What is a sensible starting dose for the long-lever plank?

Two to three holds of 10 to 15 seconds with only a small forward walk of the elbows is plenty to start, and a solid 60-second standard plank is the prerequisite worth having first. Add an inch or two of forward reach before you add hold time.

How do I make the long-lever plank easier or harder?

To make it easier, walk the elbows only a couple of inches past a normal plank position and hold for less time. To make it harder, walk the elbows further forward in small increments, since a few extra inches changes the difficulty more than adding seconds does.

What is the long-lever plank good for and when should you use a regular plank instead?

It is a short, heavy anti-extension hold for lifters who already find a standard plank too easy, building trunk strength at a much larger lever than a normal hold reaches. Use a regular plank instead if you cannot hold one for a full minute with square hips, since the long-lever version only makes sense once that base is solid.

Advanced

Long-Lever Plank

Moving your elbows well in front of your shoulders lengthens the lever between your hands and toes, which multiplies the torque your abs must resist to keep the spine from sagging. Research on plank variations shows this long-lever position drives far higher rectus abdominis and oblique activity than a standard plank at the same duration. A handful of hard seconds here beats minutes of an easy hold.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Set up in a forearm plank, then walk your elbows a few inches forward of your shoulders.
2
Stop at the point where you can still keep a flat, neutral spine.
3
Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
4
Hold the position while breathing in short, controlled breaths.
5
Keep your hips from sagging or piking the entire time.
6
Walk the elbows back and lower down when your form fails.

Tips

Start with a small amount of forward reach; even a few inches changes the difficulty sharply.
Cue a hard glute squeeze to keep the pelvis from tipping into an arch.
Treat this as a heavy, short-duration hold rather than an endurance test.

Variations

Common mistakes

The elbows walk out so far forward that the shoulders can no longer support the position, and the front delts take over a hold meant for the trunk.
The neck cranes up and down repeatedly to check form, adding tension that has nothing to do with the trunk this hold is meant to test.
Instead of short, controlled sips of air, the breath gets held completely, which spikes tension and adds nothing to the bracing.
The forward reach stays identical every session regardless of how it feels, when a few inches less or more changes the demand more than almost any other adjustment in this hold.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for the long-lever plank?: Two to three holds of 10 to 15 seconds with only a small forward walk of the elbows is plenty to start, and a solid 60-second standard plank is the prerequisite worth having first. Add an inch or two of forward reach before you add hold time.
How do I make the long-lever plank easier or harder?: To make it easier, walk the elbows only a couple of inches past a normal plank position and hold for less time. To make it harder, walk the elbows further forward in small increments, since a few extra inches changes the difficulty more than adding seconds does.
What is the long-lever plank good for and when should you use a regular plank instead?: It is a short, heavy anti-extension hold for lifters who already find a standard plank too easy, building trunk strength at a much larger lever than a normal hold reaches. Use a regular plank instead if you cannot hold one for a full minute with square hips, since the long-lever version only makes sense once that base is solid.

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