If you're wondering which muscles a plank works, you may be ... This version of the plank is the most popular and uses your forearms to hold your body up. ... with your elbows and forearms at your side and palms facing down.WhatMusclesDoPlanksWork?TheAnswer:ALotMedicallyreviewedbyDanielBubnis,M.S.,NASM-CPT,NASELevelII-CSS—WrittenbyKateyDavidson,MScFN,RD,CPTonMay3,2021MusclesusedBenefitsHowtodoitCommonmistakesVariationsBottomlineTheplankisaclassicexercisethatworksyourmusclesfromheadtotoe.Thoughyoumaydreadtheideaofaplank,you’llreapmanybenefitsfromthissimpleandequipment-freemove.Thatsaid,youmaywonderhowitwillgetyouinshape,whatmusclesittargets,andhowtoknowwhetheryou’redoingitcorrectly.ShareonPinterestGettyImagesWhatmusclesdoplankswork?Theplankisafullbodyexercise,meaningittargetsmusclesoftheupperbody,core,andlowerbody.CoremusclesThoughyou’rebalancingyourbodyweightonyourarmsandtoes,mostoftheworkinaplankisdonebyyourcore.Inparticular,yourrectusabdominis,obliques,andtransverseabdominisareutilized(1,2,3).Therectusabdominisisthetoplayerofmusclesofyourstomach.Whenbodyfatislow,thesemusclesarecommonlyvisibleandreferredtoasa“sixpack”(4).Ontheotherhand,thetransverseabdominisisthedeepabdominalmusclelayerknownasthe“corset”muscle.Ithelpscinchyourwaistandstabilizeyourbackmuscles(4,5).Furthermore,yourinnerandouterobliquesandspinalerectors(backmuscles)areengagedduringtheplank.Whentheobliquesonbothsidesofyourbodyworkintandem,theyalsoprovideastabilizingeffect,particularlybyholdingtheribsandhipsinalignment(1,2,3).UpperbodyThemusclesofyourupperbody,suchasthetrapezius,rhomboidmajorandminor,latissimusdorsi,pectorals(chestmuscles),serratusanterior,deltoids,biceps,andtriceps,alsoworkhardduringaplank(2).LowerbodyYourcoremusclesandlowerbodyarehighlyconnected,whichmeansbothhelpstabilizeyourbodyduringtheplank.Inparticular,you’retargetingyourquadriceps(frontofthighs)andglutealmuscles(buttocks),whichareattachedtoyourabdominalandlowerbackmuscles.Collectively,thesemuscleshelpstabilizeandstrengthenyourhi