[The client looks horrified when I explain that a 30-second plank awaits. As a personal trainer, I can tell you that the plank is an excellent core exercise, but to take it to another level, the wall plank is a great exercise to incorporate into your workout routine.

Wall planks, as the name implies, use a wall. Instead of placing your feet on the ground as in a regular plank, you press your feet against the wall in line with your body.

Like planks, wall planks work the core muscles. However, wall planks work these muscles more than regular planks because they require more effort and stability to keep the body in alignment with the wall. [A strong core is more than just an aesthetic goal. The muscles of the trunk, of which there are several, are essential to every movement we perform in life. Whether it's getting out of bed, achieving a deadlift PR, maintaining good form when running, or keeping your posture correct, your abdominal muscles work to avoid back and shoulder pain and injury.

The wall plank is a full-body exercise, working not only the lower body muscles but also the core muscles. Wall planks are isometric exercises, which, in contrast to squats, work the muscles without moving them. In my experience, it is one of the best ways to strengthen and grow muscles.

Then again, if you are aiming for a six pack, the wall plank can help. Wall planks are more effective for building a six pack than endless sit-ups. If done incorrectly, sit-ups can cause back and neck injuries. Nevertheless, if the goal is visible abs, you need to focus on body fat percentage. Here's how to calculate body fat percentage and why it's important.

To learn more about the benefits of the wall plank, I decided to practice this exercise every day for a week. This challenge was one of the most humbling challenges I have ever attempted.

Use these pointers to help you perfect the wall plank:

While other planks put less stress on your muscles because your feet are on the ground, the wall plank requires precision in form and active concentration to keep your core muscles erect must be kept upright.

It is common to see people drop their hips to make the plank easier to do, or not focus on the muscles to keep their bodies in alignment. In the wall plank, there is no way to fake it. To keep your feet on the wall and your body in a straight line, all muscles need to be engaged and strong.

In fact, I was surprised at my lack of strength to hold the wall plank. It was humbling, to say the least. The longest wall plank I counted was 30 seconds, which compares to holding a regular plank for several minutes.

I know that working out is not all about aesthetics, but I am not ashamed to admit that a big reason I exercise is to maintain a toned body. To that end, after a week of wall planks, I noticed a slight tightening of my core muscles. Although I had been incorporating leg raises, V-ups, Russian twists, and generally doing a lot of abdominal training, the wall plank was a new movement for me.

I think I have mentioned how difficult I found this exercise, but I will say it again. If you don't use your muscles correctly, you will fall. Naturally, as my core began to tire, my body gave in and I ended up on my stomach on the ground several times. Better get used to it than learn it, I guess.

You may notice that your shoulders hurt when holding a plank, but it definitely increased on the wall planks. As my feet began to slide down the wall behind me, I was sort of supporting myself with my arms and shoulders. Wall planks not only train your core, but your shoulders as well.

I learned a few tricks as I wall planked each day. First, use a wall with grips to prevent your feet from slipping. Also, an outside wall is best, as the trainer may scrape the paint or scratch the wall. Also, planking on indoor walls with bare feet (since socks will not grip) will prevent the paint from being ruined.

Another trick is to board up while looking down. This is a common rule for all planks, but it is even more important for wall planks, since the goal is to keep the body in alignment so that there is no strain on the neck. Stress on the neck can lead to pain and injury. In wall planks, you need to be more focused on keeping your body balanced and aligned.

In short, the wall plank is a great exercise for strengthening the core muscles.

As a personal trainer, it's not often that I find a body weight exercise that surprises me, but this is the most challenging body weight exercise I've come across. Just putting my feet on the wall is a challenge, but holding a wall plank for 20 seconds felt like an eternity.

Find a wall and start planking. You won't regret it. In the meantime, I will continue to add wall planks to my workouts (maybe not every day, but every day).

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