Build Your Base

Planks planks planks - I think I've heard about how important planks were for years before I actually started to do them regularly with Kristi Approved. (That was in Feb 2010, and KA has since teamed up with Favao, and I haven't kept up with what their company is doing, so that link might not be helpful at all...) So, from memory, I remember that during the Phase 1 I did center planks and side planks - SO start with this each week if you're a beginner:

Monday - Wednesday - Friday

3 minutes of Center Plank -
hold a center plank 3 times for 50 seconds each, take a 10 second rest

Side planks 3 times -
10 reps of left Side plank, repeat, repeat
10 reps of right Side plank, repeat, repeat

Next week, you can alternate between Center and Side Planks: one minute plank, 10 left side plank, 10 right side plank, repeat two more times.

Find ways to continue to increase the intensity each month -
I've worked myself up to doing a 3 minute center plank with no breaks, during the 2nd minute I alternate lifting a leg up for 30 seconds

I do 12 minutes of plank Mon, Wed, and Fri
3 minutes of center plank
3 minute Left Side plank
3 minute right Side plank
3 minute Reverse plank or Yoga Table