Planking is described as a multi-body strengthener that is one of the best exercises for toning muscles all over the body especially the core. It is easily customizable depending on the level that you can resist. There’s no equipment needed to execute and what’s good about it is that you can do it anywhere. It is a type of exercise that can cater to all fitness levels may it be a beginner or expert.
The plank challenge is created for stabilizing the muscles and gaining core strength in a step-by-step process without putting much strain on the body. A lot of people who have tried the plank challenge attested that it is a beneficial and effective way to be fit. In this article, we’ll explain what the plank challenge is and we’ll give you planking variations that will make the plank challenge efficient.
What’s The Plank Challenge?
The plank challenge is a 30-day program that aims to build up endurance and strengthen the core. This is the challenge intended for beginners because the idea of this challenge is to increase the amount of time that you need to stay in the planking position for each day. The plank challenge is generally safe and effective core building up exercise for all. It is suitable for everyone but if you have even the slightest injury or if you are pregnant, skip it immediately.
For your to assess the challenge works perfectly for you, by the 12th day, you should be able to hold a plank for at least 1 minute 30 seconds or up to 2 minutes. By the end of the 30 days program, you should feel comfortable doing it for more than 2 minutes of up to 5 minutes. It is important that you know how to execute each step if you would go for the plank challenge because of executed wrongly, you will just strain your body and will not gain anything from it.
Plank Variations for Beginners
Every time you see a person planking, you will think that it is just a basic and easy step until you personally try to do it. Doing the basic planking already involves some muscle groups specifically the core and back muscles. The other variations of planking aim to target more muscle groups in the body so in an exercising session, doing the planking exercises can be enough.
These planking variations are usually executed within 30 seconds to 1 minute. To ensure that it will have a positive effect in your body faster, alternate doing these planking exercising so your body will always be challenged to do it. Before performing the planking, make sure that you have the right knowledge on how to execute it because it may consist of a simple step but just a wrong move may lead to injury.
- Basic Plank
A basic plank is a beginner-friendly because you just have to ensure that you are on the right planking position. It is also called an isometric core strength exercise wherein you will just need to be like in a push-up position for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step 1: Get into a pushup position. For a high plank, your arms should be fully extended. If you’re a beginner, you can start by doing a plank on your knees. If you’re more advanced, you can try one on your forearms for more of a challenge.
Step 2: Keep your palms and toes firmly planted on the ground, your back straight, and your core tight.
Step 3: Make sure your body is in a straight line while you’re in a plank position. Don’t let your back or head sag.
Step 4: Hold your plank for the predetermined time. If your form begins to go at any point, drop to your knees or stop until you’re ready to return to the plank position.
- Forearm Plank
This plank variation aims to target different main core muscles such as the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis. If you are a beginner, you can do it for at least 20 seconds but if you can, stay in this position for about 1 minute.
Step 1: Get down on your mat and place your forearms directly underneath your shoulders. Your hands should be extended and your body lengthened.
Step 2: Tuck your tailbone and ensure you engage your glutes, triceps, and abs to prevent your spine from arching toward the mat.
Step 3: Tuck your toes under and lift your knees, so that your body forms a straight line.
- Forearm to full plank
The type of plan specifically targets not only the back and abdominal muscles but also the shoulders. Doing this exercise is harder and complicated of you haven’t build up your core muscle strength yet so if you are a beginner, you can expect that it would take a couple of sessions before you can do it easily.
Step 1: Start in the push-up position. Bend your arms at your elbows. You know that you are doing it correctly if you feel like your overall weight is resting in your forearms.
Step 2: You can do it first for 30 seconds then rest for 10 seconds then go back to the same position for another 30 seconds. You can do it in for as long as your stamina still can.
Step 3: You can do it in for as long as your stamina still can.
- Side plank
When you do crunches, there are muscles in the abdominal area that is not worked out. By doing the side plank, the oblique abdominal muscles are targeted. If you are a beginner, strengthening the oblique muscles first is the key for you to be able to strengthen the core muscles much easier.
Step 1: Lie on one side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder.
Step 2: Make sure to stack your legs with your hips raised. Place your hand on your hip or raising it straight toward the ceiling.
