How long do you need to plank to get a flat stomach? Plank exercise.

Just one exercise - that’s all the universal exercise. But what! It will help you tone up all your muscles and lose excess weight!

Today I’ll tell you about one very effective exercise for the whole body. This exercise is called - plank

The plank is one of the most popular and effective abdominal exercises around the world. The plank forces not only the abdominal and shoulder muscles to work, but also the muscles of the whole body.

This is one of the few abdominal exercises that will allow you to get rid of lower belly fat.

The essence of charging

It consists of once a day “hovering” above the floor for several minutes, leaning only on your arms and toes. Undoubtedly, being “in limbo”, even for two minutes, is not an easy task. But the result will not keep you waiting. After just two weeks of regular exercise, you will notice how all the muscles in your body will tighten.

Classic plank

The plank is a static exercise. There are no movements in it, so the most important thing here is to hold the body correctly.

How to do: Lie on the floor with your stomach down. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and go into a resting position lying on your elbows (see photo). The body should form a straight line from the top of the head to the heels of the feet.
Support yourself only on your forearms and toes. The elbows are directly under the shoulders.
Keep your body as straight as possible, tighten your abdominal muscles and do not relax. Try not to sag your hips down towards the floor.

1. Feet . Place them together: it will become more difficult to maintain balance, which will increase the load on the abdominal muscles.

2. Legs. They must be straight and tense, otherwise the load on the rectus abdominis muscle, which keeps the lumbar region from bending, will also decrease.

3. Buttocks . Tighten up. And do not release the tension until the end of the approach. Reduction gluteal muscles increases activation of all core muscles.

4. Lower back. The most difficult moment! At correct execution The lumbar spine should be flat. That is, the lower back should neither be rounded nor bent. Imagine that your lower back is pressed tightly against the wall.

5. Belly. Retract, and then (already retracted) try to pull it towards the ribs. Throughout the entire approach, keep your stomach in this position, but do not hold your breath.

6. Elbows. To avoid putting unnecessary stress on your shoulders, place your elbows directly under your shoulder joints.

To increase the intensity, you can move your elbows slightly forward.

The exercises must be performed while exhaling, and hold until moderate tension in the muscles. Hold in this position for as long as possible: to start, just hold for 10 seconds. As a rule, people with different levels of fitness maintain the plank pose from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. Ideally, you need to keep your body in a stationary position for as long as possible - this way you will use the muscles to the maximum, but if you are a beginner, do not try to break the record: start with the smallest.

Advice: If you are doing the front plank exercise for the first time, first hold for 10 seconds, next time for 20 seconds, then 30 seconds and eventually up to 1 minute. A good result is 2 minutes, but if you do 3 sets, then hold out for 1 minute.

Try to gradually increase your training time.
If it is difficult for you to do the exercise, lean on your knees.

The muscles that work in this exercise are the abs, core muscles and buttocks. All you need to do is stand correctly and motionless on your elbows, and the muscles will contract, thereby pumping up your abs.

The muscles involved in the Planck exercise are:

But for this exercise to produce results, it must be performed correctly, otherwise the load will not be distributed correctly, and you will not feel any effect.

Detailed learning of the “Forearm Plank” exercise with Milena Poznyak:

Plank exercise variations

The bar can be varied according to your “taste and color”. If just standing in one position for two minutes is boring for you, modify and experiment.

Straight arm plank

The basic plank pose has several features.

• Don't pull your head into your shoulders - you are not a turtle to stick your head into its shell! On the contrary, straighten your neck and straighten your shoulders.
• First, the hands should be located strictly under the elbows, and the elbows should be directly under the shoulders. If you place your hands wider than your shoulders, a large load will fall on your shoulders - this should not be allowed!
• Secondly, the angle between the wrists and hands should be 90 degrees - this is very important to prevent joint injuries.
• Tighten your abs and do not lower your lower back: imagine that your body is a straight line.

