Kneeling plank

Description

How to do Kneeling plank

1. 01
   Setup

   Start on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.

2. 02
   Setup

   Extend your body forward slightly so your shoulders are a few inches ahead of your wrists, and your hips are aligned with your shoulders and knees.

3. 03

   Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel towards your spine, and gently tuck your pelvis to flatten your lower back.

4. 04

   Maintain a straight line from the crown of your head through your shoulders, hips, and knees, keeping your gaze slightly forward or down.

5. 05

   Hold this rigid position, breathing steadily and deeply, focusing on keeping your core tight and preventing your hips from sagging or rising too high.

Tips

• Focus on "bracing" your core as if preparing for a punch, rather than just "sucking in" your stomach, to maximize abdominal engagement.
• Imagine a straight line extending from your head to your knees; avoid letting your hips sag or pike up towards the ceiling.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position by looking down at the floor between your hands, preventing strain and promoting proper spinal alignment.
• Actively press through your forearms and hands into the floor to engage your serratus anterior and stabilize your shoulder blades.

Common mistakes

• Allowing your hips to sag towards the floor compromises core engagement; fix this by actively tucking your pelvis and squeezing your glutes to maintain a straight line.
• Hyperextending the lower back puts undue stress on the spine; correct this by engaging your core and slightly tucking your tailbone.
• Lifting your head to look forward strains your neck; keep your gaze neutral by looking at the floor between your hands to maintain spinal alignment.