Plank Work

[Stephie]

Dear Cathe and Educated Crowd,

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope that 2005 is starting off well for all of you.

About 9 years ago, while we were still living in Togo, West Africa, my husband was on the Internet looking for a Christmas present and came across you Cathe. He ordered 4 workouts and I've been addicted ever since. Thank you so much for the hard work and dedication you put into your workouts.

Anyway, my question is about plank work. I have a very hard time holding planks as long as you do and it's mostly because my shoulders can't hold me up anymore. I'm wondering if there's something I'm doing wrong in my form or if it's normal to feel it so much in my shoulders.

Thanks so much, Take Care,

Steph

 

[dss62467]

How long have you been doing the planks? When I first started out I had the same problem with planks. It took a couple months before I was able to hold it, and my shoulders still get tired. I find that shifting a little more weight back to my feet helps a little, but it's just something you have to work up to.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Steph! Thank you for your kind words and Happy New Year to you too.

As your core and overall strength increases, you will find that you can hold your planks longer too. A few weeks after I had my second child I could barely hold my planks for 10 seconds. This was obviously because my core was quite weakened from the pregnancy. But each workout my strength and endurance improved and eventually I was back to my original "holding time".

As for your standard prone plank form, your body should be centered and balanced with your weight evenly distributed.

Hope this helps

 

[Aquajock]

In addition to other types of core strengthening work, push-ups and bench presses are good cross-training for plank endurance (which makes sense because push-ups are, IMHO, moving planks }( that recruit the anterior deltoids, and bench-presses are in part upside-down push-ups }( }( ).

A-Jock

 

[DebbieH]

Ha! Wonder why right-side-up push-ups are HARDER then upside-down push-ups/bench presses??? (Did I get that right???) I still plug away at them.

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!

 

[sueter]

But are they really? After all, are you been bench pressing your own weight? If your body weight were only 60 lbs, how many pushups could you do?

Sueter

 

[Stephie]

Thanks so much for your response Cathe and everyone.

I know that my core is probably not as strong as it could, should be. And, even after all these years, I weigh more than I'd like, but what's weird is that I can do most of the reps right along with you on push ups, staying on my toes, (well, the work out where you have to hold it halfway up for seven counts and then up on 8 kills me). But the planks really kill my shoulders. Is it possible that I have my hands too far forward, should they be maybe at my chest level, instead of straight down from my shoulders? I also wonder if placing them closer together or farther apart makes a difference.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question.\

Steph