How to do: standing, feet together or shoulder-width apart, the stomach is pressed against the spine, the buttocks are compressed, the tailbone is pulled forward (to avoid arching in the lower back).
As you exhale, begin to lower your body down, vertebra by vertebra, until your palms reach the floor. Then move your arms forward until your body is parallel to the floor. Place the bulk of your weight in your hands. Close your eyes and try to feel how your abdominal muscles support your entire body.

Important: Your wrists should be level under your shoulders, your elbows SLIGHTLY bent, your stomach pressed against your spine, and your buttocks squeezed throughout the exercise.

Side plank

What's the secret: This ab exercise is more effective than a traditional plank because you keep your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. You have to work harder to maintain your balance.

How to do:

A. Starting position: lying on your left side, place your elbow directly under your shoulder, legs straight. Place your right hand on your right thigh. Legs are straight.

IN. Tighten your abs and lift your pelvis off the floor until you form a diagonal, balancing on your forearm and feet. Don't forget, your body should form a straight line! Stay in this position for 30-45 seconds (or as long as possible). If you can’t stand it for that long, do the exercise again for a total of 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat the same steps.

Working muscles:

Detailed learning of the “Side Plank” exercise with Milena Poznyak:

Complications

To strengthen the muscles of the whole body, you will need only 1-2 minutes per approach. If you can’t stand it for two minutes, you can cheat a little and bend your knees.
If you can easily perform planks and side planks for two minutes or more, you can make your life a little more difficult by adding some elements to the exercises.

1.Plank with raised leg

Lift one leg up. This significantly increases the load on your core muscles. And you reduce the number of support points - which means that the body has to make additional efforts to stay in position.

What's the secret: By reducing the support area, the load on the abdominal muscles increases noticeably.

How to do: Stand on your elbows as if doing a regular plank. Pull your stomach in and flatten your lower back. Without changing the position of your body, lift one leg up just above your shoulders, keeping it straight. We pull the toes of the raised leg towards ourselves. Stay in this position as long as you can. Rest and then repeat with the other leg.

When to do it: you can stand in a regular plank for a minute - move on to this option. It is very important that the lower back does not sag. The abdominal and buttock muscles should be in constant tension, while the stomach should be pulled in, which ensures the correct position of the pelvis, tucking the tailbone inward and keeping the body parallel to the floor. If the technique breaks, stop, rest for a few minutes, and repeat.

2. Plank with raised arm

Raise one hand up. The situation is the same - you will have to apply some force to avoid falling on your side. And this is good.

What's the secret: A more difficult option - standing on one hand is even more difficult.

How to do: Stand in a regular plank position, fixing your back and pulling in your stomach. Maintaining the position of your legs and body, extend one arm forward. Stay in this position for as long as you can.
Rest and then repeat with the other arm.

3. Side complicated plank

What's the secret: This is a completely different type of plank, but in our chain it is the most complex. Works the lateral core and thigh muscles

How to do : lie on your side with your legs together and straightened. They should be in a straight line with the body. Place your left forearm on the floor (elbow directly under the shoulder joint). Raise your right leg up left hand above oneself. Stay in this position as long as you can. Rest and repeat, turning to the other side.

When to do it: as an additional exercise to the regular plank or its more complicated variations.

4. Plank on a fitball

To make it more difficult, use a Swiss ball by resting your elbows on it or placing your feet on the ball.

What's the secret: With this multifunctional exercise, you can add some movement to your simple exercise planks, while simultaneously training your sense of balance by working on a balance ball. The main trick to this exercise is to avoid pulling into your shoulders. If you feel like you can't keep your balance on the ball, lean it against a wall for more stability and stability, or practice this exercise on the floor.

How to do:

A. Starting position - on your knees, elbows resting on the ball. Roll the ball forward until your back is completely straight. Then, keeping your back straight, straighten your knees. Make sure that your ears do not press into your shoulders.

IN. Hold the resulting plank position for 1-2 seconds, lower your knees to lightly touch the floor before returning to the plank position.
Perform 1-3 sets of 8-16 repetitions.

