The Front Plank Endurance Assessment is a reliable tool developed and used to evaluate core, trunk, and hip muscle strength and endurance while minimizing the load on the lumbar spine. Please watch the video to get a visual demonstration of how to perform the test. Below you will find a description of how to do so. Start by laying on the ground on your belly. With your forearms on the ground and legs straight with the weight taken by the toes, lift the body up and maintain a position that is parallel to the floor. The time is started once the body is held up off the floor in a rigid position. The goal is to hold this position as long as possible! The assessment is over when you reach fatigue and are unable to maintain the parallel position to the floor including both the hips rising or dropping. Some rules to remember with this assessment. The test ends if and when (1) hip height cannot be sustained, (2) you're sagging through your shoulders, (3) arching in the back. Prehab Goals & Normative Values: 72 seconds for females, 110 seconds for males Prehab Goal: 120 seconds for male and female References: Strand SL, Hjelm J, Shoepe TC, Fajardo MA. Norms for an isometric muscle endurance test. J Hum Kinet. 2014;40:93-102. Take the assessment, write down your score, and track your progress throughout the program.
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