Plank exercises strengthen your core, which in turn can help reduce back pain. Here is the detail of the top 10 best plank exercises for a six-pack. It works on your glutes, and hamstrings, and improves the posture and balance of your body.
This exercise works on the internal muscles of your body Transverse Abdominal.
This exercise also aids in gaining a better body structure. Therefore, a stronger core is an oppressive necessity.
If you have got too comfortable with the standard plank position, we recommend you break the monotony and usher in some variety.
Here are the Details of the Top 10 Best Plank Exercises for Six-Pack
T Plank
The T-plank is an excellent core exercise used by martial arts experts. This reliable body exercise helps to improve the core strength of your body.
Further, stronger core muscles allow martial artists to produce more powerful punches, kicks, and grappling methods. If you want to make a six-pack body then it is best for you.
The plank t is a variety of the traditional side plank. T-planks are also known as push-up side planks, etc. To make this exercise even more challenging, some experts hold lightweight dumbbells in their hands when performing T-planks at the gym or home.
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Extended Plank
The extended plank exercise is a workout that originally targets the abs and to a minor degree also targets the lower back and back flexors.
There are a lot of several extended plank variations that you can try out that may need different types of Extended plank, for example, extended arm plank and extended side plank, equipment, or may even require no tools at all.
How to do an Extended Plank
- Find a standard push-up position. Next, move hands 6 to 8 inches above the shoulders. Hands are still on the floor.
- Maintain your body straight, feet on your toes, and hands on the floor in front of your arms.
- Next, support your stomach as if you will be hit and hold the position for at least 30 seconds. It completes only one set.
Your hips mustn’t droop. Support the stomach just as if someone is going to punch you in the stomach. Keep your belly contracted, but at the same time get quick short breaths while holding yourself upside down.
Star Plank
Star planks exercise aims at six-pack abs. Star Plank CrossFit increases your oblique and entire core. Star Plank exercise not only adds strength in your shoulder and arm but the deep contraction in your oblique muscle and hip.
Besides, Star plank acts on the mind and will strengthen it. Isometrics are challenging and allow you to measure, in the very best way, how strong you are getting. The first time you hold Star plank, you might be moving after just a few seconds.
How to do a Star Plank
- Start in a side plank position with your right arm straight below your right shoulder and legs along with your feet heaped.
- Stretch the top arm and the leg up and hold, pressing the abdominals.
- Stay for the desired amount of time and switch your sides.
Star Plank also allows you a chance to practice good breathing. Make sure you don’t hold your breathing during your plank.
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Weighted Plank
A weighted plank is the best plank for weight loss. Using extra weights while performing planks adds stability to your body thus making it more useful. The difficulty level will improve and enhance the power of the core muscles too.
Abdominal muscles have a lot of red blood cells which are filled with oxygenated blood.
Where the red blood cell density is high, one can put more pressure because the oxygen in the blood moves in the body forward. On the other hand, plank benefits for weight loss are priceless.
How to Use Weight During Weighted Plank
The amount of weight you use during the weighted plank depends upon your ability of power. Always remember that your back needs to be used with care, so avoid going overboard immediately.
- If you have just started with weighted planks develop the weight slowly and always take help from your trainer.
- The weight demands to be placed above the lower back but ensures that your normal plank posture is accurate.
- Accurately your posture while performing planks is more vital than the time you hold the plank.
- Adding weights to your regular planks will help you improve lung capacity, back strength, and stability.
- It stimulates your core and helps you burn additional fat from your belly. It is the relation between the plank and weight loss.
Hardstyle Plank
The hardstyle plank seems just like a regular elbow plank or plank crunches, but when done accurately, it should feel several times more difficult. This is one of the best planks to reduce weight.
How to do a plank? You take the elbow plank and involve almost every muscle you can: support your abs hard, press your glutes together, and tighten your quadriceps.
The point of the hardstyle plank is to deeply and effectively activate your core and lose weight.
Activating your core, particularly before an exercise, will help you maintain proper form and avoid injury.