Variant of the Plank exercise on a fitball

Place your feet on the ball so that the support is on your shins. The palms should be placed on the floor strictly below the shoulders and at their width.

From this position, stretch out in one line, without bending at the waist, and maintain your balance for a minute and a half. If you feel like you can do push-ups easily, do it.

Benefits of Planck Exercise

ELASTIC BUTTOCKS
If you haven't exercised in a while, you may find it difficult to lift your legs at first. But even if you limit yourself to just a “suspended position”, the gluteal muscles will work. Over time, try to raise your legs higher and higher.

This exercise is aimed at. This way you will not only give them the desired shape, but also get rid of cellulite.

STRONG BACK
During the exercise, the lower back muscles are trained, as well as the shoulders and cervical region. So this exercise can serve as a prevention of osteochondrosis in the neck and lower back. In addition, you will get rid of pain in the shoulders and between the shoulder blades, which occurs due to carrying heavy bags or constantly sitting at a desk.

The muscles will become stronger, the shape of the shoulders will improve - any open T-shirt will look great.

SLUSH LEGS
The main focus of the exercise is on the legs. Everyone is involved. Don't be afraid if you feel a burning sensation in your muscles - this means that the muscles are working.

As a result, you can wear even the tightest skirt.

SLIM STOMACH
When the whole body is tense, automatically, both lower and lateral.

To work your abs even better, pull your stomach in a little, and then tighten and hold it until the end of the workout. But try not to lose your breath.

TIGHT ARMS
It is quite obvious that, along with the legs in this exercise, they account for half of the body weight.

At the same time, both biceps and triceps are pumped. Result: you have strong, but at the same time thin arms.

BY THE WAY
At first, your legs will shake during the exercise. Don't be scared! Having become stronger, the muscles will begin to “shake” less.

A healthy, fit guy is simply obliged to withstand two circles of the second hand.

But it’s unlikely that you turned out to be cooler than the Dane Tom Hall, who in 2015 stood in this position for 4 hours and 28 minutes! This was already the second record for the 52-year-old man, the year before he stood in the plank for 3 hours and 8 minutes. He was beaten by Chinese policeman Mao Weidong, who was frozen in a static state for 4 hours and 26 minutes in 2014.

But there is a more serious record: a little more than a year ago, at 10:26 am, in the Beijing Shangri-La Hotel, the same Mao Weidong fought with former US special agent George Hood in this, perhaps, the most immobile sport. The men tensed and did not relax for more than half a day: Hood gave up after 7 hours 40 minutes, and Mr. Weidong stopped leaning on his elbows at 18:27, setting absolute this moment world record - 8 hours 1 minute!

if you cannot hold the plank for 120 seconds, it means you are: A - overweight; B - weak muscles; B - incorrect training system

Does this compare in any way with our three approaches, say, 2 minutes each? Well-known physical therapist from the USA Bill Hartman advises to “hold on” for 3 minutes, but, according to him, this is an approximate time, an average indicator of the health of the core muscles. Dan John, fitness expert at Men's Health, says that if you can't hold a plank for 120 seconds, you have:
A - overweight; B - weak muscles; B - incorrect training system. A healthy, fit guy is simply obliged to withstand two circles of the second hand. “Whether to stand more is up to you,” he adds, “it’s just an exercise, and longer doesn’t mean better.”

You set the bar yourself

Tom Hall is a professional trainer and owner of a fitness center in the Danish town of Frederiksund. To compete with chain gyms, one day he decided to show how much better he was than other trainers. To do this, he did not lift weights, run long distances or test himself for survival - all he needed was the floor and his own body.

In 2014, he started with 8 minutes of static exercises lying on his elbows, adding 5 minutes per week. A year later, he was already holding on for three hours. “I chose the plank because over the years the exercise has been gaining monstrous popularity, but you shouldn’t think that such training will benefit everyone,” he says, “in group training we never exceed the time of 3 minutes, and that’s enough.”

