When many people imagine building muscle and gaining core strength, they envision using a gym membership or a home gym. But you can still prioritize your physical aptitude even without the use of multiple machines! Whether you don’t have a gym membership, stay in hotels for work, or live in a small space, there are still great ways to stay fit with bodyweight exercises. And the best part? No equipment required.
Most trainers will tell you that one of the most effective moves is the plank. Helps build core strength while working many different muscle groups. In addition to maintaining proper form, how long you hold a plank makes a difference.
We talked to fitness experts to learn more about how long to hold a plank and the best plank variations.
how long to hold a board
Core stabilization exercises should be done in short, intense positions.
“A five-second hard plank position repeated for 5 sets with a 45-60 second window is a great way to start if you’re new,” he says. Zack Phillips, CSCS, strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer at the University of Texas at Austin. “Two or three sets of 10-20 second hard holds is what I typically use for my clients, focusing more on the intensity of the hold than the duration. 30 seconds of strong gripping would be the most I would ask someone to do as I don’t think it will get any better if you hold longer and it would get boring.”
It may be surprising to hear, but it’s actually possible to gain significant benefits from holding a plank for a few seconds, rather than pushing yourself for a full minute. matt scarfoexplains a NASM certified CPT-OPT, CES, PES, FNS and Precision Nutrition Pn1.
Planks are great exercises because they develop many of the deep stabilizer muscles that we depend on for good posture. These include the muscles in your shoulders, back, chest, glutes, quads, hip flexors, and of course your abs. All of these muscle systems come together for a great isometric workout that can improve your posture, balance, and stability when runlifting or just living your day to day lifeScarfo adds.
In fact, a recent to study found that you don’t actually need to do isometric exercises for a long time to see results. In fact, holding a position for three seconds a day, five days a week for four weeks resulted in a 10% increase in strength. The significance of this study was that the workouts were performed consistently and with maximal effort.
The bottom line is this: If you’re going to hold a board, you have to use proper form and do a difficult variation, says Scarfo. You can do this by doing a flexed version of the plank, which has more muscle engagement than a stability version, for example.
Related: 10 Benefits of Planks That Will Convince You to Really Do Them, Plus How to Make the Perfect Plank
plank variations
“You can incorporate any of these planks into your program,” Scarfo says. Just be sure to do it with maximum effort if you’re trying to get the most benefit with the least amount of time.
basic plank
The basic plank is one that focuses on stability.
How to do it:
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- You can start with your toes and your forearms or hands.
- Keep your body straight, with your buttocks flexed so your back doesn’t sag.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds.
Related: Do you want your core stronger? Try This Trainer-Approved 30-Day Plank Challenge
intense plank
This plank is more intense than a basic plank and involves activating all of your muscles.
How to do it:
- Press into the ground with your palms and flex your triceps, flex your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
- Finally, engage your back by slightly bending your hips forward. This active stance will increase muscle engagement, making your plank more effective.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
side table
This plank variation is great for working your hip abductors, obliques, and lats.
How to do it:
- Place your right elbow under your right shoulder with your forearm pointing forward and your hand in a fist.
- Lift your hips off the ground until your body is in a straight line and hold for 10 seconds.
- Repeat on the left side.
reverse plank
The reverse plank helps you build your shoulder and back complexes.
How to do it:
- Press into the floor with your palms and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
- Keep your toes pointed, arms and legs straight, and hold for 10 seconds.
Sources
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