Legs · Bodyweight
Chinese Plank
How to do the chinese plank, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on the floor and set your heels on one raised surface and your shoulders or hands on another, with nothing supporting your hips. Brace your glutes and core to hold your body in a straight, suspended line for the set time.
- 1Glutes and hamstrings firing hard to hold the hips up
- 2Your whole back side bracing in a straight line
- 3Core engaged to keep the hips from dropping
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag toward the floor
- Holding your breath through the strain
- Letting your head drop back out of line
Muscles worked
The chinese plank mainly works the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, with the lower abs, upper abs, and obliques assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the chinese plank for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.