Hall is a professional athlete, Danish champion in sports aerobics in 1997. He is confident that it was his athletic background that helped him break the world record, however, Hall notes: “The main obstacle is in your head. If you can convince yourself that you are capable of more, you will get what you want, and this strategy works not only in sports.”

Long doesn't mean good

A study conducted in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning led Canadian scientists to the conclusion that several short sets are more effective than long planks. University of Waterloo professor Dr Stuart McGill believes core endurance is much more important than core strength because its main purpose is to keep your back straight, but he doesn't think it's right to set records in one exercise.

“If you want to set a record in the plank, you can try, but there is no benefit to the health of the body,” he says. Moreover, the discovery of Canadian scientists is that micro approaches of 10 seconds work on endurance much more effectively. During the experiment, two groups of subjects performed exercises on the core muscles. The first team held the bar for 10 seconds - first 5 approaches, then 4, and so on until one. The second one did crunches and other dynamic exercises. After 6 weeks of training, those who held the bar according to this scheme strengthened their torso muscles significantly more.

The plank is a static exercise. There are no movements in it, so the most important thing here is to hold the body correctly (and for as long as possible).

1. Feet

Put them together: it will become more difficult to maintain balance, which will increase the load on the abdominal muscles.

2. Legs

They must be straight and tense, otherwise the load on the rectus abdominis muscle, which keeps the lumbar region from bending, will also decrease.

3. Buttocks

Tighten up. And don’t let go of tension until the end of the approach. Contracting the glutes increases activation of all core muscles.

4. Lower back

The most difficult moment! When performing the plank correctly, the lumbar spine should be flat. That is, the lower back should neither be rounded nor bent. Imagine that your lower back is pressed tightly against the wall.

5. Belly

Pull it in, and then (already pulled in) try to pull it towards the ribs. Throughout the entire approach, keep your stomach in this position, but do not hold your breath.

6. Elbows

To avoid creating unnecessary stress on your shoulders, place your elbows strictly under your shoulder joints.

I am glad to welcome beginners and those who are actively continuing! The plank exercise is about it today, yes.

The calendar shows Wednesday, which means technical day and the corresponding note on the project “”. Today we will strengthen the abdominal muscle corset with one simple but very effective exercise. After reading, you will learn everything about the technique of performing it, mistakes and a training program for creating steel press.

So let's get started with our story.

Plank exercise. What, why and why?

Very often in the gym I see the following picture: newbies come in and the first thing they do is start hammering their abs with standard exercises, such as crunches on a Roman bench or side crunches in a machine. Undoubtedly, the abdominal muscles are a very important and indicative muscle group, but it is not at all necessary to work with it according to a template standard. You can move away from these clichés and try something new and relatively outlandish, particularly the plank exercise. It is designed to create a rigid abdominal muscle corset and strengthen the foundation called the core muscles.

It is also worth saying that this is not a pumping exercise, but a formative, strengthening exercise, and therefore is not as popular among visitors gyms. In connection with such injustice, I decided to consider this hermit :).

As usual, let's start by looking at muscle atlas, or rather those muscles that take on the load.

As you can see, the plank exercise is not an isolation exercise, and it does not target the upper/lower or any other parts of the abdominals. It can be called a basic tonic for all abdominal muscles. If we delve into the technical details, the plank belongs to the class of isometric exercises, i.e. it is static and does not cause joint movement.

Note:

Further narration on the topic of the plank exercise will be conducted in the form of small subchapters

Main advantages

It simultaneously develops many physical characteristics of the athlete, for example:

No. 1. Strengthening and developing strength

The plank exercise is unique; it (among other things) allows you to develop the strength of several muscle groups at once.

The main effect of it is to strengthen the core muscles, especially the abdominal and back muscles. First of all, the exercise is aimed at erector spinae (extensor spinae), rectus and transverse abdominal muscles. When performed correctly, the main muscle groups in the neck area called the trapezius work. They help posture - they support a person’s neck if he spends too much time in sedentary activities. (PC work, office work).

