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How to do a plank correctly: 3 mistakes most people make

A plank is a full-body exercise that can be difficult to get right. Follow these steps to perfect your plank pose.
/ Source: TODAY

How long can you hold a plank? After George Hood, 62, recently broke the Guinness Word Record for the longest time in a plank position — an impressive 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds — Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager attempted to see how long they could hold the pose.

Jenna lasted about 30 seconds while Hoda held the pose for a full minute.

Nothing about a plank is easy: It's a challenging exercise that works your entire body. It’s a favorite of Dolvett Quince, a trainer and author of "The 3-1-2-1 Diet," because “it gives you upper body strength, lower body strength and it strengthens your core,” he told TODAY.

Though, it’s easy to get it all wrong. Here, Quince shares three common mistakes people make when doing a plank. Watch the video above, or check out his tips for plank perfection below:

1. Your hips are too high.

People tend to hyperextend their hips, pushing them up in the air without realizing how high they are. The best thing you can do is make sure your hips are low, in line with your shoulders.

2. Your hips are too low.

Another common mistake is dropping your hips too low, resulting in back pain. To combat this issue, tighten your core to bring your belly up to align with your upper body.

3. Your hands are in the wrong spot.

Your weight should be evenly distributed across fists, elbows and forearms. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart. Try to avoid a wide grip you would employ if you were doing a pushup.

If you’re on your elbows and forearms, you have more support. Using just your palms makes the exercise a bit more difficult. If you’re still having trouble, try to practice your form in front of a mirror and try to keep your body as straight as possible.

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