How long should you hold the RKC plank when you are new to the exercise?

Start with two or three holds of 10 seconds at true maximal tension, resting a full minute or more between them, since the intensity here matters more than the clock. Once every second of a 10-second hold feels genuinely maximal, add 5 seconds before you add a fourth hold.

How do I make the RKC plank easier or harder?

To make it easier, hold for less time at the same maximal tension rather than easing off the squeeze. To make it harder, add a few seconds to the hold or bring the feet closer together, since the position is already meant to feel brutal at just ten to twenty seconds.

What is the RKC plank good for, and when is it a poor choice?

It builds the total-body bracing pattern that carries over to heavy squats and deadlifts, packing a lot of tension into a short hold. It is a poor choice as a first plank variation for someone who has not yet built a comfortable 30-second standard plank, since the maximal squeeze is hard to find without that base.

Intermediate

RKC Plank

The RKC plank looks like an ordinary plank but feels nothing like one. By pulling the elbows toward the toes, squeezing the glutes hard, and bracing every muscle, you generate maximal tension so a ten-second hold becomes brutally effective. It teaches the total-body bracing pattern that carries over to heavy lifts and needs no equipment or added time.

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

How to do it

1
Set up in a forearm plank with elbows under or slightly ahead of your shoulders.
2
Place your feet close together and set your forearms firmly into the floor.
3
Tuck your pelvis and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
4
Pull your elbows and toes toward each other without actually moving them.
5
Brace your abs maximally and keep breathing in short, sharp breaths.
6
Hold the peak-tension position for ten to twenty seconds, then release.

Tips

Think of dragging your elbows toward your feet to fire the abs to their limit.
Keep the glutes locked; a soft backside lets the hips sag and the low back arch.
Trade duration for intensity; short, maximal holds beat long, slack ones.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hold stretches well past twenty seconds because it is easier to hold loosely than to hold hard, turning a maximal effort into an ordinary plank with a long timer.
Feet spread wider than hip-width undercut the total-body squeeze, since the legs are supposed to press together to add tension, not brace independently.
The breath gets held completely instead of taken in short, sharp sips, spiking pressure without adding any extra brace to the trunk.
Resetting slowly between reps eats into the rest period, so the next hold starts from a half-recovered state instead of a fresh maximal one.
The neck cranes forward to check the clock, adding strain through the upper spine while the trunk below is what should be under tension.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the RKC plank when you are new to the exercise?: Start with two or three holds of 10 seconds at true maximal tension, resting a full minute or more between them, since the intensity here matters more than the clock. Once every second of a 10-second hold feels genuinely maximal, add 5 seconds before you add a fourth hold.
How do I make the RKC plank easier or harder?: To make it easier, hold for less time at the same maximal tension rather than easing off the squeeze. To make it harder, add a few seconds to the hold or bring the feet closer together, since the position is already meant to feel brutal at just ten to twenty seconds.
What is the RKC plank good for, and when is it a poor choice?: It builds the total-body bracing pattern that carries over to heavy squats and deadlifts, packing a lot of tension into a short hold. It is a poor choice as a first plank variation for someone who has not yet built a comfortable 30-second standard plank, since the maximal squeeze is hard to find without that base.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Abs exercises