PLANKS: BUILD YOUR ABS, TIGHTEN EVERY MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT WITH ONE MOVE - Into Wellness (2024)
Why plank?
Want to improve you health overall but don’t want to give it much? Crunches and Sit-ups have broken your back? Or Wanna lose that jiggle around your stomach, build a stronger core? Planks is the new fad explored to limits by the fitness fanatics. It’s not just a blind fad though, Planks do target all your abs, arms, shoulders, and legs as well. Not that planks alone will give you the toned muscles and ripped abs, but will definitely take you closer to it. All you have to do is do it regularly and in the correct posture.
1.What are Planks and how do I do it?
Planking is lying down in a press up position while having a smooth upward slope from toes to shoulders. But how exactly do you make sure to get it right? We’ve got your back, here’s how you plank:
Bend your elbows and rest your weight onto your forearms and not on your hands
Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles
Engage your core by sucking your belly button into your spine
Hold this position for the prescribed time
There is no reason for you to rush if you don’t have the core strength yet, you can build it up by doing a bent-knee plank, you can also do it with extended arms if your elbows can’t take it. Move on to tougher variations as you see progress.
You can work on slowly increasing your plank time with these simple moves:
Planks work out every muscle in your body, from abs, shoulders to glutes and hamstrings. When done right, it supports building a good & healthy posture, builds the core, helps focus, and improves balance. Core training is the most basic and important activity of any workout or training session. And the best part about planking is you can do it anytime, anywhere.
3.The ifs and buts…
In spite of its extreme simplicity and easy to adapt and perform nature, a few gym junkies may be skeptical about planking for obvious reasons. There are better moves out there to train your abs like leg raises, crunches, etc. and you could usethe advanced gym equipment for more efficiency. The reason for this resentment is: to activate muscle growth you need to work yourself to near fatigue, and it takes about 1-2 mins. Since planking takes longer, it doesn’t add as a muscle building exercise to most.
4.So how effective is planking for you?
Planking has its own pros and cons. Yes, arguably planking is the most popular abs exercise, but also most overused and exploited. The downside is you will stall progress only when you switch to the intermediate levels and make it tougher for yourself. You must bring in variations. Planks, when combined with a balanced diet and a regular training, planking will shape your body and build strength, your abs will become stronger and will help you build a foundation for those sweet abs. But…Remember that abs are made in the kitchen.So eat right, train tight!
In particular, the plank helps strengthen your core muscles, including your abdominals and lower back. Having a strong core is linked to reduced lower back pain, an improved ability to perform daily tasks, and enhanced athletic performance. If you're new to planks, be sure to start slowly and focus on proper form.
Practicing the plank pose daily can help to stretch your core muscle groups mentioned earlier. This has a lot of benefits especially for those who engage in yoga. Since the plank pose mainly works your core abdominal muscles, it is a great exercise to get rid of stubborn belly fat.
So what does planking do for your body? It doesn't just work your abdominal muscles, but your entire core, and can even help you build strength in your shoulders, chest, upper back, and thighs. So yeah, there are plenty of reasons why planks are good for the body. Forearm planks were part of my 30-day plank challenge.
Planks alone do not directly burn belly fat. While planks are effective for strengthening the core muscles, spot reduction of fat in a specific area, such as the belly, is not possible.
Engaging multiple muscle groups, planks not only chisel your core but also combat saggy belly skin by tightening the abdominal muscles beneath, ensuring a firmer appearance. From side planks targeting love handles to forearm planks intensifying the burn, these easy variations keep sagging skin at bay.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Planking alone isn't going to make you leaner and stronger, but you could definitely do worse than daily planks. As Shaw explains, after 30 days of consistently planking, the average man should see 'a dramatic improvement in core strength and they should also be able to sustain the plank for a longer period of time.
In general, a long plank is better than small sets as it helps to put more stress on your muscles and nervous system. But doing this can comprise your form and may lead to injury or muscle strain. To train your body well, opt for small sessions with multiple sets.
Should You Do a Plank Every Day? “While a one-minute plank daily can be beneficial, balance is key,” Assal says. “Avoid overtraining and allow for adequate rest.” More is not necessarily better when it comes to how long you hold a plank. Focus on the quality of your form, rather than the seconds on the clock.
Most personal trainers suggest holding a plank for anywhere between 10 and 30 seconds for it to be effective. Logan emphasizes how important it is to "prioritize form over length of time." If you cannot do 10 whole seconds in the beginning with proper form, work your way up gradually, starting at five seconds and then ...
As the transversus abdominus gets stronger from doing planks, it will tighten your waistline all the way around in a way that crunches never could. 2) Planks work quickly and efficiently. For a relatively small time investment, substantial results can be obtained quickly in strength and holding times.
As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. “It's OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” he says. Plus, shorter planks can still give you a solid workout, Sklar says.
You might have been tempted by infomercials for exercise devices or breathless magazine articles promising "flat abs" and tighter tummies "in just days." Despite the hype, spot exercising abdominal muscles won't get rid of fat. The only way to do that is to expend more calories than you take in.
Skip the sit-ups. Sit-ups once ruled as the way to tighter abs and a slimmer waistline. Now plank exercises, in which you assume a position and hold it, are the gold standard for working your core, while classic sit-ups and crunches have fallen out of favor.
Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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