Social media is full of people trying to „hold" the plank position for minute after minute - as if the effectiveness of the exercise depended on a stopwatch. That's a flawed logic, the experts say. According to Víctor Jiménez Aransáy, a physiotherapist specialising in functional training, „holding for more than a minute doesn't make much sense, because that's usually where technique starts to fall apart."

His recommendation is different: ten reps of six seconds at maximum contraction. That's almost exactly the opposite logic of what Instagram is promoting. Six seconds with full awareness that the abs are firing, then a short pause, gives a bigger effect than three minutes in a collapsed position.

Why is the plank better than the crunch, the classic abs exercise? Because it works not just the rectus abdominis, but also the deep stabilising muscles, glutes, shoulders and quadriceps. In other words, it builds stability and body control - not just a repeated motion. Developing the deep musculature is what produces a „controlled core" in daily life, not the silhouette you see in the mirror.

The technical details matter. Jiménez Aransáy recommends: the body must be in a straight line from head to feet, neck flat, tension between the pubis and the sternum. The glutes should be lightly engaged - that prevents the hips from sagging, which is the most common mistake. And no more than one minute per set.

For those who want a daily routine: about ten minutes of core work, three or four days a week. As technique improves, don't extend the static hold - increase the complexity: side planks, unstable surfaces (a ball, a balance board), variations with one leg raised. That's what social media won't tell you - real progress doesn't look dramatic, just effective. And that, in the end, is the whole point.