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This is How Long You Need to Hold a Plank to See Real Results (Women's Health)

Posted: Apr 08, 2025 in In the News

This article originally appeared in Women's Health Magazine on April 8, 2025

When we heard the record for a woman holding an abdominal plank was a whopping 4 hours 30 minutes and 11 seconds, and that she was 58 years old, we couldn't believe it. If you're like the rest of us, we start shaking around 30 seconds in and collapse soon after.

As far as core exercises go, the plank is probably one of the first to come to mind. It's a great movement for providing stability and strength by engaging the muscles throughout your core, including your obliques (side abs) and spinal erectors (part of the back muscles)...

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the core muscles include the erector spinae (or your back extensors), internal and external obliques (responsible for rotating your trunk), obliques (these help you bend to the side), transverse abdominis (this is the muscle being used when your bootcamp instructor enthusiastically belts out 'draw your belly button into your spine!'), rectus abdominis (commonly referred to as your 'six-pack' muscles), and the multifidi (which keeps your spine stable)...

Read the full article here.