We’re Not Sure Who Invented the Plank

The plank (also called a front hold or abdominal bridge) is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time. If you are doing it correctly, your core becomes engaged making the plank an excellent exercise for strengthening your abdomen. The simple act of planking isn’t very hard to pull off, but holding the position is a completely different story.

It’s undeniable that the plank exercise has become a mainstay in the fitness community over the past two decades. But how was the exercise invented? Well…we have no idea. BUT, people have cited German-born Joseph Pilates, the man behind the Pilates school of training, as the inventor of the plank in the 1920s. What happened in the following decades has proven to be the greatest mystery. Pilates continued to be used, but we were a long way from the ‘Core’ craze, which seemed to hold the plank exercise at its forefront. What happened?

Enter Dr. Stuart McGill. McGill, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo, was not a one-man force in promoting the plank, but he was a hugely influential voice. People listened. As early as 1999, McGill was co-publishing work on bridges and side bridges in relation to stabilizing the lower back. By 2003, McGill himself was producing work for personal trainers directly related to the plank and side plank exercises.

In 2005, Brian MacKenzie came out with his 101 Evaluation Tests for athletes, where the plank was used to determine core strength. In 2009, the International Association of Fire Fighters dropped the sit-up requirement in favor of a plank test at the behest of McGill and others in the field. That same year, word came from the U.S. Army that planks may be included within their own entrance criteria for the sit-up. And today, the International Sports Association calls planks one of the most effective abdominal exercises one can do.

On May 20, 2023, a man from the Czech Republic performed the longest abdominal plank ever recorded, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. Josef Šálek, known to his friends as Joska, undertook the physically grueling challenge, maintaining a strict plank position for 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds. But that’s insane! The average length to hold a plank at the gym is two minutes to achieve an above-average score. If you can hold a plank for over six minutes, you're in an excellent category. And if you struggle to hold a plank for 30 seconds or less, you'll want to focus on improving your core strength.

To improve your plank time, practice two to three times a week. If you want a plank challenge, go to our recent PlanksGiving Challenge blog and give it a go! Or, if you want other plank options, click on the button below. Our Success Studio personal trainers will be happy to get creative based on your ability.