Plank

The Plank, you know the exercise where you lie flat, face down supported on elbows and toes, has become a staple abs exercise for many people. It's a great exercise, strengthens all of the abs muscles plus low back muscles and legs, chest, shoulders and arms all have to assist keeping your body stable in this extended position. So what's the problem ?

Only that so many people are starting to become really very good at the Plank and can hold the position for a minute and even more. Once an exercise gets out to being a minute long it gets just a tad boring and it's time to toughen up the exercise. So how exactly do you 'toughen up' the Plank ?

My favorite way at the moment to add challenge to the Plank is walk the elbows forward. Try it and see how more demanding it makes the Plank. Is there a 'recipe' for this tougher version of the Plank ?

Here is my recipe for gradually adding pain, oops I mean challenge to the Plank. Try these variations after you can get to a 30 seconds hold in the basic Plank.

• Get into the Plank and then walk your elbows forward about 6 inches and then walk them right back. Feel the difference ! Now repeat enough times to feel you have really been challenged.
• Get in the Plank and walk your elbows forward and hold for 10 seconds. Holding the Plank for 10 seconds with the elbows forward is like 60 seconds in the usual position. More bang for your workout time.
• Now to get some movement into the Plank. It is a great exercise but very static and our bodies react better to exercise involving dynamic movement. Lie flat to the floor, elbows and toes ready to move into a Plank; up into a Plank; walk out elbows as far as you can and still hold the Plank; count 10 seconds; walk your elbows back; touch down; back up and repeat the exercise to a number of reps that is challenging.
• Get up into a Plank; this time push one arm forward (parallel with the ground) so that only one elbow is supporting you at the head end; hold for 10 seconds; repeat on the other side. Do this until you've done it 5 times on each side.
• Now try the one leg off the ground version of the Plank. Get up into a Plank, this time around, lift one leg off the ground; hold for 10 seconds.
• If you are still not pushed to your physical limits, try one more variant of the Plank. Come up into a Plank, push the left arm forward and out of contact with the floor, then raise your right leg off the ground. You are now supported on just the right arm and left leg. Your core muscles have to keep you and stop you twisting around. Hold the position for 10 seconds. Touch down and take a few seconds to recover, then go again but this time using the other diagonal of arms and legs.

I must get some photos of these and other variants and post them on my web site. If you are in a hurry to see these Plank variants in action email me: garethphilips@bodyrestored.com