Moves like this plank function to “turn on” these essential core muscles and pay dividends throughout your workout, helping you keep your abs very strong and engaged through every move.
How to do a Hardstyle Plank
- First, go into the plank position. Your body forms a direct line from your head to your feet.
- Instead of putting your elbows directly at shoulder level your elbows just above the shoulder level. And bring your elbows closer together.
- So, when in the plank position, make the elbows up just a bit and produce them closer together.
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RKC Plank
The RKC plank exercise was developed by former Soviet special forces trainers for their fitness program. RKC stands for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, which developed this plank variety.
Once the proper plank no longer excites your core, and you start having to hold the position for five minutes to feel any resemblance of a burn, it’s time to move on to new fields.
How to do a RKS Plank
At first sight, the RKC plank seems much like a common plank, but the petty variations between the two exercises make it double as hard.
- Start from the standard plank pose, hold your hands together in front of you, and pull your shoulders in – a kind of reverse shrug.
- Then tense your quads to drive your knees up and clench your glutes as hard as possible.
- Start with four to five planks of about ten seconds. After a while, you can extend the duration to 20 or 30 seconds if you want.
Side Plank
The side plank is a great exercise for increasing the oblique abdominal muscles, which don’t get worked during abs exercises such as plank crunches.
You will hold your body on your side in an upright position held only by one arm and the side of one foot.
You can include side plank or side plank with weight in your core exercise routine, Pilates, or yoga practice.
It is a balancing plank workout, and you will be building your stability and coordination. This exercise can help you be able to maintain good posture and ease of change by building a strong core and better balance of your body.
How to do a Side Plank
- Lie on one side and ensure your elbow is straight underneath your shoulder, with your arms flat.
- Keep your knees on the floor, stack your legs, and increase your hips.
- Try putting your hand on your hip or raising it straight toward the roof.
Press your glutes as you hold for 30 seconds. When pleased with this pose, try lifting from stacked feet instead of knees.
Plank Twist
Plank twist can enhance your body posture. Doing this practice will increase your chest muscles, straighten your back, and take your whole body back into its normal shape.
Plank twist also increases your isometric strength, that is in your abs and core muscles. Plank hip twists and side plank twists are their types.
How to do a Plank Twist
- Start with a plank position with your elbows on the ground, on your toes with your stomach off the ground. Keep your back upright.
- Keeping your stomach button pressed in, twist your left hip till it lightly kisses the floor and then back to the plank position.
- Then twist so your right hip lightly kisses the ground and return to the plank position. This completes one rep only.
Keep control of the twist movement to avoid injury and remember to breathe throughout the workout. Keep all muscles firm to avoid injuring the lower back.
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Spiderman Plank
The Spiderman plank workout is a bodyweight exercise mainly for the core and the upper body. This is a great cardio move too, it makes the heart pumping and the blood moving.
If you want to burn extra calories and want to make six-pack abs, improve your balance, and strengthen your muscles, add this workout to your warm-up routine or a core workout.
How to do a Spiderman Plank
- Start in a flat plank position with your body in an upright line, your elbows turned and under your shoulders, and your feet hip-width apart.
- Draw your right knee to your right elbow.
- Stretch your right leg back and return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side too.
Spiderman Plank
Superman planks are the most prominent example of this style of exercise, but that maneuver is more of a technical challenge to master than a staple you can fit into your daily workout.
You’ll receive a core of steel, and that pose seems just like Superman in flight from this plank workout. To pull off the Superman plank hold, you’ll need a protection band and a low staff to obtain it.
How to do a Superman Plank
- Get down on the floor next to the tie point in a solid plank position just like a front plank position.
- Hold one end of the band in the hand on the reverse side of the support.
- Extend the arm holding the band right out, like Superman in flight.
- Hold for 5 seconds. Squeeze your glutes and core to maintain your place.
- Repeat the presses for the directed reps without returning your elbow to the ground. Shift positions and perform reps on the reverse side.
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The exercise makes your entire core get to work once you reach your arm, which approaches to throw you off balance. Take on the Superman plank grip as a six-pack abs exercise for 4 sets of 10 reps per side.