Step 3: Hold the position without letting your hips drop. Hold it for at least 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Squeeze your glutes to make it more efficient.
5. Reverse plank
Greater body control and awareness are what this reverse planking targets. It aims to target almost all muscle groups in the body such as the core, lower back, glutes, hamstrings and it even exercises the abs. This is a perfect exercise if you have a wrist strain.
Step 1: Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs situated in front of you. Place your hands behind you, may it be on the floor or atop a foam roller.
Step 2: Carefully push up and lift your body until you form a straight line from head to toe. Don’t let yourself drop and make sure to at least do it for 30 seconds.
Step 3: For an added challenge, you may raise one leg. Repeat with your left leg.
Is It The Plank Challenge Safe?
For you to be able to maximize its benefits in the body, it is not recommended to do the same routine all over again. Doing it all over again has higher chances that your body will reach a plateau where it will no longer have an effect. Making variations in terms of your exercising routine will also ensure that you will not get bored and so your body will not get used to it.
It is said that doing an exercise routine all over again will not boost your motivation. It is ideal that before the week starts, plan your routine so there is something that you look forward to. Good thing, planking has different variations that also have different levels of difficulty so it is safe to say that doing planking daily is totally fine but be sure to perform different planking variations so as not to reach the plateau.
The plank challenge is guided by fitness experts making it safe. However, it will only have a negative effect on the body if you are not knowledgeable about how to do it. It is important that even before trying this challenge, make your research to ensure that it will benefit you rather than destroy you.
What Are The Benefits Of Planks?
When it comes to strengthening the core, planking is considered as one of the most effective routine exercises. Not only that it is beneficial for the core but it also promotes other benefits in overall health and wellness. Here are some of the benefits that you can get from planking when done correctly.
- It strengthens the back while it strengthens the core
When you do the planking, it is not only concentrated on the core muscles but as you do it, the back muscles are also enhanced. Here are the main muscle groups that are exercised rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. Unlike crunches, planking has a wider range making it more effective for building endurance, balance, and maintaining mobility.
- Improve stability
One of the reasons why there are a lot of people who are into core training exercises is to improve stability. If you do planking, your balance is practiced that also lets you endure different kinds of the difficulty level of the planking exercises that you do.
- Reduce back pain
Planking does not only strengthen the back muscles but when executing it correctly, it aims to reduce back pain and it also improves spinal alignment. When it is your first time to plank, you can expect back pain that may last for a couple of days but after that, you can be sure that having pain is the least pain that you will experience.
- Build up endurance
You can plank for a couple of seconds up to minutes. The longer time you do it, the more that your body will build up endurance. If your endurance in doing rigid exercises is developed, physical stamina and toning of the muscles are faster.
Tips In Doing The Plank Challenge
- Tense your abs. In most exercises that engage the abs, it will be more effective if you will tense your abs correctly. At first, you will feel difficulty tensing your abs because of the pain that you will experience but as soon as you strengthen your core, it will be much easier to tense it.
- Always be mindful of your posture. In most exercises, it is always important that you are in the right posture when executing it. The same is true with planking. Make sure to always on the right posture to make it effective and to avoid an injury. When you are executing the steps in the right position, it is easier to enhance the targeted parts of the body with less stress.
- Time your plank. If you will do the plank challenge, timing your plank duration for a day is important because it will determine if you have progress. It is also important to make sure that you do it in the right range of time. Under timing may defeat its purpose while over timing may cause negative effects on your body. Don’t force your body to reach a certain length that you can hold.
- Engage your glutes. In doing the planking, your aim is to engage as many muscles as possible especially the glutes. There is research conducted that when you have an established strength in your glute area, it would be easier to engage your posterior chain.
Final Thoughts
The plank challenge for beginners serves as a guide not only to learn how to do planking in the right way but it allows you to maximize its beneficial effects on the body in a progressive way. This challenge reminds you that changes in your body cannot be done overnight that is why you need to have patience in persevering to achieve a healthy mind and body. If you are a beginner, it is best to make your research about its overall benefits and check with yourself if doing it is suitable for your health and lifestyle.