Planks and Core Training: Do Beginners Need Them?
General information: This article is general information about core training and how an app works. It has not been reviewed by a dietitian, doctor or qualified trainer, and it is not a substitute for their advice.
Planks are in every home workout video, and gym regulars add rounds of ab work at the end of each session. Does a beginner actually need dedicated core training? This page checks what three reviews report, and says plainly how strong the evidence is.
The short answer
Core exercises make your trunk stronger, but the evidence that dedicated core exercises add to other performance in trained adults is limited. A meta-analysis in trained people (Prieske et al., 2016) found core strength training had a large effect on trunk muscle strength but only small-to-medium effects on measures of physical performance, and the studies were of low quality. A systematic review of 24 studies (Reed et al., 2012) concluded that targeted core stability training provides marginal benefits to athletic performance. So a few core exercises are reasonable; our reading is that they should not be the centre of a beginner plan.
What the research says
- Trunk strength is trainable. In the meta-analysis in trained people (Prieske et al., 2016), 16 intervention studies showed a large effect of core strength training on trunk muscle strength (SMD 1.07), compared with no training or regular training only. The authors judged the methodological quality low (median PEDro score 4).
- Limited gains in performance. The same review found small relationships between trunk strength and physical performance measures (r from -0.05 to 0.18) and small-to-medium effects of core training on performance (SMD 0 to 0.71). Its authors concluded trunk strength plays only a minor role for physical fitness and athletic performance, in healthy trained people aged 16 to 44.
- Review of 24 studies. The systematic review of 24 studies (Reed et al., 2012) found core training was usually part of a wider programme, that not all studies reported measurable increases in core strength, that studies targeting the core as the main goal had mixed results, and concluded that targeted core training gives marginal benefits for athletic performance. The authors say further research is needed.
- EMG only: free weights activated one core muscle more than ball or device exercises. The systematic review of core muscle activity (Martuscello et al., 2013) (17 studies, 252 participants, muscle activity measured by EMG) found lumbar multifidus activity was greater during free-weight exercises than during ball or device exercises. This is muscle activity, not a strength or performance result, and the abstract does not name squats or deadlifts. Its authors suggested multijoint free-weight exercises, rather than core-specific ones, to train the core muscles.
The meta-analysis was in healthy trained people aged 16 to 44 and its studies were of low quality; the reviews measure trunk strength, athletic performance and muscle activity, not results for beginners and not how you will look or feel. They describe averages, not what will happen to you.
How much core work? (our practical template)
The table below is our own reading of those reviews, not a trial result.
| Part of your plan | What to do |
|---|---|
| Main lifts | Learn the main lifts first; the EMG review suggests multijoint free-weight exercises rather than core-specific ones for training the core muscles. |
| Core exercises | One or two a session is enough, such as a plank hold or a dead bug, at the end. |
| Holds | Keep a flat, steady body and stop the set when form breaks; build time gradually. |
| Frequency | The same two or three days a week as the rest of your plan. |
The beginner gym plan already closes each session with a Dead Bug, and the beginner home workout plan includes planks. For why big lifts matter, see compound vs isolation exercises, and for how often to train see how many days a week.
When to see a doctor or trainer first
If you have back or neck pain, a spinal or abdominal injury or surgery, a medical condition, are pregnant or postpartum, or have not exercised for a long time, ask your doctor or a qualified trainer before you add core exercises, and do not push through pain. Stop and get advice if you feel sharp pain or dizziness. A trainer can check your plank form.
Logging core work in NYUS
NYUS is an AI diet and workout coach. On the workout screen you can log each set and use the rest timer, and each exercise shows what you did last time ("Last: ..."). For timed exercises such as holds, you log the seconds and the screen shows the seconds from last time. NYUS does not decide how much core work you need: that is yours to choose.
Log your holds and sets in NYUS
Log each set and see what you did last time on every exercise. An AI diet and workout coach built around Indian food. 30-day free trial, then ₹499/month, no card needed to start. No ads, no data sold.
Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Do I need planks as a beginner?
Not necessarily. A meta-analysis found core strength training had a large effect on trunk strength but small-to-medium effects on performance measures, in studies of low quality, and a systematic review concluded targeted core training provides marginal performance benefits. Our practical reading: one or two core exercises a session is enough.
Do squats and deadlifts train the core?
The review's abstract does not name squats or deadlifts. A systematic review of core muscle activity (EMG only; 17 studies, 252 participants) found lumbar multifidus activity was greater with free-weight exercises than with ball or device exercises, and suggested multijoint free-weight exercises rather than core-specific ones to train the core muscles. It measured muscle activity, not strength or performance.
How long should I hold a plank?
The reviews do not give a hold time. Our practical reading is to hold with a flat, steady body, stop when form breaks, and build the time gradually.
Will core exercises improve my sports performance?
The evidence suggests only a limited effect: small-to-medium effects on performance measures in a meta-analysis of trained people, and marginal benefits in a review of 24 studies. The meta-analysis rated the studies as low quality, and the review says further research is needed.
Sources (read 23 October 2026)
- Prieske et al., The role of trunk muscle strength for physical fitness and athletic performance in trained individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Sports Med 2016) (abstract; DOI 10.1007/s40279-015-0426-4, PubMed 26589515, read 23 Oct 2026): healthy trained individuals aged 16-44; 15 correlation studies, small relationships (-0.05 to 0.18); 16 intervention studies, large effects of core strength training on trunk muscle strength (SMD = 1.07) and small-to-medium effects on proxies of physical performance (SMD 0 to 0.71); low methodological quality (median PEDro 4); trunk muscle strength plays only a minor role for physical fitness and athletic performance.
- Reed et al., The effects of isolated and integrated core stability training on athletic performance measures: a systematic review (Sports Med 2012) (abstract; DOI 10.2165/11633450-000000000-00000, PubMed 22784233, read 23 Oct 2026): 24 studies; core stability training usually part of wider programmes; not all studies reported measurable increases in core strength and stability; targeted core stability training provides marginal benefits to athletic performance; conflicting findings.
- Martuscello et al., Systematic review of core muscle activity during physical fitness exercises (J Strength Cond Res 2013) (abstract; DOI 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318291b8da, PubMed 23542879, read 23 Oct 2026): 17 studies, 252 participants; lumbar multifidus EMG activity greater during free-weight exercises than ball/device exercises; authors suggest multijoint free-weight exercises rather than core-specific exercises.
- The practical template and the safety advice are NYUS's own reading, not from a trial. App behaviour checked in the NYUS app on 23 Oct 2026.