Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how much powerful planks are when it comes to building strong abs. That is because they have tried to do the plank but haven’t seen proper results.
Which would obviously make you curious, if planks are so perfect, why aren’t people getting a positive result? The answer is easy! They are doing it the wrong way.
Also read: How to get six pack for women
The way is everything when it comes to expecting good results from planks, and if you don’t get into that perfect form down with the basic plank, you can forget about the good results.
There are several ways of plank workouts for abs, let’s have a look:
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]1.[/su_highlight] Back plank
Put both of your hands under your shoulders and place the back of your hands pointed in the direction towards your heels. Point your toes and push out your pelvis. At the same time, you have to look upwards and make sure to keep your back straight.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]2.[/su_highlight] Straight-arm back plank with bent legs
Make sure to keep your shoulders, hips and back in a straight line. The only difference with the back plank is that now you need to bend your legs with your knee. Do not let your hips lower down and do not throw back your head.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]3.[/su_highlight] Pull-up knee plank
Start with the classic straight-armed plank, pull up your right knee towards your right elbow then put it down, then pull up your left knee to your left elbow. Make sure to keep your back in a straight line, whilst engaging your abs and looking in the forward direction.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]4.[/su_highlight] Jumping plank
Adopt the classic straight-armed plank as your starting position. From this position, and whilst keeping a straight line, you should jump up using your legs slightly with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Make sure your knees don’t sag down.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]5.[/su_highlight] Forearm Plank
Starting from a basic plank position, lower yourself in order to rest on your forearms. Keep your forearms parallel with each other and place your hands flat on the floor or clasped together if it feels more comfortable.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]6.[/su_highlight] Extended Plank
Add some extra shoulder work to your basic plank by extending both of your arms in front of you and as far as you can while still managing to stay in a proper plank position.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]7.[/su_highlight] Knee-to-Inside-Elbow Plank
Start with the basic plank position and slowly bring your left knee underneath and across your body, toward the inside of your right elbow. Once more, just get it as close as possible without dropping your left hip and shoulder. Repeat with the other side.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]8.[/su_highlight] Side Plank Mermaid Raise
Start with a side plank position and some music with the little mermaid soundtrack. Drop your lower hip toward the floor. Then get back to the previous position and lift your hip in the upward direction as high as you can.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]9.[/su_highlight] Reverse Plank Leg Raise
Start in a reverse plank with your hips lifted up and head in the forward direction. Lift one of the leg as high as possible without twisting your waist. Repeat the same process on the other side. Take it slow and easy at first and then play the game however you want.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]10.[/su_highlight] Plank Jacks
Begin with a standard plank and place your legs together. Jump your feet out as if you were doing a horizontal jumping jack and then jump feet back together. If jumping is too tough, you can always start by walking your legs out one at a time. Just don’t try to add jumping jack arms, in a fight between you and gravity, gravity always wins.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]11.[/su_highlight] Rowing Plank
Holding a medium-weight dumbbell in each hand, get into standard plank position. Make sure your weights have flat edges or you won’t be able to balance on them. Bend your right elbow and slowly lift it up toward the ceiling, keeping your elbow in tight by your side. Lower the weight and repeat on the other side.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]12.[/su_highlight] Lowered hips side plank
Start in the basic side plank position. Slowly lower your left thigh to the floor, then return it to the previous position. You need to make sure to keep your body in the straight line.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]13.[/su_highlight] Elbow plank with arm/leg lift
Challenge your balance with an elbow plank, lift your left leg up, hold, then lower down. Repeat with right leg. Do the same for your arms with both of the legs on the floor.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]14.[/su_highlight] Elbow side plank
During this plank abs workout, your body should make a straight line and your abs should be tense, with your upper arm placed either on your waist or pointing upwards. Be careful to make sure your hips do not sag down. Your legs should either be placed one on top of the other or with one in front.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]15.[/su_highlight] Bird Dog Plank
Begin in a standard plank. Lift your right leg straight behind you, then lift your left arm straight in front of you. Keep your body in a straight line from fingertip to toe. You’ll soon discover that this works your core and your balance in a major way.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]16.[/su_highlight] Sea Witch Plank Crawl
Get into a forearm plank with both feet on a weight plate. Using your forearms, drag your body forward, pulling the plate behind you, just like Ursula pushing her tentacle body out of the ocean. Some people call this the army plank crawl, but sea witches are way more entertaining.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]17.[/su_highlight] Bosu Walking Plank
Start in standard plank position with your hands on the bubble side of the BOSU. Lower to your forearms one at a time. Return back up to a basic plank. Repeat, leading with tadifferent hand.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]18.[/su_highlight] Degree Bird Dog Plank
Once you have mastered the bird dog plank, try reaching your right arm and left leg out to the side, making a 90-degree angle with each limb. This plank workout for abs can be perform also.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]19.[/su_highlight] Plank Climber on Slides
Place both feet on paper plates and lift up into a standard plank. Maintaining plank position without sticking your butt up in the air, bring your right foot forward toward your hands. Quickly switch your left foot forward. Alternate quickly back and forth, like you’re running in place. On your hands. Because you’re a bear.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]20.[/su_highlight] Side Plank Crunches
Begin in a side plank. Push into the floor with your bottom foot and lift your top leg. Bend your knee and bring it in to touch your top elbow. Try not to lean forward or backward. Repeat on the other side.
