July 17, 2025, 1:16 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Planks are a popular exercise for abdominal training. When done correctly, they not only work the visible abdominal muscles but also the deep muscles, including the pelvic floor. However, many people often perform the forearm plank incorrectly. Mistakes such as arching the back, lack of abdominal tension, or rounding the back can occur during planks. Trainer and FITBBOOK expert Alina Bock offers tips on how to avoid these mistakes and how to perform the plank to get the most out of the exercise.
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Overview
Muscles Trained
When performed correctly, the plank effectively trains the entire core musculature. This includes the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, the erector spinae, and the pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and shoulder muscles also play a supportive role.
Common Mistakes and Their Impact on Plank Effectiveness
As mentioned earlier, the forearm plank not only trains the visible abdominal muscles but also the deep abdominal muscles, which are not visible but crucial for overall body stability and posture. To engage these muscles, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that reduce the exercise’s tension and lead to a significant loss of effectiveness.
Arching the Back
One of the most common mistakes I observe as a trainer is a lack of abdominal tension, resulting in an arched back. This “sagging” of the lower back often occurs when someone can no longer maintain abdominal tension but wants to continue holding the exercise for as long as possible. Over time, this misalignment can lead to back problems. Additionally, it prevents the targeted engagement of the core muscles. Abdominal tension is definitely crucial here.
Lack of Abdominal Tension Without Visible Arching
Even without visible arching, there can be a lack of abdominal tension, reducing the exercise’s effectiveness. From the outside, the body often appears in a straight line, but the abdominal tension is not noticeable. This also indicates that the trainee is not engaging the core muscles. While this mistake is not dangerous to health, it does not lead to core muscle training.
Rounding the Back
In addition to sagging the back, another common mistake is the development of a rounded back. Pushing the hips too high during planks is also a mistake that causes the body to no longer be in a straight line. Again, this has negative consequences for core muscle training. While this misalignment is not as taxing on the back, it leads to a significant loss of exercise effectiveness.
Shoulder Overload
Posture errors can occur not only in the core area but also in the shoulders and arms, leading to pain and ineffectiveness. It often happens that the elbows are positioned too far forward, creating a heavy load on the shoulders. This can result in pain and wear in the shoulder joint area. Additionally, “sagging” in the shoulder blade area due to incorrect arm and shoulder positioning can lead to back problems.
Incorrect Breathing
Another source of error is incorrect or even suspended breathing. When the effort becomes too great, breathing is often paused for a certain period. However, this creates pressure in the abdominal area, particularly on the pelvic floor, causing unnecessary strain.
Neck Overload
Many people don’t consider the position of the head or neck during planks. Often, the neck is overextended because the trainee lifts their head. This leads to hyperextension of the cervical spine, and the spine is no longer held in a straight line. Over time, this can lead to back and neck problems as well as tension.
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How to Perform Planks Correctly and Effectively
To learn and perform the plank effectively, I recommend starting on your knees in the plank position. From here, form a straight line with your body, placing the elbows approximately below or slightly below the shoulders. Now, push the elbows toward the knees, activating the latissimus dorsi and creating tension.
To avoid arching the back, it’s important to properly engage the (deep) abdominal muscles in the held position. To do this, pull the navel firmly inward and tilt the pelvis toward the mat. The lower back will then appear slightly rounded. The tension is only created when it is clearly noticeable. By pulling the elbows toward the knees or feet and the knees or feet toward the elbows, abdominal tension is automatically built up.