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Plank Exercise

What is Plank Exercise?

  • The Plank Exercise, sometimes referred to as an abdominal bridge or front hold, is a type of isometric core strength training that entails holding the arms and feet in a position that is nearly identical to a push-up for as long as possible.
  • For strengthening your abdominal muscles and core, a plank exercise might be a wise choice. You can enhance your body balance and strengthen your hips, lower back, and abdomen with these workouts.
  • Holding the trunk of a body part off the bottom in an extended line is the plank, a bodyweight exercise. Static exercise is incredibly effective in strengthening your core because it works for numerous muscle groups simultaneously.
  • while working the arms, shoulders, and glutes as well.

which muscles are used in plank exercise?

  • Transverse abdominis
  • Rectus abdominis
  • Internal and external obliques
  • Deltoids
  • rhomboid
  • trapezius
  • rotator cuff
  • triceps
  • biceps
  • chest muscles
  • Glutes
  • Quadriceps
  • hamstrings
  • calves

What are the Health Benefits of Plank exercise?

  • enhances your equilibrium
  • makes your core muscles stronger.
  • increases the flexibility of the body
  • lessens low back discomfort
  • increases metabolism
  • Reduce the amount of abdominal fat
  • Develop stamina
  • Boost your posture
  • Reduce the strain on your spine
  • Enhances Mental Health in General

How To Do a Plank Exercise?

  • Lay down on the floor, face down.
  • Keep your elbows beneath your shoulders and at your sides. Place your palms on the ground as you face forward.
  • Squeeze your thigh muscles and extend your legs at the same time. Your toes should be near your shins.
  • As you raise your upper body off the ground, use your core to stabilize it.
  • Maintain a straight back at all times. Make sure your hips are square to the floor and your knees are straight. Keep your elbows beneath your shoulders.
  • Hold the plank for 30 to 60 seconds while taking calm, deliberate breaths in and out.
  • Lower yourself back to the floor while maintaining a straight knee position and contracting your abdominal muscles. Relax your muscles after you’re back on the floor.

Plank Exercise Video:

What are the types of Plank exercises?

  1. High plank
  2. Forearm Plank
  3. Knee Plank
  4. Side Plank
  5. Reverse Plank
  6. Single-Arm Plank
  7. Plank Leg Lifts
  8. Mountain Climbers
  9. Up-Down Plank
  10. Plank Hip Dips

How to do these different types of Plank exercises:

High plank:

  • With your face directed toward the floor, assume a prone laying position.
  • Try to put your hand beneath your elbow and shoulder. then gradually raise your knees until only your hands and toes are bearing your body weight.
  • From your head to your heels, we want to make a straight line. Maintain a straight back and core.
  • Try to perform this exercise flawlessly if you want to reap more benefits. then set the hold time to its maximum.
  • For ten to thirty seconds, try to hold this position for three to six repetitions.
  • Three times a day, perform this workout.
High plank
High plank

Forearm Plank:

  • If you want to switch up your plank regimen, try the forearm plank workout.
  • You must lie on your stomach over your head for this exercise.
  • Your entire body must be raised by your foot and forearm as you maintain a straight line position and keep your forearm on the ground.
  • To maintain this position for 10 to 30 seconds and 3 to 6 repetitions, you should straighten your back and place your elbows beneath your shoulders.
  • Three times a day, perform this workout.
Forearm-plank
Forearm-plank

Knee Plank:

  • The high plank exercise has been modified to include the knee plank. Beginners will benefit from this exercise. You must lie prone with your face facing the floor to complete the plank.
  • Try to put your hand beneath your elbow and shoulder.
  • Next, gradually bear your entire body weight on your hands and knees.
  • Drawing a straight line from your head to your knees and heels is the goal. Maintain a straight back and abdomen.
  • Try to perform this exercise flawlessly if you want to reap more benefits.
  • The position must take precedence over holding time. Perform 10–12 repetitions or 30–60 seconds.
  • Three times a day, perform this workout.
Knee plank
Knee plank

Side Plank:

  • Go on to the side plank exercise after you have mastered the standard high and forearm planks.
  • This is a great workout for back pain on one side. Strengthening the obliques, deep spinal stabilizing muscles, hips, and shoulders is also beneficial.
  • On your prominent side, you will begin. For balance, place your hand in front of your torso and try to hold your upper body on the bottom of your elbow. Your elbow and shoulder joints should be in alignment.
  • Your legs are then joined such that your heels make contact. Squeeze your glute and core muscles to raise your hips upward.
  • Try raising your upper arm toward the ceiling if you are balanced and at ease.
  • On the opposite side, repeat the move. Keep your lower knee on the floor for additional support if you wish to make this exercise easier. Aim for three to six repetitions while maintaining this position for ten to thirty seconds.
  • Three times a day, perform this workout.
SIDE-PLANK
SIDE-PLANK

Reverse Plank:

