Plank timer

What this timer is for

A plank is the simplest core exercise on the planet - and one of the hardest to do well past the one-minute mark. Holding a straight line from heels to head sounds easy until your shoulders start to shake, your hips start to dip, and the seconds slow to a crawl. The whole point is to stay still under tension, which means you need an honest clock you can trust without breaking position to check.

Timglas turns the wait into something visible. Pick the length you're aiming for, get into position, and let the sand do the counting. The screen stays awake while you hold, and a clear cue marks the end of the set so you can drop down knowing you finished cleanly - not three seconds early.

Pick a hold length

Three presets cover almost every plank session. Start with 30 seconds if you're new or coming back from a break, 60 seconds as the everyday standard, and 2 minutes when you're testing your limit - anything longer is usually better split into multiple sets with rest in between.

• 30 seconds

  A solid starting point. Long enough to feel real work, short enough to repeat across several sets without losing form. Use it to build a habit, warm up before a longer hold, or to fit a quick core block into a busy day.

• 1 minute

  The everyday benchmark. Sixty unbroken seconds is what most fitness guidelines treat as a healthy baseline for adults, and it's the length most workouts stack into a circuit. Hold it cleanly before chasing anything longer.

• 2 minutes

  A real test of strength and stability. Two minutes of clean plank is more than enough for almost everyone - research suggests longer holds rarely add value and often invite sloppy form. Once you can hit this with good shape, switch to harder variations rather than chasing time.

When the plank timer earns its keep

Reach for the plank timer whenever you need an honest clock you can't game and don't have to look at. It's especially useful when you want to:

• Hit a specific hold length cleanly instead of guessing how long you've been down there.
• Finish a set on purpose rather than dropping the moment it gets uncomfortable.
• Stack multiple sets back to back with consistent timing - same length, same rest.
• Add a quick core block to your morning routine, lunch break, or post-run cool-down.

How to plank with good form

Form matters more than time - a sloppy two-minute plank teaches your body all the wrong things. Set up carefully, then start the timer:

1. Place your forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders, hands relaxed (don't clench).
2. Step your feet back one at a time so your body forms a straight line from heels to head.
3. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so your hips stay level - neither sagging toward the floor nor pushed up into a tent.
4. Look at a spot on the floor a few inches in front of your hands so your neck stays neutral, not craned up.
5. Start the timer and breathe steadily. The moment your form breaks, stop - a clean shorter hold beats a wobbly long one.

Form tips that actually help

• If your hips drop, the set is over. Rest, reset, and start again rather than grinding out a broken plank.
• Push the floor away with your forearms - that engages the upper back and stops the shoulder slump that creeps in around the 30-second mark.
• Pull your belly button gently toward your spine. A braced core is what holds the line, not your lower back.
• Breathe. Holding your breath sounds like effort but actually weakens the brace - slow nasal breaths through the whole hold work better.

Frequently asked questions