Planks are the bane of my existence — but with TikTok’s new fitness trend, I might consider incorporating them into my workout routine (and that’s saying something). ICYMI, the Beyoncé plank challenge is going viral on TikTok. And if there’s one person who can inspire me to do planks consistently, it’s Queen B herself.
The trend was created by TikTok creator Nduoma (@_nduoma), who regularly posts fitness-related content. Back in November 2024, she posted a video with the caption, “Day 1 of planking to Beyoncé’s ‘Heated’ outro until my abs are poppin and my waist is snatched.” And, as you can guess, the video was just that: holding a forearm plank for the entirety of the song’s outro (which is just around a minute and a half). NGL, my body hurts thinking about holding past the lyrics “10s, 10s, 10s across the board.”
Since then, Nduoma has completed over 50 days of the challenge, as well as garnered thousands of views across their daily videos. And not only are her TikToks popping up on our FYPs every day, but other users are jumping in on the trend, too. Hey, if this is a more stimulating way to get in my daily ab exercises, then I’m all the way in — just as long as it’s acceptable to lip sync during!
Is The Beyoncé Plank Challenge Beneficial?
Short answer: yes! Mackenzie Crespo, a personal trainer based in Austin, Texas, says that incorporating a minute-long plank into your gym sesh can do wonders for your workout. “Holding a plank for over a minute consistently strengthens the core muscles, which in turn will improve posture, increase stability, and support the spine,” she says. “One large benefit that gets looked over is the benefit it can have on relieving back pain as well.”
If you’re trying this workout at home, it’s important to ensure proper form. Improper plank form can lead to lower back and neck strain instead of engaging and strengthening your core effectively. “To ensure proper form, you want to make sure your arms are shoulder-width apart, elbows directly under your shoulders, and have palms facing down flat on the floor,” Crespo says. “We want our head and neck to be in a neutral position, pulling our hips up and engaging our core (think pulling your belly button towards your spine) from head to toe. Your body should be in a straight line — we want to avoid sagging and arching.”
But, of course, an over-a-minute-long plank can be a tall order, even for established fitness buffs and gym rats. So, Crespo recommends starting slow and focusing on form. “I recommend two different options: Option one would be working in intervals, which would be 20-30 seconds of a plank, resting for 15 seconds, and repeating three to four times,” she says. “Option two would be holding the plank for as long as you can and gradually adding five seconds every week!”
And then, before you know it, you’ll have all the strength to complete the Beyoncé plank challenge daily. “Just remember when starting, you are stronger than you were yesterday,” Crespo says. 10s, 10s, 10s across the board!