)

This is also an advanced plank variant that works incredibly well to keep your abs tense throughout the workout, it really makes the difference and gets you good results.

It makes you feel as if you are training on an abdominal machine because it is designed to be one of the most powerful abdominal and core exercises, and it has great effectiveness in reducing fat percentage and building fat-free muscle mass.

How to do a plank hip raise:

• Again, you will go down to a push-up position, put your elbows on the ground.

• Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight with the lower section, and tighten the muscles of the legs well.

• Try to keep your toes tight on the yoga mat or the floor. It is best to wear sports shoes.

• Press your elbows, push your hips up, and extend your arms back a little until you are on the verge of a pyramid.

• Lower your hips again and push your shoulders forward until you are in a regular plank position again.

Pro tip:

Try to take advantage of the range of motion available to you, and try to push the hip as high as you can, and focus on keeping your legs and back straight.

If you can’t do it, you can modify the movement by putting your knees on the ground instead of your toes and doing the same thing.

13 – Hip Dips Plank (Salsa Plank)

The hip dips exercise is also another variant of the plank exercise that improves the abdominal muscles and the core in a great way, keeping the muscles tense throughout the exercise, raising the ceiling of challenges, and squeezing the muscles well.

How to do Hip Dips Plank:

• Again, you will go down to a push-up position, put your elbows on the ground.

• Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight with the lower section, and tighten the muscles of the legs well.

• Try to keep your toes tight on the yoga mat or the floor. It is best to wear sports shoes.

• Think of it as if you were going to make a semi-circle using your hips, i.e. keeping your elbows firmly on the ground, rotate your hips to the right side until your side thigh is on the ground.

• Come back and rotate your hips to the left side until the side of your thigh is on the floor.

• Use your toes and try to keep your toes tight and in a movement parallel to the movement of the hips.

Pro tip:

You must keep the upper back and shoulders in a neutral position. 

Try not to roll your shoulders throughout the exercise, and keep your abdominal muscles tense and tense throughout the exercise.

14 – Side Plank

This type of plank is known and very popular in fitness halls as it works more on the lateral areas of the abdominal muscles. It is necessary to do variables that help target the entire core and abdominal area, so this exercise is good.

How to do a side plank:

• It will be different this time, you will apply the same plank idea but on the side.

• Place one of your elbows on the floor, and turn your body to the side that your elbow supports.

• Keeping your elbow perpendicular with your shoulder blades down, you will be in a sideway position, i.e. your abs are looking out to the side.

• Lift the other arm up in a vertical position with your shoulder blades.

• Keep your higher side foot on top of your other foot and keep your body straight like a board.

Pro tip:

Try to stay as still as possible and try not to let the hip fall to the middle and keep your muscles tight and engaged throughout the exercise.

15 – Extended Plank

Finally, we conclude with one of the most powerful plank variants, which will definitely make you feel your stomach muscles tearing. It is impossible to imagine the effectiveness of this exercise when it comes to targeting the abdominal muscles and the core.

You may not be able to do it professionally on your first attempt, but I advise you to practice it well because it will add a dose of strength to you and make you do more plank variables and will also help you raise the intensity of the exercises.

How to do an extended plank:

• First, you will start in a push-up position, like any other plank exercise, place your palms on the floor and keep your fists slightly close, but not excessively.

• Try to keep your body muscles tight.

• Then try to extend your arms forward without letting your pelvis fall down whenever you push your palms forward whenever that is good.

Pro tip:

I know that this is a difficult exercise and it is not as easy as it seems, but with some practice you will get used to it and you will start doing it with the least possible effort, but first try to commit to pushing your arms forward as far as you can only, then you can add a few centimeters in each session.

Plank exercises training program

What are the benefits of plank exercises ?

The benefits of plank exercises cannot be imagined. Many people publish their success stories and achieve their goals by doing plank exercises only for a certain period. 

They really make a difference and help you achieve your goals, especially at the level of the waist, abdomen and the entire core.

In a study published by the NCBI on the effectiveness of plank exercises on the core and abdominal muscles, where a group of people participated in a training program that included only planks for a period of 4 weeks, the results were:

• Increase physical fitness factors.

• Significant improvement in muscle strength and endurance. (not just the abdominal muscles)

• Gain flexibility, and improve cardiopulmonary fitness.

• Enhancing skeletal mass and improving the basic metabolic rate.

• Decreased fat mass and general body fat percentage.

Useful Links

If you want more bodyweight exercises at home, I advise you to check out what these links contain. You will learn more exercises that you can do at home only and will help you build fitness and stay healthy.

Get rid of back fat without equipment at home

Best exercises to unlock your hips at home

Here’s the guide of shrimp squat for lower body training 

Make your triceps bigger with this exercises

Hang leg raises exercises guide for 6 pack abs