Planks and Other PUB Core Exercises

[Soosan]

My core has always been my weakest area. The ab/core work in the Intensity Series has really helped strengthen this area but I still have a long way to go.

When I do planks, I feel it in my shoulders way before my core feels fatigued and I have to wimp out sooner than I would like. Is this common? Any form pointers or other suggestions?

 

[slnewmanpt]

Hi Susan! One thing that might help you is to do modified planks. That would be doing them with your elbows bent with your forearms on the floor instead of having your arms straight. Really concentrate on tightening your core area. Once you can hold the planks in a modified version, then add a few seconds of straight arm planks. Also, sometimes I do plank and core work first before I fatigue any other muscle group. Hope this helps a little!:7
Sherry http://www.gif-seite.de/vorschaubilder/smilies/laola.gif

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[kathryn]

I always do planks in the bent arm position because of touchy wrists.

Make sure that you keep your shoulders back and down rather than hunching. It's easy to start hunching them, and that will make them tire faster.

 

[Soosan]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try them.

 

[clareMc]

But bear in mind that planks also work the arms, back and shoulders, not just the core region, so you should feel this in many muscle groups, and it's OK to do so.

Keep working at them, and as your overall upper body strength increases, these straight arm planks will also come more easily.

Clare

 

[Stacy]

I agree with all of the above suggestions/tips. I just wanted to add for those of you have wrist problems, I often do planks gripping my dumbells so my wrists arent bent similar to the "push up handle bar" technique. For some reason this also seems to take some of the stress off my upper body so I can hold the plank longer.

Stacy