Tips on Planks

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by fwbgator

Do you have a good site you like to go to or would recommend to be able to see a good example of a well done plank. I want to make sure I am doing right, and not just wasting my bodies time...

Just youtube 'how to do a plank.' It's pretty sound stuff.

However, I'm curious to know what your specific goals are and what you're currently doing to reach them.

[fwbgator]

Got back into working out, now for the past couple of years... Now I am looking to include some core exercises in there also...
I do the basic stomach and lower back exercises, but I know I am needing to do a lot more "Core" stuff to start getting better results....

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by fwbgator

Got back into working out, now for the past couple of years... Now I am looking to include some core exercises in there also...
I do the basic stomach and lower back exercises, but I know I am needing to do a lot more "Core" stuff to start getting better results....

If I knew what specific exercises you were doing I could comment further. But I can tell you that, in general, specific exercises for abs and lower back *may* be a waste of time.

For instance, if you're currently doing pushups, why do planks ? Essentially, the pushup is a dynamic plank.

Mind you, the plank is a great exercise and it certainly won't hurt to include it. But don't expect it to bring out your abs minus careful attention to diet.

[Dreamliner]

I do often recommend planks for untrained people. I myself tend to use them as a diagnostic. Every few weeks I'll try them to gauge whether or not my core stability is improving.

[gatorsfan530]

Following Dream's advice on extending the arms, and doing the planks for a lot longer (~45-50 secs now) and wow, talk about tough!

I'm glad I do it though, I enjoy my planks

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by gatorsfan530

Following Dream's advice on extending the arms, and doing the planks for a lot longer (~45-50 secs now) and wow, talk about tough!

I'm glad I do it though, I enjoy my planks

Go for it! Most people hate 'em.

[StrangeGator]

When intervening circumstances throw me off my routine, I always do planks on my first day back. I do one HIIT workout each week and I have added some especially challenging variations on planks.