Last year, the plank¹ exercise was still a new thing for most Chinese. Now, the exercise is so popular that not only do many people post photos of themselves doing it on social media, there was even a Plank World Cup, which was held for the first time in Beijing last month.

去年，大多数中国人还不是很熟悉平板支撑；而现在，这种锻炼方式已经家喻户晓，很多人把自己做平板支撑的照片传到社交媒体上。首届“平板支撑世界杯”大赛也于上周在京举行。

The plank, also known as the front hold or hover², is a core strength exercise that involves suspending the body in a horizontal position with one’s forearms and toes. Its popularity in China can be partially³ attributed to real estate⁴ tycoon⁵ Pan Shiyi, according to Beijing Youth Daily. Last November, he posted a photo on Weibo, in which he performed the move with former US ambassador to China Gary Locke.

平板支撑能有效锻炼人体的核心肌肉群，动作要领包括：俯卧，双肘弯曲支撑在地面上，脚尖着地，身体呈一条直线。《北京青年报》报道称，平板支撑在中国的流行，部分应归功于中国房地产大亨潘石屹——去年11月，他在微博上发布了一张与美国前驻华大使骆家辉一起做平板支撑的照片。

The celebrity⁶ effect may have started the plank wave, but its popularity lies more in the exercise’s simplicity⁷ and benefits. Without any special equipment, it can be done anytime, anywhere. Plus, it’s the most effective and efficient way to exercise the abdominal⁸ muscles (abs).

或许，是名人效应开启了平板支撑的潮流，但使其大受欢迎的真正原因还要归功于其动作简单、效果良好这一特点：这项训练无需借助任何器械，无论何时何地都能进行；同时，它还是快速锻炼腹肌的最有效方式。

While performing the exercise, all of your abs, including the transverse, oblique⁹ and upper abs, must work together to stabilize¹⁰ and support your whole body. It also exercises what is known as your “core” muscles, including the hips¹¹ and the upper back muscles that protect your spine¹², which gives you more stability and a better balance. Other muscle groups, including the gluteus, shoulders, lats, arms, and legs, are toned and tightened¹³ as well.

做平板支撑时，所有的腹肌都将得到锻炼：腹横肌、腹内外斜肌以及上腹肌肉需同时用力，才能支撑你的整个身体，使之保持平衡。同时，你的核心肌肉群也将得到锻炼，其中包括臀部肌肉以及保护脊柱的上背部肌肉，这些肌肉将使你具有更好的稳定性与平衡性。不仅如此，平板支撑还能有效锻炼臀肌、肩部肌肉、背阔肌、胳膊与腿部肌肉等其他肌肉群。

A new record for the plank exercise was set at last month’s competition by US fitness enthusiast¹⁴ and retired¹⁵ marine¹⁶ soldier George Hood¹⁷. His time was four hours and one minute.

上月的比赛中，来自美国的健身爱好者，前美国海军陆战队员乔治•胡德创造了平板支撑的新纪录——4小时1分钟。

How long can you hold the position? Of course, the time isn’t all that counts. But, why not take a few minutes every day to work toward a better and healthier body?

这个动作你能坚持多久呢？虽然时间并不能说明一切，但是，如果每天花几分钟就能让自己的身体变得更好、更健康，何乐而不为呢？

Although the plank is a simple exercise anyone can do without much instruction, there are a few details one should take note of to ensure *optimal performance. Here, we introduce the basic plank and some variations in a step-by-step guide.

虽说平板支撑简单易学，无需太多指导就能完成。但是，要想取得最佳效果，还是有几点细节需要注意。下面，我们将分别介绍平板支撑的“基本”款和“花样”版本，并分步骤进行讲解。