Performing a plank allows you to strengthen your shoulder muscles, thereby improving their performance, for example, in an exercise such as the floor. Holding your upper body on your arms allows you to actively engage the biceps brachii muscle, which helps develop your biceps.

If you go down, the following muscle groups develop their strength indicators.

The pectoral muscles also participate in the work and receive their load. Exercise perfectly strengthens the abdominal muscles (what a news:)). The lower back also plays important role in maintaining the plank position. Moving along the body, we come to muscle groups such as the buttocks, thighs and calves.

So, the plank promotes strength development and strengthening of many muscle groups. It is rare that an exercise without the use of simulators allows you to do this.

No. 2. Mental concentration

Psychological aspect exercise is also very important. When performing a plank, a person needs to concentrate, focus on the goal (keep your body horizontal for as long as possible) and show character - either merge and nod off, or stand until the specified time has expired.

An excellent exercise that, in addition to strengthening large quantity muscles, allows you to train your will and “pump up” your mental characteristics.

No. 3. Stretching

As a result of sedentary work, the muscles become stiff and compressed. Holding a plank will stretch a lot of muscles and relieve tension.

No. 4. Aesthetic appearance

The exercise is an excellent tool for those who want to influence their waist - tighten their stomach, make their abdominal wall more compact. The plank helps in improving the waist, but does not eliminate the regime, balanced diet And various forms cardio activity - the main tools for “cleaning” the abdomen.

Actually, we’ve sorted out the advantages, now let’s move on...

Plank exercise: technique

In theory and practice, the plank requires you to collectively tense (contract) your core muscles while you hold it. own weight bodies in arms (elbows and forearms) and toes. The execution technique consists of the following steps.

Step #1.

Find a mirrored wall/mirror in your gym (or home). Place a gymnastic fitness mat on the floor, take horizontal position– lying position.

Step #2.

Stretch your body, leaning on two support points - elbows / forearms (bend your arms to an angle in 90 degrees) and toes.

Step #3.

Keep your back flat so you can mentally draw a straight line from head to toes. Tighten your abdominal muscles and make sure that the middle section does not sag in the middle, and the fifth point does not protrude upward.

Step #4.

Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds and execute 3-5 repetitions.

Technically, the bar includes following all of the following rules.

In a picture version, this exercise looks like this.

The plank exercise is often recommended as a therapeutic exercise to strengthen the back muscles. (for example, after an injury). In this case, the course consists of 10 days with “freeze duration” from 30 seconds to 1,5 minutes.

At first glance, it may seem that the exercise is from the series “don’t hit someone who is lying down!” - However, it is not. Not every person will be able to overcome the bar in the first try. 30 seconds Of course, you need to start small and keep it horizontal as long as possible. In particular, use the following tips to increase retention time:

• practice the exercise several times a day, trying to hold the position a little each time (even a few seconds) more;
• use auxiliary exercises - push-ups and (or upper block pull) to strengthen the profile muscles involved in the plank;
• Squats and deadlifts will also help strengthen your lower back and core muscles.

Note:

If you don’t have enough strength in your abdominal muscle corset to perform the classic plank, then you can practice a lighter version - with bent knees. If you hold the position for more 2 -x minutes, then you can move on to more advanced variations of the exercise.

When doing the plank, you can look at the time, but it is best to focus on the sensations - i.e. As soon as you feel the beginning of a burning sensation in the abdominal area, you can stop repeating.

Plank exercise: variations

As you get more trained, a regular plank will seem like a breeze to you, and then the following complicated variations of this exercise will come in handy.

No. 1. Plank and push-ups

Take the classic plank position (a). Raise your body to the top position of a push-up using your arms (b). Pause at the top point (c), then change the direction of movement and return to resting on your elbows. This 1 repeat

No. 2. Plank jump

Take the classic plank position (a). Jump slightly, spreading your legs out to the sides (b). Make sure your top part the body does not turn. Quickly return your legs to the starting position. This 1 repeat

No. 3. Plank with arm lift

Take the classic plank position (a). Raise and straighten your left arm, keeping it parallel to the rest of your body (b). Return to the starting position, then raise your right arm, repeat specified quantity once.

