The 4-Week Plank Challenge

Planks are the plain chicken breasts of the exercise world: They're good for you, but they get boring after a while. But just like you can add different marinades and seasonings to your chicken, you can spice up your planks with variations.

Our 4-Week Plank Challenge gives you plenty of options: You'll do a new plank variation each day, and by the end of the month, you'll have built a stronger, more stable core.

This is about more than six-pack abs. Developing your core muscles — including your glutes, pelvic floor, back and obliques — is also essential for improving walking and running form, preventing back pain and injury and keeping you balanced during everyday movements.

Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the challenge, including a printable calendar with each day's plank variation and more info on proper plank form.

How to Join the 4-Week Plank Challenge

Step 1: Print and/or save your challenge calendar. Keep it somewhere you'll see it every day so you'll always know which plank variation to do. Get a printer-friendly version here.

Step 2: Join our Challenge Facebook Group. Our community of more than 51,000 members is here to support and motivate you. Share how the day's variation went for you, ask for tips from other group members or post photos or videos of your plank progress.

Step 3: Follow along. You can start this challenge anytime you'd like, but we're kicking off our next official round Tuesday, February 1, 2022. Aim to hold each plank variation for 30 seconds twice a day. If you’re new to planking, hold for however long you can maintain proper form — even 10 to 15 seconds is a great start! If you're more advanced, work your way up to 1 to 2 minutes.