Plank tracker — track your plank time, beat your friends
Time your plank, log it in two taps, and watch the chart climb alongside your friends.
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What is a plank?
A plank is one of the simplest and most effective bodyweight exercises in existence. You hold your body in a straight line, supported on your forearms and toes, and engage your whole core to keep that line steady. There is no equipment, no rep counting, no choreography to learn — you start a timer and stop when your form breaks down. The plank is sometimes called an isometric exercise because the muscles work without changing length. That single, demanding posture is what makes it so honest: a thirty-second plank tells you exactly where you are.
Proper form
- Lie face down on the floor.
- Place your forearms on the ground, elbows directly beneath your shoulders, hands flat or lightly clasped.
- Tuck your toes and lift your hips so your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
- Keep your neck neutral — gaze a few inches in front of your hands, not up.
- Engage your core and glutes. Don’t let your hips sag toward the floor or pike up toward the ceiling.
- Breathe steadily through the hold. Don’t hold your breath.
- Stop the moment your form breaks. Quality over time, every session.
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Plank timer
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Benefits
A plank works the entire core — the deep transverse abdominis, the rectus abdominis, the obliques, the lower back, the glutes — alongside the shoulders, quadriceps, and stabiliser muscles in the arms. Done consistently, it builds the kind of trunk strength that supports nearly every other movement, from carrying shopping to lifting a child out of a car seat to running uphill without your form falling apart.
A 2023 meta-analysis of 270 randomised trials and around 15,800 people [1] found isometric exercise produced the largest reductions in resting blood pressure of any modality tested. The plank is one of the most accessible isometric exercises and research suggests isometric training may support healthy blood pressure when practised regularly. Talk to your doctor about your blood pressure.
How Just Hold helps you track planks
Just Hold gives you a built-in plank timer that starts with a 5-second countdown so you can get into position. Stop it when your form breaks. Your time is logged with one tap and added to your shared chart with friends or family. You see who’s improving, who’s stalled, and who just stole the top spot. There’s no week-long onboarding, no exercise library, no reps to count — three exercises and a leaderboard. Start your free trial → to track your first plank with your group today.
FAQ
How long should a beginner hold a plank?
Most beginners can hold a plank for 10-30 seconds with good form. Form matters more than time — a 20-second plank with a flat back beats a 60-second plank with sagging hips. Build up gradually: aim to add 5 seconds a week.
What muscles does a plank work?
The plank trains the deep core (transverse abdominis), the rectus abdominis, and the obliques, alongside the shoulders, glutes, and quads as stabilisers. It is one of the few exercises that engages the whole core and most major stabilisers at once without any equipment.
Is it better to do one long plank or several shorter ones?
For most people, several shorter holds with good form beat one long hold where form breaks down. Three 30-second holds with 30 seconds rest is a strong session. Stop the moment your hips drop or your back arches — extra seconds past that point train bad habits, not strength.
Is plank time a good measure of progress?
Yes, as long as your form stays consistent. Track the time you can hold a plank with a flat back and engaged core. Watching that number climb week over week is motivating — especially when friends are tracking too.
How does Just Hold help me track planks?
Just Hold gives you a built-in plank timer, a personal-best history, and a shared chart with your friends or family. Log a session in two taps after each hold and watch everyone’s progress side by side. Try the timer above to see how long you can hold for.
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References
- [1] Edwards JJ, Deenmamode AHP, Griffiths M, et al. Exercise training and resting blood pressure: a large-scale pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1317-1326. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106503
This page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you have health concerns or are unsure whether to start exercising, consult your doctor first.