Reverse Planks

[lainabaina]

i kinda forget how i'm lacking in flexibility in my shoulder area until i do a reverse plank. oh, they are so hard for me. anybody else? i feel like i am not all the way up even though i am and i know that i'm hindered because i'm not so flexible in the shoulders.

anybody else struggle with this and if so, what did you do?

another one that i struggle with is in yoga, the forward fold when you have your hands clasped behind you and are supposed to move your arms overhead towards the front. i don't get too far in that one either.

 

[RapidBreath]

I can't do that bit with my arms behind my back. Just can't. Even though I can put my hands on the floor easily. I don't know why, go figure.

 

[melagras]

I also have the same problem with the reverse plank. I just can't do them. It hurts too much in the shoulder area.

 

[JeanneMarie]

Funny enough, I find reverse planks easier than regular planks!

I guess we're all put together differently.

 

[Hermia]

My shoulders are pretty inflexible too, but with regular yoga classes and practice in general, I'm noticing improvement, which is encouraging. There are people in the classes I go to, though, and of course the instructors, who can forward fold over, clasp their hands behind their backs, and get their hands pretty much on the ground. It's so hard to imagine being able to do that!

 

[NY25]

Funny - I can do the forward bend yoga pose with no problem - if I'm really warmed up I sometimes feel like my arms go so far that they'll make me fall over. However, I can not do the reverse planks. They actually hurt. I think it's a combination of anterior shoulder strength and core strength on that one.

 

[DirtDiva]

I've never done one, I had to google it to see what it was and I do a few variations of planks, so for a second I was confused. At first it felt like a really weird position, but the more I stretched out, the better it felt. I think if you hoist yourself up using your glutes more it helps, plus it really helps to have some good gripping shoes on to anchor oneself. I felt it more in my tri's and glutes then my abs. I have zero yoga experience, another reason I am really looking forward to Cathe's new workouts.

 

[spyrosmom]

Not a fan of reverse planks, either. It hurts my shoulders. I, too, feel like I'm not all the way up, when it's as up as I'm going to get! I don't think I have my hands under my shoulders in the right place, but there's nowhere else for them to go

Nan

 

[pjlippert]

Makes me wonder if it's a safe move. It sure isn't one that we normally need to use in day to day life! JMHO I have a wonky right shoulder so it scares me just thinking about it!

Pam

 

[lainabaina]

Pam, that is exactly my problem...a wonky right shoulder! I even have to be extra careful doing chest flyes.

 

[FabAbs]

For me it's the hand position, I can do reverse planks if I point my fingers away from me rather than having my fingers point towards me but then if I hold them too long my wrists will start to hurt.


...Cheryl

 

[JeanneMarie]

For me it's the hand position, I can do reverse planks if I point my fingers away from me rather than having my fingers point towards me but then if I hold them too long my wrists will start to hurt.


...Cheryl

I just realized that is how I hold my hands when I do them... fingers pointing away from my body.

 

[lainabaina]

Tried them today with my hands on yoga blocks. Much better. Way better. I already had the blocks out to do the levitation holds so thought I'd try them for the rev planks.