Here’s how to perform a plank: Start on the ground with your elbows stacked directly under your shoulders. Straighten your legs out behind you and rest your weight on your forearms and toes. Engage your glutes and core and create tension in your entire body to maintain the position.

Here’s how to do a plank correctly: Lie facedown with your forearms on the floor, with your legs extended and your feet together. You can use a mat or towel to make this more comfortable. Push into your forearms as you raise your body so it forms a straight line from your head and neck to your feet. (Do not let your hips rise or sag.)

Here, Crunch Fitness master trainer Matthew Harling, CPT, CSC, CES, shares beginner-friendly instructions on how to do a plank. Lie face down on a mat. Push upon your elbows and extend your legs, making sure your back is straight and your hips are level. Look directly at the ground in front of you so your neck stays in line with your spine.

To do a traditional high plank, get in a pushup position and hold, with your body lifted off the ground. For proper form, make sure your: Elbows are directly underneath your shoulders. Glutes are engaged — slightly tilt your pelvis forward. Core is tight. Hold in your belly muscles. “If someone poked your abdomen, it should be firm,” says Lawton.