  • Because you will be uncomfortably holding yourself, this exercise will help you improve your balance.
  • You will observe that this exercise also enhances core muscle control, shoulder flexion and mobility, and gluteal strength.
  • It’s a subtle arm workout that will also target your deltoids, triceps, and rectus abdominal muscles.
  • After spending a lot of time in front of a computer and sitting for extended periods, this exercise helps to open your shoulders and chest.
  • To perform a reverse plank, lie down so that you can see above the ceiling. Then, try to place your hand beneath your shoulders, raise your hips as high off the floor as you can, and stretch your legs.
  • After holding this position for 30 seconds or more, do it three to six times.
  • Perform this workout three or four times every day.
Reverse Plank
Reverse Plank

Single-Arm Plank:

  • Choose the single-arm plank exercise if you need to exert a little more effort during this workout.
  • You must lie on your stomach over your head for this exercise. You must maintain your forearm on the ground and your toes only slightly elevated while standing in a straight line.
  • You must now raise yourself off the ground and straighten one arm.
  • Your entire body must be raised at that point, with your elbows beneath your shoulders and your back straight.
  • Next, choose a different side. For thirty seconds, hold this position for three to six repetitions on each side.
  • Perform this workout three or four times every day.
Single-Arm-Plank
Single-Arm-Plank

Plank Leg Lift :

  • Similar to a single-arm plank, this exercise tests your balance by requiring you to utilize your legs. Along with strengthening your abs, forearms, anterior deltoid, obliques, glutes, quads, and triceps, the plank leg raise also helps you balance better.
  • With your face directed toward the floor, assume a prone laying position.
  • Make an effort to place your hand under your elbow and shoulder. then gradually raise your knees until only your hands and toes are bearing your body weight.
  • Forming a straight line from the top of your head to your heels is the aim. Now, raise just one leg at a time, then move on to the other side.
  • For 30 to 60 seconds, or 8–10 repetitions on each side, keep switching legs.
  • Perform this workout three or four times every day.
Plank Leg Lift
Plank Leg Lift

Mountain Climbers:

  • This is a cardio-based variation of the plank exercise, where you must first assume the standard plank posture as described above, and then attempt to swiftly bring your knee to your chest using a different knee.
  • Perform this plank position from knee to chest eight to ten times.
  • Perform this workout three or four times every day.
mountain-climber
mountain-climber

Up-Down Plank:

  • This is fitness-focused and based on a variation of the plank workout.
  • This is a blend of forearm plank and high plank workouts. Start on a high plank. While keeping a plank-like posture, lower onto one forearm and then the other.
  • After that, place one hand on the mat and straighten your arm. Then, perform the same motion with your other hand.
  • Next, assume a high plank posture.
  • With each repetition, repeat and perform with the other arm that initiates the transition. Perform 5–10 repetitions.
  • Three times a day, perform this workout.
Up-Down-Plank
Up-Down-Plank

Plank Hip Dips:

  • Rotate your spine slowly while keeping your forearms in a plank position to lower your left hip to just above the floor (about one to two inches off the ground).
  • Return to the plank for your forearms. Next, bring the right hip down to the floor. One repeat is indicated by this. Use the alternate hip for this exercise. Perform as many repetitions as you are able to in 20 seconds at a time.
  • Perform this workout five to ten times. It lowers the risk of a back injury, enhances balance, and develops your core without putting undue strain on your back.
  • Perform this workout three or four times every day.
Plank-Hip-Dips
Plank-Hip-Dips

When do you not do plank exercises?

  1. If you’ve got a shoulder injury.
  2. If you’ve got an ache in your shoulders when the activity.
  3. Expectant mothers
  4. When working out, avoid holding your breath.

FAQs

What is the plank exercise good for?

Planks are an excellent way to work numerous muscles at once. First of all, according to personal trainer and Rhodes to Strength founder Candace Rhodes, the plank strengthens your quadriceps and glutes. These muscles are essential for moving you forward, which is especially useful if you run.

What happens if I do planks for 30 days?

Better balance and posture: Throughout the day, I felt more stable and self-assured in my movements, and my posture greatly improved. Stronger core muscles: By strengthening my core muscles, planking made it easier for me to complete other activities.

Do planks burn calories?

What is the caloric cost of planking? Planking is an example of a low-intensity bodyweight exercise that may burn three to four calories per minute. If you add effort to the workout by trying a plank variation, you may burn more calories than that.

Is a 5-minute plank good?

This time under tension (TUT) is what significantly affects muscle growth. Five minutes of plank holding entails some significant TUT. Because planks force the abdominal muscles to work harder, they have been shown to produce better benefits than the traditional crunch if you’re looking to tone your abdomen.

References:

  • Cronenberg, C. (2023, May 19). 15 Plank Variations You Haven’t Tried but Need to ASAP. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/14-plank-variations-your-core-will-thank-you-for-later
  • Clinic, C. (2024, September 9). Why You Should Start Doing Planks. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/plank-exercise-benefits
  • Ms, E. Q. (2024b, May 13). How to Do a Plank: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/the-plank-exercise-3120068
  • Physiotherapist, N. P.-. (2024a, September 19). How to Do Plank exercise? Benefits, Type and Variations. Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic. https://mobilephysiotherapyclinic.in/how-to-do-plank-exercise-health-benefits-type-and-variations/#Plank_Exercise_Video

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