Plank Guide
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]1.[/su_highlight] Plank Exercise Routine
You’ll get much better if you practice every day, no matter what. Keep your form and really focus on your movements. If you can do a plank for 15 seconds before you lose your form then hold for 15 seconds, rest for 15 seconds and start again. 5 minutes worth of planks may take you 10 minutes to accomplish when you add in rest periods. Remember, slow and steady always wins this race.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]2.[/su_highlight] Plank Exercise Benefits
- Improves core definition and performance.
- Decreases risk of injury in the back and spinal column.
- Experience an increased boost to your overall metabolism.
- Significantly improves your posture.
- Improves your overall balance.
- You will become more flexible than ever before.
- You will get mental benefits.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]3.[/su_highlight] Do Planks burn belly fat?
The plank is a total tummy tone-up and is a great move for helping to improve posture and core strength, which in turn boost strength in all areas of your body. It will help shrink your waist, tone up love handles and flatten out your belly. All with one single move.
[su_highlight background=”#db3236″ color=”#ffffff”]4.[/su_highlight] Back Plank
The reverse plank exercise is an often-overlooked exercise that is great for the core. It targets the posterior muscles along the backside of the body, but when done properly, it also engages the abdominal muscles. Note that it’s better to hold the correct position for a shorter time than to go for a longer time in an incorrect position.
FAQs
[su_spoiler title=”Is the Plank Exercise Good for You?” open=”yes” style=”fancy”]Planks hit all the major muscle groups of your core, including transverse, straight, and oblique abdominal muscles and the glutes. Not will it help you shed fat from your waistline but also help you functionally perform better while performing other activities. Performing them for a few minutes a day can boost your metabolism through the day and even during the night. The bottom line is that plank exercises are more than good for you.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”How Long Should the Average Person be Able to Hold a Plank?” open=”yes” style=”fancy”]If you are in a pretty decent shape then you should be able to do 40 to 50 seconds and in a couple of weeks you can easily reach up to 120 seconds. Also, studies have shown that if a person can hold a plank for 2 minutes that they are less likely to suffer chronic back pain. Regardless of what the average person can do, this should be the goal to have core musculature to prevent long-term injury.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Is Planking Effective for Weight Loss?” style=”fancy” open=”yes”]Practicing is a typical method to consume calories to enable you to lose fat, yet in spite of the advantages of planks, they’re not the best method for diminishing the measure of fat you convey. To consume a pound of fat, you have to consume approximately 3,500 calories more than what you devour. Given the moderately low number of calories you consume amid planks, you’re more qualified to play out an activity, for example, running or moving to consume fat.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”How Many Planks Should You do in a Day?” style=”fancy” open=”yes”]It’s better to focus on increasing the time you can hold a plank than to repeat it multiple times in one day. Rather than focusing on how many planks you should do per day and how long, focus on performing a plank with perfect form and creating tension in your whole body. If you are performing planks with poor form you are just reinforcing poor posture and habits that could lead to pain in the future.[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”What are the Benefits of Doing Planks Every Day?” style=”fancy” open=”yes”]One of the top benefits of doing planks regularly is that they strengthen the core and those muscles, bones, and joints that link the upper and lower body. Doing planks greatly improves both your posture and balance and, when carried out regularly, helps you to sit or stand up straighter with ease. When undertaken regularly, planking sessions make real-life tasks easier because they don’t focus on single muscles, but are designed to utilize several groups of muscles all at once. Like most other exercises, planks can lift your spirits.[/su_spoiler]