By 
OF ALL THE MUSCLES in your body, it’s a safe bet that your abs are among the least ignored. After all, nothing says “fit” like a six-pack, which is why core exercises are rarely excluded from most guys’ training plans. Whether you’re targeting the muscles specifically with moves such as the crunch or Superman, or hitting it indirectly with the farmer’s walk, pushup, or Turkish getup, the muscles encircling your torso from your glutes to your traps kick into gear nearly every time you move your body. They’re what keep it steady and stable, and your spine secure and protected (the fact that they’ll earn you appreciative looks when shirtless is just icing on the cake).
There are countless exercises you can do can do to sculpt those muscles, but research suggests that one in particular is especially effective—and in its simplest form, involves no movement at all. In fact, that’s the entire point. It’s called the plank.
Your core muscles have a few primary responsibilities: to facilitate movement in your torso and spine and to resist those very same movements. The latter role the most important by far, and it’s exactly that skill the plank develops. The fact that the plank is also one of the best exercises for sculpting a six pack is beside the point (but only slightly).
If the plank is already part of your weekly routine, you’re ahead of the game. If the classic version is the only one do in your workouts, however, you’re shortchanging your results.
This 14-day plank challenge will supercharge your core routine. Perform it whenever you like—first thing in the morning, before lunch, after work, as a finisher for your normal workouts—as long as you do it every day.
Start by setting a timer for five minutes. Perform the plank variation indicated for that day for the first minute. Switch to the classic plank for the second minute without taking any time to rest. Continue alternating between the two exercises each minute until your time is up.
The 14-Day Ultimate 5-Minute Plank Challenge
WEEK 1
Set a timer for 5 minutes. You’ll spend the first minutes 1, 3, and 5 doing the exercise of the day. During minutes 2 and 4, you’ll simply hold a classic plank.
DAY 1
Bear Plank to Plank
Start in a bear plank position, with hands on the ground stacked directly below your shoulders, your knees off the ground, shins parallel to the floor, and your weight on your toes. Squeeze your abs, glutes, and mid-back muscles to create tension and keep your back flat. After holding the position for a beat, extend one leg back behind you, then the other, keeping your core engaged to prevent your torso from shifting. Pause for a beat, then step one foot, then the other back into the bear plank position.
DAY 2
Side Plank
30 seconds per side each minute
Start lying on the ground, then shift over to your side. Place your elbow on the floor to support your weight, making sure that your forearm is perpendicular to your torso. Raise your hips up, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Squeeze your glutes, abs, and shoulder blades, extending your off arm in the air.
DAY 3
Plank Shoulder-Tap
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. After a beat, lift one hand off the ground across your body to tap your opposite shoulder. Fight against rotational forces to keep your hips level, maintaining full body tension. Return that hand to the floor, then repeat with the other hand.
DAY 4
Plank Reach
Start in a plank position, with your elbows positioned directly beneath your shoulders, neutral spine, active lats, abs and glutes squeezed to create full-body tension. After holding for a beat, extend one arm straight out in line with your shoulder. Hold for a count, squeezing your abs and obliques to keep your shoulders and hips from shifting to compensate for the movement; maintain the lower body tension by continuing to squeeze your glutes. Return to the starting position, then repeat with the other arm.
DAY 5
Plank Row Hold
30 seconds per side each minute
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor and your elbows positioned directly beneath your shoulders, maintaining a neutral spine, active lats, and abs and glutes squeezed to create full-body tension. You can spread your feet out to shoulder-width apart for this exercise. Grab a dumbbell with one hand. Row the weight up to your chest, fighting against rotational forces to keep your hips level. Hold the position for the duration of the set.
DAY 6
Extended Plank
Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. Walk your hands out, extending your arms as far as you can while maintaining your core position. Hold for the duration of the set.
DAY 7
Mountain Climber
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the ground stacked directly below your shoulders, lats activated by turning your elbows forward. Your shoulders should be higher than your hips, so keep your butt down, squeezing your abs and glutes tightly to create tension. Look down at the ground to keep a neutral spine. From this starting position, drive one knee high toward your torso, while keeping your core stable. Drive your working leg back into the starting position as you begin the movement with the other leg. Continue performing reps at a controlled pace for the amount of time prescribed.
WEEK 2
Set a timer for 5 minutes. You’ll spend the first minutes 1, 3, and 5 doing the exercise of the day. During minutes 2 and 4, you’ll simply hold a classic plank.
DAY 1
Plank Up-Down
Start in a plank position, with your elbows should be positioned directly beneath your shoulders, neutral spine, active lats, abs and glutes squeezed to create full-body tension. Drive one knee to your elbow, then repeat with the opposite side. After this, raise yourself up to a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor beneath your shoulders. Repeat the knee drive on each side, then return to the starting plank position.
DAY 2
Side Plank Knee-to-Elbow
30 seconds per side each minute
Start in a side plank position, making sure to keep your elbow facing forward. Drive your top knee up to your torso while driving your off arm down so that your knee touches your elbow. Don't crunch down to make this happen; fight to keep your spine straight and maintain your hip level as you move. Repeat the movement for the entirety of the work period.
DAY 3
Plank Double-Toe-Tap
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. After a beat, drive your butt up and reach down with one arm to touch one toe, then the other, before straightening back into the plank position. Repeat with the other arm.
DAY 4
Plank Thread the Needle
30 seconds per side each minute
Start in a plank position, with your elbows on the floor, squeezing your mid-back, abs, and glutes to create full body tension. Raise one arm off the floor, then reach in through the space between your torso and the floor, rotating at your thoracic spine. After a beat, rotate back through the opposite way, reaching up to the sky. Keep your eyes on your hand throughout the movement. Own the rotation here by moving deliberately instead of rushing.
DAY 5
Plank Drag
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. You can spread your feet out to shoulder-width apart for this exercise. Place a dumbbell just outside one hand. Reach across your body with the arm on the opposite side of the dumbbell to grab the weight, then drag it across the floor to the other side. Get back into the high plank position, then repeat the drag with your other arm. As you perform the movement, fight to maintain core tension and hip level, not dipping to either side.
DAY 6
Iron Cross Plank
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. Shift your arms out wide with your elbows fully extended and hands facing out away from your body. Fight to maintain full-body tension for the duration of the work period.
DAY 7
High Plank Knee-to-Elbow
Start in a high plank position, with your palms flat on the floor stacked directly beneath your shoulders, keeping your shoulders, abs, and glutes engaged with a neutral spine. After a beat, drive one knee up to the same side elbow. Pause for a count, keeping your hips at the same level. Step back to the original position. Repeat with the opposite leg.
Trevor Thieme is a Los Angeles-based writer and strength coach, and a former fitness editor at Men’s Health. When not helping others get in shape, he splits his time between surfing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and trying to keep up with his seven year-old daughter.
