Top 5 tips for holding a longer plank

1. Do a plank Every. Single. Day.
2. Turn the stopwatch over so you can’t see it. Don’t look at the timer until you physically are ready to drop. I know when I am ready to drop when my thighs start shaking.
3. Find something to distract your brain. I sometimes browse Facebook on my Kindle Fire or read a magazine article during the first part of my plank. This really helps pass the first couple of minutes. By the end when it starts to get hard, I have to stop reading and focus because my whole body is shaking.
4. Towards the end countdown backwards in your head, really slow. I start at 60 and count down slowly to one. This is another way to refocus your brain and it usually kills about two more minutes.
5. Do it until it hurts, then push yourself to hold for at least 15-30 more seconds. Sometimes I drop in a pool of my own sweat. It is a beautiful thing.