Planking is a core strength exercise that involves maintaining a difficult position for extended periods of time. The plank exercise is one of the top ten abdominal exercises and is a great way to flatten your stomach, strengthen your core and improve the endurance of your back and stomach muscles.
Today we will be focusing on the traditional plank. (Level 2 in above photo)
- Lie face down, resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Be sure that your shoulders are aligned directly over your elbows and that your legs are straight behind you with your ankles, knees and thighs touching.
- In a push-up motion, raise your body off the floor, supporting your weight on your forearms and your toes. You now have created a straight line from head to feet. For comfort, you can rotate your elbows slightly out and clasp your hands together in the center.
- Tilt your pelvis and keep your abdominal muscles engaged to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle. At this stage it's very important to remember to BREATHE!
- Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat 3-5 times.
And now, some planking funnies...
Now. GO PLANK!
No comments:
Post a Comment