"I start and end all of my workouts with a plank," said Luigi Aldon, a SoulCycle instructor. He told POPSUGAR that when he hits the gym for his own workouts off the bike, he uses a plank to activate all the muscles in his body to ensure a safer, more effective workout.
If you were thinking it's just a crazy core workout, you're half right. It is a crazy core workout, but you'll also be working a ton of other muscle groups. "When done correctly, a plank engages your quads, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, arm muscles, and joint stability, making it a total-body exercise," Taylor said.
"If you're doing a plank the right way, you have 'ugly butt!'" celeb trainer Kira Stokes, NASM, said. She told POPSUGAR that you must squeeze your buns to get the true exercise effects of a plank. See? Squats aren't the only way to work that backside.
