# Plank

The baseline anti-extension hold — a rigid line from head to heels.

- **Category:** Main circuit
- **Type:** Anti-extension (isometric hold)
- **Targets:** Rectus abdominis, deep core, glutes, shoulders
- **Prescription:** 3 × 30–60 s holds

## Setup

Forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders, feet together behind you. One
straight line from the back of the head to the heels.

## Execution

1. Squeeze glutes and quads hard, tuck ribs down toward the pelvis.
2. Press the floor away through the forearms — no sagging between the shoulders.
3. Breathe shallowly behind the brace and hold.

## Cues

- Glutes and quads *tight* — a plank fails at the hips first.
- Ribs down: think "short front, long back".
- If the hips sag or the lower back takes over, the set is done.

## Common Mistakes

- Hips sagging (lower back extension — the exact thing to resist).
- Hips piked high to make the hold easier.
- Holding the breath entirely.

## Progression

Knee plank → full plank → feet elevated → RKC plank (maximum-tension, shorter
holds) → weighted plank