What is the average plank time?

The reported means and medians

Two publications from 2014 give useful context for a timed forearm hold. Strand and colleagues published a journal paper on college-aged volunteers. Caroline Brigham and Kimberly Chase reported a separate collegiate sample in a student symposium abstract. Each source reports its own group means and medians.

Source	Reported group	Mean, seconds	Median, seconds
Strand and colleagues	Male	124	110
Strand and colleagues	Female	83	72
Brigham and Chase	Male	116.58	106
Brigham and Chase	Female	96.25	90

Strand’s paper reports an overall mean of 100 seconds, or one minute and 40 seconds. Its abstract and methods describe 471 volunteers, with 194 males and 277 females. Strand and colleagues’ full study

The paper contains sample-count inconsistencies. Table 1 lists 192 males and 273 females, and Table 2 labels the female group as 275. Study tables and methods

Brigham and Chase report 168 collegiate participants. Their repository abstract supplies the means and the 50th-percentile values shown above, along with a short description of the test. Linfield University symposium abstract

Why a quoted average can mean different things

A mean is the arithmetic average. A median marks the 50th percentile of the reported results. Brigham and Chase’s male median was 106 seconds, or one minute and 46 seconds. Their male mean was 116.58 seconds. Both values appear in the same abstract, so the statistic matters when someone quotes an average. Reported Linfield results

A two-minute hold is 120 seconds. In Strand’s male group, that sits between the 110-second median and the 124-second mean. A one-minute hold is 60 seconds, below the reported medians in both of Strand’s sex-specific groups. These comparisons describe positions relative to the published values. Applying a label such as good or poor requires a stated reference and a comparable test. Strand’s results

The stopping rule changes the test

Strand’s investigators demonstrated the position and instructed participants individually. The setup used forearms and toes for support, elbows directly below the shoulders, extended hips and knees, and a neutral spine. The stopwatch started once the participant reached the required position, and each participant completed one trial. Study procedure

Participants could stop voluntarily or because of fatigue or reported ill effects. Investigators also ended a test when they observed signs of ill effects. They monitored position and could give brief corrective cues. For a form-based investigator termination, two consecutive cues had to fail to produce adequate correction. Duration was recorded to the nearest tenth of a second. Strand’s stopping and timing rules

Brigham and Chase used unclasped hands, elbows at 90 degrees below the shoulders, hip-width feet and a neutral pelvis. After a five-minute warm-up, participants were instructed to hold the position as long as possible. The abstract says the test ended when proper form broke. Linfield test method

OpenContest’s published forearm-plank rule ends when the knees touch down or the hips leave the required line. That gives a training partner a specific point to look for in the recording. Use the rule you selected consistently when keeping your own results. Published plank rules

What the age evidence covers

Strand reports mean ages of 20.4 years for males and 20.2 for females. The Linfield sample covers ages 18–25. A comparison for a person in their forties or sixties needs a source that includes that age group and states its method. Strand’s participant description · Linfield’s age range

Check the origin of any age chart you use. Look for the participants, the plank variation, the stopping rule and the statistic in its original source. An expert’s suggested training goal serves a coaching purpose. A measured sample mean describes the results collected from that sample.

Give training sets their own target

Choose whether the session is for training practice or a timed maximum attempt. NASM’s coaching FAQ suggests multiple high-quality holds of 10–30 seconds and emphasizes maintaining position. Choose a training duration that lets you maintain the intended position across your sets. The collegiate study values came from maximum-duration holds under each study’s procedure. NASM’s plank coaching guidance

Write down the variation when you change it. A knee-supported hold, an incline hold and a forearm hold have different support arrangements. Keep a separate record for each variation so a change in setup stays visible.

Keep a plank result you can check again

Use the published plank rules and filming checklist to set up a repeatable attempt. OpenContest is prelaunch. You can use the current rules with your own scorecard today.

1. Agree on the forearm position, foot spacing, timing precision and the event that ends the hold.
2. Film from the side near floor level. Keep the head, hips and feet visible, and start recording before lifting into position. End the attempt if you feel pain or unwell.
3. Review the recording for the first correct hold and the point where the knees touch down or the hips leave the required line.
4. Save the date, variation, accepted duration and video link. Ask a partner to check the start and end, and note any change in the setup before comparing your next attempt.

The guide to filming a take that counts explains how to keep the movement and the full attempt visible for review. Use the same written rule when you return to your scorecard.