No. 4. Transition bar

Take the classic plank position (a). Turn onto your left side into a side plank (b), hold 10 seconds Then turn onto your right side and perform a right side plank, holding for 10 seconds (s). This 1 repeat Return to IP and repeat.

No. 5. Side plank with body rotation

Get into a side plank position so that your right arm is directly above you and perpendicular to the floor(s). Pass your hand under your torso (b). Raise your hand back to IP. This 1 repeat Roll to the other side and repeat.

No. 6. Straight-arm plank with forward lunge

Take an emphasis lying on outstretched arms (a). Bring your right foot forward and place it next to right hand (or as close as you can get (b)). Watch your hips - they should not sag or go too high. Return the leg to IP, repeat with the left leg. This 1 repeat

No. 7. Plank on fitball and bench

Place your feet on the bench and rest your forearms on the bench. Your body should form a straight line with your shoulders and ankles. Lock yourself in this position for 60 seconds

Use these variations as you progress in the classic style.

Note:

Isometric exercises can cause elevation blood pressure, so if you have cardiovascular problems, then you need to stop doing the plank exercise.

In conclusion, I would like to give a simple 5 - a minute complex for every day. Do it, and then your core muscles will be as steel as iron :).

Well, something like this, all that remains is to summarize all this crap information and draw the appropriate conclusions.

Afterword

Plank exercise, nice to meet you! It is considered the most effective for creating a rigid abdominal muscle corset. Strengthening the latter will help you progress well in other exercises where good stabilization and support of the core is needed, for example, or. The theory is over, you can start practicing, let's go!

PS. We don’t limit ourselves to just reading, we actively ask questions, write comments and other miscellaneous things.

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it as your status social network- plus 100 points towards karma, guaranteed.

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Many people underestimate such an exercise as the plank, as well as statics in principle. And in vain: this is an excellent exercise for strengthening the whole body - it allows you to work the muscles of the back and abs, arms, buttocks, legs. Anyone can do a plank: both those with bad knees and those who are overweight. So how long to plank to lose weight?

How long should you stand in the plank?

How long does it take to do the exercise to get maximum effect? Not as long as you think. Albert Matheny, a certified trainer and nutritionist (USA), believes that you can hold the bar from 10 to 60 seconds, main quality. It is better to stand for a minute in the correct position than for a minute and a half, leaning from side to side and lifting your butt up. Matheny advises standing in the plank as long as you can maintain the correct position - as soon as the technique begins to “limp”, it is better to stop the exercise.

His colleague, personal instructor Doug Sklar (USA), is of the same opinion. His position: less is better, but better. You shouldn’t chase records in the plank, especially for beginners, the main thing is to defend your 20 seconds as expected. But if the one-minute plank is too easy, you can, of course, complicate the exercise.

Many people refuse physical exercise, considering them difficult and exhausting. This opinion is not true, since there are simple, but at the same time effective exercises, for example, a plank. It has virtually no contraindications, but at the same time, such a stance provides an excellent load on many muscle groups.

To begin with, I would like to talk about the benefits of this exercise, since they are simply enormous. First of all, it is worth noting the effectiveness of the plank exercise for the abs, since it is always under tension. The buttocks, back, stomach and thighs are also loaded. The back is strengthened, which causes beautiful posture. Blood circulation improves, which helps get rid of excess fat. Here it would be appropriate to consider another relevant topic - how many calories does the plank exercise burn, so when doing classic version you can lose 4-6 kcal in 1 minute.

How to do the plank exercise correctly to lose weight?

It is important to take the correct starting position, which should be worked out to the smallest detail. To implement this, consider the main points:

Many people are interested in how long to hold the plank exercise, so the minimum time period is 20 seconds. The time should be gradually increased to a minute, and then even more. It is important to figure out how many times a day to do. If you want to receive good results, then you should repeat the exercise 3-4 times a day, but if you want, do it more often. Thanks to this, the muscles will constantly receive stress.