Fitness Fundamentals: Building a Better Plank

By

I’ve never been one to make (and then feel bad about breaking) a bunch of New Year’s resolutions. But I am determined to make 2017 The Year of the Ab. My abs, specifically. Because even though I’m fit—I run several times a week, hike, ski, rock climb and do the occasional yoga class—my middle is still kind of mushy.

If you’re in a similar situation, feel free to join me in a year long plank-a-thon. Rumor has it not only will our abs be rock hard, but our posture will improve and our backs will be stronger too. “Done correctly, a plank is an isometric contraction of all the muscles that stabilize the spine, hips and shoulder girdle,” explains Christa Bache, MA, a personal trainer in New York City. “It is truly a whole body exercise.” The key words there are “done correctly.” The plank is all about form, so here, Bache shares some tips for getting the most out of every plank:

  • Start elevated and master that before progressing to the floor. Bache recommends putting elbows on a bench so that the body is on a slant. “If you can hold that posture and stabilize the body, then you can move to a lower incline (like elbows on a Reebok step) then to the floor,” she says.
  • Try your planks both supported on your elbows and with straight arms. “You’re working the same muscles in both positions, but they are recruited in different ways, so it’s good to challenge yourself to do both,” says Bache.
  • Assess your form starting at the top. Check to see if your head is dropping—if it is, that affects the alignment of your whole spine. Head should be in a straight line with your body, eyes looking straight down between your hands.
  • Make sure your butt isn’t sticking up in the air. If it is, pull it back down (but down let your hips sag toward the ground either). You want your body in a straight line from shoulders to hips.
  • While holding your plank, think about activating all of the muscles that are working to maintain that position. Keep your legs straight with your quads contracting, tighten your buttocks and brace your abdominal muscles by trying to pull your belly button up into your spine.
  • Now the really tricky part: maintain normal breathing while holding this posture. Bache says to start by holding the plank for whatever length of time you can, gradually working your way up to a full minute. Another approach is to do sets of repeating planks, holding the posture for just 10 to 15 seconds but doing three to eight repetitions. “Think quality over quantity,” urges Bache. “Success is all about doing it well.”

 

Sally Wadyka is a Boulder, Colorado-based journalist who writes about nutrition, health and wellness.



from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy... http://ift.tt/2iWPhEL

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post-Workout Coffee Protein Shake

By
Image
Once again, I’ve partnered with Brother  to show the versatility of the  Brother P-touch Label Maker , especially when it comes to fitness and gym equipment.  As always, thank you for supporting CNC! I receive quite a few questions from readers about what I eat before, during, and after workouts, so I decide to share those with you today. It changes a little bit from workout-to-workout, but I keep a general framework in mind. BEFORE (approximately 30 minutes): I typically eat a small snack made up of mostly simple carbs since they provide quick energy. Some favorites: Half of a banana or another piece of whole fruit, a protein bar, handful of raisins, or a rice cake with jam and sometimes nut butter (it just depends how hungry I am and the timing of my workout). DURING : I typically don’t consume anything during my workouts, unless they’re longer than 90 minutes, like if I’m training for a long distance race (i.e. half marathon). In that case, I’ll take an energy gel and water ev
Read more

Lyme Disease, Protein for Women, Acid Reflux while Fasting | THRR049

By
Image
What is Healthy Weight, Acid Reflux During Fasting, Long Term Antibiotic Use – Lyme Disease, Women Over 40, Controversy Over Meat Make your health an act of rebellion. Join The Healthy Rebellion Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS   Submit your questions for the podcast here   Show Notes: News topic du jour: Leading dietary determinants identified using machine learning techniques and a healthy diet score for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children: a longitudinal analysis Conclusion: Diets high in seafood, rice, and red meat other than pork and low in refined grains, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and wheat are leading healthy dietary factors for metabolic health in children. HDS is strongly predictive of CMR factors. 1. What is healthy weight? [10:27] Justin says: Greetings, On THRR045 Chris asked a question about fueling his gymnastics workouts and he mentioned his height and weight, 6’3” and 170 lbs. Robb commented that he (Chr
Read more

Evernote Review: Your Digital Organization Hub

By
Image
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to organize your digital life, check out Evernote! Here’s my Evernote review and all the great features you can use to make your thoughts, notes, and files easy to find, sort, and save.  This post is sponsored by Evernote .  Raise your hand if your digital life feels cluttered. If we were in a room, almost everyone’s hand would go up, including mine!  With so much of our lives digitized these days, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with all the information we need to save and reference. And because computers, the internet, and living in email and calendars are relatively new to humans, we as a society are still learning good systems. If I asked you to organize a paper filing cabinet, you’d probably have a few good ideas on how to do that. But if I asked you to organize a computer hard drive, many of us get stumped on the sheer volume of files and the endless ways to sort.  The good news is there are apps that make this process more intuitiv
Read more