30 seconds? 2 minutes? Or until your arms start shaking? Few questions about planking come up as often as this one: How long should you actually hold a plank? The answer depends less on the clock than on something many people underestimate: the tension you keep while holding it.
In this article you will take the plank test, compare your result with benchmarks from a scientific study and learn how to improve your time step by step.
The short answer
Young healthy adults hold a forearm plank for about 1 to 2 minutes on average. For your training, though, what counts is not just the time, but how long you can hold the position with active tension and clean technique. Just 3 minutes a day are enough if you use them well.
The plank test: how to measure your time
For a meaningful result, follow the protocol of the study by Strand and colleagues (2014), which established norms for the forearm plank:
- Starting position: Rest on your forearms. Elbows sit directly under your shoulders, hands point forward.
- Body line: Only your forearms and toes touch the floor. Head, back, glutes and heels form a straight line.
- Start the clock: The timer only starts once your position is correct.
- End the test: As soon as your hips sag, your glutes rise or you can no longer hold the line, stop. Time after that doesn't count.
Tip: Film yourself or ask someone to watch your hips. Most people don't notice when their form starts to slip.
Benchmarks: where do you stand?
The study tested 471 healthy university students around 20 years old. The average was 124 seconds for men and 83 seconds for women. Based on the study's percentile values, you can rate your result like this:
| Rating | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Room to improve (bottom 10%) | under 35 seconds | under 62 seconds |
| Solid (middle) | approx. 70 seconds | approx. 110 seconds |
| Strong (top 20%) | over 108 seconds | over 157 seconds |
| Very strong (top 10%) | over 142 seconds | over 201 seconds |
Important: These values come from young adults around 20, many of them active athletes. Lower times are completely normal as you get older. There is no comparable data for older adults. From around age 60, trainers often name 30 to 60 seconds as a good goal. So compare yourself mainly with yourself: your most important benchmark is your own starting value.
Why tension matters more than the clock
With a classic plank on the floor, this often happens: after a while your focus fades, the tension in your core weakens and you just "hang" in the position. Your hips sag, your shoulders take over and your lower back takes the load. From that moment on, you are barely training your core.
So the key is not to hold on somehow for as long as possible, but to keep the tension active. That is hard when you stare at a stopwatch: it's monotonous, every second feels long and your mind switches off.
It's different when your body is constantly challenged. On the Plankpad you control games in the Plankpad app with small shifts of your weight, dodge obstacles or chase points. Your core has to work every second and can't simply switch off. And because you focus on the game instead of the clock, time flies. That way you hold on longer, with active tension.
How to improve step by step
Especially if you are new to planking, you don't have to hold it for minutes right away. A proven approach:
- Getting started: Begin with several short intervals, for example 3 to 5 times 20 seconds with short breaks in between.
- Building up: Extend your hold time a little each day, as long as your technique stays clean.
- Consistency: Train daily if you can. Short, regular sessions do more than rare all-out efforts.
Our 30-day plank challenge covers exactly this progression: you start with short times and build up to 3 minutes with a ready-made daily plan.
Once you can hold a clean forearm plank for about a minute, it's time for more variety. With the games and workouts in the Plankpad app your training stays exciting, and a chore becomes a daily ritual you look forward to.
How to plank correctly: the 5 key points
- Elbows under shoulders: This takes strain off your shoulder joints.
- Neutral spine: No arched or rounded back. Look at the floor.
- Squeeze glutes and abs: Tilt your pelvis slightly back so your hips don't sag.
- Push actively: Press your forearms into the floor and your heels backwards.
- Keep breathing: Breathe calmly and evenly. Holding your breath is a sign you are overdoing it.
Learn more in our article on the 7 most common core training mistakes.
How to improve your plank time
1. Build up step by step
Small, regular progress gets you further than occasional record attempts. The 30-day challenge gives you a clear plan for it.
2. Add variations
Side planks, planks with a raised leg or mountain climbers challenge your core from other directions and make you more stable overall.
3. Use instability
On a slightly unstable surface, your deep core muscles have to compensate constantly. The Plankpad moves with every shift of your weight, and your body has to actively counter it. That way you also train the muscles a static plank on the floor barely reaches.
4. Play instead of staring at the clock
If you watch the stopwatch while planking, you feel every second. With the Plankpad app, your plank becomes a game: you surf waves, ride a snowboard or dodge meteors and hardly notice the minutes passing. Your drive to beat the next round keeps you in position longer than any clock.
Take the test: your challenge
Measure your plank time today and write it down. Then train for 30 days with our 30-day plank challenge and repeat the test. You will be surprised how much longer you can hold it.
Even more motivation: Challenge your family, friends or colleagues. Who gets the best time with clean technique? Or who scores the most points in the Plankpad app?
Conclusion
As a test, 1 to 2 minutes is a good average for young adults. What really matters is keeping the tension active the whole time. Start with short intervals, improve step by step and compare yourself mainly with yourself.
With the Plankpad, it won't feel like a chore but like a game you look forward to every day. 3 minutes a day that fly by.
Note: If you have back pain or health issues, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist before training.
Source
- Strand SL, Hjelm J, Shoepe TC, Fajardo MA (2014): Norms for an Isometric Muscle Endurance Test. Journal of Human Kinetics 40: 93–102.
