Plank exercises are one of the most efficient ways to improve your health and fitness. When you add planks to your workout schedule, you won't immediately get a six-pack. But there are lots of benefits nonetheless, including strengthening your core, improving your focus, boosting your metabolism, and refining your posture.

Performing a plank is easy: simply hold your body up with your back completely straight. But as easy as a plank is to do, holding the position is a lot harder, as you engage all your core muscles to stay straight and steady. Why not try a plank challenge to help you start building your dream body?

1. Plank Challenge

Are you willing to invest a small amount of time exercising for big results? Depending on your level of skill, all it takes is a couple of minutes to fit plank exercises into your day. The Plank Challenge app provides 30-day plank workout plans for both men and women at three different levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

For plank newbies, the best place to start on this mobile app is the Challenge tab. Here, you can measure how long you can hold a plank to figure out which plan is the best starting point for you. If you're a beginner, for instance, the plank holds are only 20 seconds, and as you progress they get longer and more difficult.

Download: Plank Challenge for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

2. Plank Workout App

Plank exercises are one of the best ways to work your core muscles. Unfortunately, you can't just do plank exercises all day and expect to get into amazing shape. To get the best results, you should do planks along with a combination of other exercises using tools like HIIT workout apps or aerobics exercise apps.

The Plank Workout App features a free 30-day plan with a selection of different planks, such as reverse planks, elbow planks, and alternating side planks. Premium users can access all the workouts in the app, including a variety of full-body plank workouts. Additionally, if you sign up for the premium subscription you also customize your workout plans to meet your needs.

Download: Plank Workout App for Android (Free, subscription available)

3. Plank Timer

Plank Timer is the ideal workout timer app if you want a simple workout without all the unnecessary extras. The app is basic yet effective with the ability to create your own personalized plank workout session.

To begin, tap the plus button and give your exercise combo a name. From there, you can select the duration and resting time and add any plank movements you like, including interchanging leg planks and side planks. For those who would prefer a pre-planned workout session, there's a 5-minute combo that consists of eight moves and makes for the perfect speedy exercise session.

Download: Plank Timer for Android (Free)

4. Plank Workout

The Plank Workout app is great for those who want to gradually train their bodies to be stronger. There is a range of levels on the app, beginning at level 1 and increasing all the way up to level 15.

The plank challenges in the first few levels span from one minute to about three minutes. From there, they become more extreme. The last couple of levels go up to almost 12 minutes in length. In addition, you can choose a 30-day plank workout plan based on your level (beginner, medium, or professional).

Download: Plank Workout for Android (Free, subscription available)

5. Plank 21

Do you struggle with motivation? The Plank 21 app provides encouragement by keeping track of your longest plank record. The training program is 21 days long, with each day slowly building up in difficulty. So at the end of your training, you should be able to beat your original plank record with ease!

As you complete more days and increase the number of seconds you plank for, you tick off more accomplishments. Tap on the trophy icon to view your accomplishments and records, like streak days and total planking seconds. Plus, you can even compete with people from around the world to find out who has the highest planking score. Overall, Plank 21 is an awesome app if you want to keep challenging yourself daily.

Download: Plank 21 for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. 5 Minute Plank

Whether you want to build a six-pack or merely make your core stronger, planks are one of the best exercises to do. You don't need any exercise equipment, gym memberships, or special skills to do plank exercises—all you need is a few minutes.

5 Minute Plank is a plank exercise app where you can track your weekly workout statistics and even customize your own workout program. Tap Workouts to browse and select the program you'd like to do. Here, you can customize them by adding exercises, cycles, and break times. Moreover, there's a quick warm-up session on the app that works well before and after each plank workout.

Download: 5 Minute Plank for iOS | Android (Free)

7. Plank Workout 30 Days

Get ready to activate 100 percent of your abs with the Plank Workout 30 Days app. This app's training programs are available at three levels—beginning, intermediate, and advanced—and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Of course, you should start at the beginner level if you're not familiar with doing planks. However, you can skip to the advanced training program if you have more experience and training. To keep track of your progress, tap on Statistics. From the Statistics tab, you can record the calories you've burned, see training time and days, and even view a graph of your weight.

Download: Plank Workout 30 Days for Android (Free, subscription available)

8. 5 Minute Plank Workout

If you want a planking app with a simple and straightforward approach, the 5 Minute Plank Workout app could be for you. The app gives you the ability to choose a workout based on its length, so you can squeeze a workout in whether you have 5 minutes to spare or 12. A useful feature of this app is the ability to create your own workout, which takes just a few seconds to set up.

Besides the quick workout routines, the app provides you with interesting reading material about the health benefits of planking. Then, consider trying one or two of the other exercise apps from RFit Apps. These apps focus on different exercises and can assist you with strength training and effective beginner workouts.

Download: 5 Minute Plank Workout for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

Start Doing Planks Every Day With These Helpful Apps

Planks can build your core strength, which is incredibly important if you want to improve your ability to move and exercise. In addition to that, your core muscles support your spine, so strengthening them may help prevent injuries.

Now that you know how important it is for your body to do plank exercises, what are you waiting for? Use these mobile apps to start doing planks regularly and pretty soon you'll see positive results.