This post, Easy 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners, was originally published in November 2019 and has been completely updated in June 2022.
Have you ever just wished you could find an easy 15-day or 30-day plank challenge for beginners?
Like one that’s not holding it for five minutes?
Or repeating the exercise multiple times a day.
I hear you!!!!
I recently was looking to find a way to start exercising again but wasn’t interested in spending 30+ minutes doing it.
Not only that but I was wanting to find something that was a full-body workout.
And didn’t include running, laying on my back, jumping jacks, etc.
I immediately thought of the plank position.
Have you ever tried this particular exercise?
In case you haven’t let’s look at how to do it, its variations, its benefits, and its possible downsides.
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30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners
Beginner Defined
Let’s first start with my definition of a beginner.
For this challenge, we’re going to define it as someone who has exercised before but it’s been some time since they’ve done any and/or has never really done any push-ups or yoga.
Grab your Plank Challenge Printable now!!
How To
The plank is the up or starting position of a push-up.
Place your hands on the floor about shoulder distance apart, right below your shoulders.
Arms straight.
Place your feet out behind you so that your body is straight.
Your knees are off the floor, on your toes with your bottom not too high and not too low.
Hence in a plank position (like a plank of wood).
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Variations
Depending on your skill level and general strength and can certainly modify the position to best suit you.
Since we’re talking about a 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners we’ll go over a few of the best options for beginners.
Modify, modify, modify
I am a firm believer in modifying exercises to suit where you are.
Whether it’s because you’re just starting out, you’ve had an injury, or because it’s how your body works.
Do what you need to do to exercise but be safe about it!
Do what you need to do to exercise but be safe about it!
So there are a few ways you can modify the plank to accomplish this 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners.
- Place your knees on the ground but keep straight arms.
- Go onto your elbows rather than having straight arms but legs out straight.
- Place your knees on the ground and have your elbows down.
Side Note: It should go without saying but… if you don’t need to modify don’t modify.
The idea is to push yourself just enough so that you get stronger and benefit from the exercise.
Start with the modifications but then I challenge you to try it without one or all of the modifications.
You might just surprise yourself!!!!!
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30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners
The Benefits
Stronger arms, shoulders, chest, abs, upper back, lower back, butt, hips, and legs.
So, yup, pretty much everything!
It really is a perfect full-body workout.
The fact that it works your back, abs, chest, and lower back gives you a much more stable core.
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The Downside
The downside to doing this 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners?
Well, I’d like to say none but I do want to give you fair warning about one specific thing.
*If you are just starting out, like, you’ve never done a push-up before, etc. please take it easy.
You can strain your back and that won’t do you any good!
So even though this 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners starts off with only holding a plank for 15 seconds, if that’s too much for you, then chose one of the modifications or cut the time down to 10 seconds or even 5 seconds.
Now, finally, right, on to the challenge 🙂
30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners
Grab your Plank Challenge Printable now!!
Day 1 – 14
As I stated just above, day 1 is holding a plank for 15 seconds.
Each following day will either add 5 seconds or stay the same to the day before.
Within your first 14 days, you will get yourself up to one full minute!
I initially started with the intention of only doing 14 days.
I wanted to see if I could do it.
And you know what?
It felt amazing!!
Not only could I feel myself getting stronger (my whole body was ‘sore’).
But I actually made it to one minute.
I was shaking, and doing active labor breathing lol but I made it!!
- Day 1- 15 seconds
- Day 2- 15 seconds
- Day 3- 20 seconds
- Day 4- 25 seconds
- Day 5- 30 seconds
- Day 6- 30 seconds
- Day 7- 35 seconds
- Day 8- 35 seconds
- Day 9- 40 seconds
- Day 10- 45 seconds
- Day 11- 45 seconds
- Day 12- 50 seconds
- Day 13- 55 seconds
- Day 14- Rest
- Day 15- 1 minute
Day 15 – 30
That’s why I decided to extend it another two weeks but only add another 30 seconds.
Pushing to add another minute in two weeks felt like too much but I figured 30 seconds will give my body that much more time to adjust.
As of publishing this post I still have one more week to go but it feels great.
So by the time your month is over, you will be up to holding a plank for 90 seconds (1:30 minutes).
- Day 16- 1 minute
- Day 17- 1.05 minutes
- Day 18- 1.05 minutes
- Day 19- 1.10 minutes
- Day 20- 1.10 minutes
- Day 21- 1.15 minutes
- Day 22- 1.15 minutes
- Day23- 1.15 minutes
- Day 24- 1.20 minutes
- Day 25- 1.20 minutes
- Day 26- 1.25 minutes
- Day 27- 1.25 minutes
- Day 28- 1.30 minutes
- Day 29- 1.30 minutes
- Day 30- 1.30 minutes
Now, if you noticed, there are no rest days during these last two weeks.
If you feel like you need a day off, use one of the repeat days.
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The Future
P.S. I’m actually thinking of taking another month or so and continuing to add seconds until I make it to 5 minutes!!!
I’m not sure I can imagine myself holding a plank for 5 minutes but I know I have to get past that mentality to accomplish it!.
For me, holding a plank is just as much mental as it is physical.
It’s easy to talk yourself out of it when your body can do more.
In Conclusion
Push yourself and take up this 30-Day Plank Challenge For Beginners!
Yes, you will be using muscles you’ve maybe never used before but that’s the point, right?
Trust me, you won’t regret it!
And make sure to check back in in a month or two for an update on the 5- minute plank 🙂
In the instructions you say to hold for 15 minutes on day one. I think you mean 15 seconds?
Oh my…. thank you so much for catching that 🙂