‘I Did Plank Variations Every Day For A Month—And My Core And Arms Are Stronger Than Ever’

I do not love planks I said it there. Isometric exercises (or holding a position) are not my thing. I prefer other types of basic exercises (hello dead bugs, bicycle crunchescaterpillars or V-ups!) on a board to sustain any day.

The thing is, I like to move. And maybe he wasn’t giving the good stationary board enough credit up until this point. Planks are generally considered one of the best core (and full body) exercises out there, so I was both excited and nervous about embarking on a 30-day plank challenge.

“The plank is one of the best exercises you can do for your core because it activates your entire core, including your pelvic floor muscles, obliques, rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, and spine,” he says. amanda edellNASM and ACSM certified online personal trainer and holistic health coach.

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I took the plank challenge (a plank routine every day for a month) to see how it made me feel and how I performed. It was a fun fitness goal to add to my regular sweats. These are the exact workouts I did and what happened to my abs and mindset over the 30 days.

The training challenge: complete a plank every day

My goal for this challenge was to start slow, refine my form, and progress through the month. I looked at these tips for optimizing plates to start my journey and went back to basics to measure my board skills. Optimum board grip is a totally reasonable 60 seconds. (Yes, really!)

The training plan

DAYS 1-5: High plank: 10 seconds, 10 seconds rest, for 6 sets

DAYS 6-7: High Plank: 45 seconds of planks, 45 seconds of rest, for 3 sets

DAYS 8-12: High Plank: 60-second planks, 60-second rest, for 3 sets

DAYS 13-15: Plank Variations (Mountaineers, Pushups, and Side Planks): 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, for 2 sets

DAYS 16-30: Advanced Plank Variations (Side Plank, Shoulder Touch Plank, and Up-Down Plank)

You should only hold a board as long as you can maintain tension while maintaining your alignment. “Sixty seconds or more and your tension probably isn’t the same as it was when you started doing the plank,” says Kevin Dineen, CEO of Personal Fitness Structure In New York. “The ideal is to do three series of more tension and less time.”

Week One – I felt the daily planks in my lower abs Y arms.

I started with a simple set of high planks in the evening after a tiring day at work. I focused on really engaging my abs. As an avid exercise enthusiast, I didn’t find it overwhelmingly challenging, but I definitely felt it. I like that it was quick and easy and I didn’t have to break a sweat to fit it.

However, the first week of the boards challenge was not entirely easy. I found some struggles. Surprisingly, I felt additional tension in my shoulders and wrists. With no rest days, it was increasingly challenging for my upper body. (The test boards are much more than the core).

The benefits also appeared early. By the fifth day, I started to really feel the burning in my lower abdomen, which I usually find more difficult to treat. My stamina also improved rapidly. By the end of the first week, my workout included three sets of 45-second planks, with the same amount of rest time in between. (By the way, that’s double the total plank time I started with on day one!)

Week two: I stayed consistent and saw real progress.

It didn’t take long before he reached the optimal high table wait time of 60 seconds. My shoulders and wrists were almost up to my new abdominal strength. I focused on maintaining form and dropped into a forearm plank to finish a few sets.

At the end of the second week, I started incorporating more advanced plank variations in my routine I experimented with mountain climbers (demo below) and plank saws. I was amazed at how quickly two weeks went by and wanted to keep improving my core and overall strength.

I was so excited that I extended what was originally a two-week plank challenge to a full month of planks. Who is this budding professional planner?

Week Three: Plank workouts became more of a mental challenge.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm didn’t last long. Planks get dull after two weeks. (I mean Really boring.) There’s a special kind of mental challenge that comes after doing the same static exercise every day for three weeks. The boredom factor was more exhausting than the physical challenge.

So, I changed things up as much as I could with more difficult plank variations with shorter intervals. One session included two mountain climbers followed by knee push-ups for 20 seconds, with a 10-second rest between sets. Next, I did two sets of 20-second side planks on each side, with a 10-second break in between.

Week Four: Focusing on shape and plank variations helped me complete the challenge.

What little plank optimism I had going into week three was definitely wearing off. No matter what she did, planks were just plain boring. To go all the way, I added more plank variations to my routine. I did side planks, shoulder bump planks, and even some up and down planks. How long I held them didn’t matter as much as just completing the challenge. I was so close to a life without planks.

I finished my last day by going back to basics. I did three sets of high planks, holding for 30 seconds, with 30 seconds rest in between.

my biggest takeaways

It takes two full weeks to notice a change in core strength.

For a plank challenge, 15 days is the sweet spot. At this point I saw and felt progress, but I wasn’t bored. I think that, like any type of exercise, if you really enjoy it, you will keep it.

I’ll be honest, by the end of the month, I was dreading working out just because I knew I had to do more planks. I need more variety to keep me excited about sweating, and the irons were the exact opposite. Physically I could do them, but the monotony was boring.

I am very proud of myself for completing the fitness challenge through all the fights. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any kind of physical challenge and achieving a goal was so sweet.

It’s okay to have days off.

Without really giving my body time to rest and recover, some days were harder than others. I learned that it’s okay and found ways to adapt instead of throwing in the towel.

With the coach’s advice echoing in my head, I finished the sets on my forearms. I’d rather modify than sacrifice my form and potentially injure myself. “Remember that the most important thing is to keep fit. So if you feel like your shape is falling apart, cut it off,” Edell reminds us.

Planks also helped me get better at *other* basic jobs.

I felt significantly stronger when I got back to my regular ab workouts. My new found core strength helped me perform advanced movements that I previously found challenging. When I did Pilates V-holds a few days later, I didn’t even break a sweat.

I still don’t like planks, but I’ll keep them in my routine along with a bunch of other ab moves. “Bags, farmers, or rack carries are a great way to increase weight-bearing exercises and teach tension without excessive complexity, without worrying about your shoulders or wrists,” says Dineen. I am excited to incorporate these and other core exercises into my routine.

I realized the importance of proper form and saw a huge boost in mine.

In the midst of the challenge, I really focused on my form. One of the main benefits of doing the same move on repeat was dialing in proper technique. I had time to think and pay attention to what all my muscles (abs, shoulders, glutes and more) were doing.

I also noticed when my form faltered and I had to back up. I let my body tell me what it needed, as if giving my shoulders and wrists a rest.

Bottom line: I learned that I can achieve anything I set my mind to, and you can too! I also realized that it is important to do exercises that you enjoy. If it doesn’t bring joy, it’s time to change it and find something that does.

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