Ever tried a plank? It's boasted as one of the best core exercises out there especially if you don't have access to a gym. All you need is yourself and a stop watch. I'll recommend a few more things below if you are interested in building up to a long hold.
My adventure with being better at planks probably started over a year ago. At a workout class at the Y, some planks were included in the ab section, and I could barely hold a plank for 20 seconds. This man recently broke the world record by holding a plank for 4 hours and 26 minutes!! I still don't know how that's possible. But like many things on this list, I knew I could do this with a lot of practice and a little confidence.
Here are some of my planking basics. I didn't follow a particular planking plan or challenge. I've seen many on Pinterest claiming you can get from 20 seconds to 5 minutes in 30 days; however, I just don't see that unless you're super fit to begin with. You've got to give yourself time to rest. I just built up slowly adding more and more reps as I could. Then when I felt confident enough, I started holding for a minute at a time up to five minutes, then longer intervals of 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, etc. with short breaks getting myself to the 5 minute mark. Holding for the full 5 minutes took me three solid tries with the first two me giving out at a crushing 4:34 and 4:45 respectively.
There's debate in the world of planking about on your elbows versus in a full upright push up position. My two cents, you get an extreme isometric workout either way. Do what's best for you. I did full push up position because I wanted to also really work my shoulders. I would be on your elbows if you're afraid about the strain on your wrists; it's a lot.
Last, some things to make your planking experience as good as it can be as you're shaking, burning, cursing and praying through it. Music is a must. Make a dedicated playlist of a few songs that are high energy and use them every time you plank. If using your phone to time yourself, make sure you adjust the lock screen timing. The longer you hold, the more you're going to sweat. If you want to do long holds or multiple reps, I would use a workout mat and place towels beneath your hands. I use my yoga mat and a towel over it made for hot yoga classes.
For my #30Before30 adventure, I selected three areas of fitness that I felt were the hardest for me: running, push ups and planking. I'm happy to say that all three of these are now completed. And while I still have to reach my 100 miles of hiking goal (currently at 75 miles) along with a backpacking trip, I'm glad that the major physical, endurance items are behind me.
Now for the video, you can click here to watch my pain. I did it time lapse style so my 5 minutes of torture is condensed into less than 30 seconds. And while it creepily looks like I'm talking to myself, it's actually the various looks of pain and agony I was feeling. And do you know when I started really feeling the plank? About 45 seconds into it. And I say that to let you know it's not that planking, push ups or running necessarily get easier with training. You just realize how much more your body can do. And don't miss my graceful collapse at the end! Enjoy and go do some planks.
My adventure with being better at planks probably started over a year ago. At a workout class at the Y, some planks were included in the ab section, and I could barely hold a plank for 20 seconds. This man recently broke the world record by holding a plank for 4 hours and 26 minutes!! I still don't know how that's possible. But like many things on this list, I knew I could do this with a lot of practice and a little confidence.
Here are some of my planking basics. I didn't follow a particular planking plan or challenge. I've seen many on Pinterest claiming you can get from 20 seconds to 5 minutes in 30 days; however, I just don't see that unless you're super fit to begin with. You've got to give yourself time to rest. I just built up slowly adding more and more reps as I could. Then when I felt confident enough, I started holding for a minute at a time up to five minutes, then longer intervals of 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, etc. with short breaks getting myself to the 5 minute mark. Holding for the full 5 minutes took me three solid tries with the first two me giving out at a crushing 4:34 and 4:45 respectively.
There's debate in the world of planking about on your elbows versus in a full upright push up position. My two cents, you get an extreme isometric workout either way. Do what's best for you. I did full push up position because I wanted to also really work my shoulders. I would be on your elbows if you're afraid about the strain on your wrists; it's a lot.
Last, some things to make your planking experience as good as it can be as you're shaking, burning, cursing and praying through it. Music is a must. Make a dedicated playlist of a few songs that are high energy and use them every time you plank. If using your phone to time yourself, make sure you adjust the lock screen timing. The longer you hold, the more you're going to sweat. If you want to do long holds or multiple reps, I would use a workout mat and place towels beneath your hands. I use my yoga mat and a towel over it made for hot yoga classes.
For my #30Before30 adventure, I selected three areas of fitness that I felt were the hardest for me: running, push ups and planking. I'm happy to say that all three of these are now completed. And while I still have to reach my 100 miles of hiking goal (currently at 75 miles) along with a backpacking trip, I'm glad that the major physical, endurance items are behind me.
Now for the video, you can click here to watch my pain. I did it time lapse style so my 5 minutes of torture is condensed into less than 30 seconds. And while it creepily looks like I'm talking to myself, it's actually the various looks of pain and agony I was feeling. And do you know when I started really feeling the plank? About 45 seconds into it. And I say that to let you know it's not that planking, push ups or running necessarily get easier with training. You just realize how much more your body can do. And don't miss my graceful collapse at the end! Enjoy and go do some planks.
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| A little humor for anyone who has ever planked. |
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