Plank Hold
Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means
The plank hold is a timed isometric test of core muscular endurance. These percentiles represent US youth measured in the nationally representative 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey.
FitnessNorms calculated P5, P25, P50, P75, and P95 from the public NNYFS plank and examination-weight files, crossing the 6-11 and 12-15 age bands used by McDonough et al. (2026) with sex. The derivation reproduces all 25 of the paper's published overall, sex, and age marginal cut-points exactly, along with its reported sample size and mean. See the methodology for the filtering, weighting, and source-validation checks.
This is a forearm plank with elbows on the floor and one practice attempt. High-plank, side-plank, weighted-plank, and test protocols with a fixed time cap are not interchangeable with these values.
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
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- Exercise mat
- Stopwatch or timer
- Plank-position reference image
- Protocol Steps
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- Lie face down on the mat with elbows and hands on the floor and toes curled under.
- Tighten the abdominal and thigh muscles, then rise onto the toes while keeping the elbows on the floor and the back straight.
- Complete one practice attempt before the measured test.
- Start timing when the correct position is established.
- If the hips drop, knees bend, or the body moves out of position, give one correction. Stop the test on the second form loss, when the participant cannot continue, or when they ask to stop.
- Record the number of seconds the correct plank position was held.
- Scoring
Total hold time in seconds. Higher values indicate greater core muscular endurance under this protocol.
- Notes
NNYFS recorded values from 1 to 450 seconds and did not specify a fixed time cap. Results from protocols that cap the test, omit the practice attempt, or use hands rather than elbows should not be compared directly.
Data source: McDonough et al. 2026 / NNYFS 2012 plank derivation About this study
Reference population: US children and adolescents examined in the nationally representative 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey; 1,209 participants aged 6 or older at the examination had a recorded plank time
Plank Hold Norms Chart by Age and Sex (seconds)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 6-11 | Male | 7.1 | 27.7 | 54.1 | 77.1 | 130.0 |
| Female | 11.4 | 32.3 | 55.9 | 75.0 | 129.3 | |
| 12-15 | Male | 17.1 | 59.2 | 82.7 | 122.4 | 183.4 |
| Female | 15.0 | 41.8 | 68.2 | 103.3 | 149.7 | |
What to expect by age group
Among US youth aged 12-15, the middle 50% hold the plank for 59.2 to 122.4 seconds for boys and 41.8 to 103.3 seconds for girls. These are population percentiles, not health thresholds.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 6-11 | 27.7 to 77.1 | 32.3 to 75.0 |
| 12-15 | 59.2 to 122.4 | 41.8 to 103.3 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good plank time for my age?
For this US youth sample, the 50th percentile ranges from 54.1 to 55.9 seconds at ages 6-11 and from 68.2 to 82.7 seconds at ages 12-15, depending on sex. Use the age and sex table for the full P5-P95 distribution; these values describe population position rather than a health target.
Is this the same as a high plank or push-up position?
No. NNYFS used a forearm plank with elbows and hands on the floor. A high plank supports the body on the hands and can produce different hold times.
Do these plank norms apply to adults?
No. The published population covers school-age children and adolescents only. Adult plank times should be compared with an adult reference using the same protocol, and no qualifying Western adult age-by-sex percentile source was used for this page.
Why are there only two age bands?
They mirror the 6-11 and 12-15 groups published by McDonough et al. FitnessNorms crossed those bands with sex in the public microdata but did not split the survey into smaller cells with less stable tail estimates.
Which age does this page use, and why does it include a few 16-year-olds?
NNYFS records both an age at screening and an age at examination. This page uses the examination age, the participant's age on the day the plank was measured, which is the variable that reproduces McDonough et al. exactly. Six participants were 15 when screened and had turned 16 by the time they were tested; they are kept in the 12-15 band because that is how the published analysis treats them.