what are planks?
- Thread starter SheRa329
- Start date
Aquajock
Cathlete
Hi, Ashley! Planks are a static (non-moving) position that works the entire core of your body (abdominals and erector spinae) and are an excellent complement to standard supine (face up) abdominal crunch work and weighted back work.
A standard prone (face-down) plank looks just like a push-up position with the arms straight, either off the toes or the knees (off the toes is more challenging), at the top of the push-up; a prone hover-plank has you on your elbows rather than on the hands with the arms straight. You are using your core muscles to keep your body perfectly flat (no hike or sag at the hip joint).
A standard supine (face up) plank has you, well, face-up, with your arms straight down and your heels on the floor; you are using the core muscles again to keep the body perfectly flat with no hike or sag to the hip joint.
Additional challenge is inserted by varying one leg position. There are also side planks to target the obliques more.
HTH -
A-Jock
A standard prone (face-down) plank looks just like a push-up position with the arms straight, either off the toes or the knees (off the toes is more challenging), at the top of the push-up; a prone hover-plank has you on your elbows rather than on the hands with the arms straight. You are using your core muscles to keep your body perfectly flat (no hike or sag at the hip joint).
A standard supine (face up) plank has you, well, face-up, with your arms straight down and your heels on the floor; you are using the core muscles again to keep the body perfectly flat with no hike or sag to the hip joint.
Additional challenge is inserted by varying one leg position. There are also side planks to target the obliques more.
HTH -
A-Jock
Oh my! Just remember this...once you do planks for the first time you will never forget what planks are x( . They are sooooooo hard to master! Although Cathe has lots of plank variations (you will learn them all eventually) a plank is basically push up form without any movement. You align your body in push up position and squeeze your abs as hard as you can but still breathing normally, keep your back straight and your neck in line with your spine and that's it. You hold the position for a couple of seconds (a couple of seconds that seem like hours). What varies with planks is the position of the arms (arms straight with hands on the floor, or elbows on the floor). Oh and there are planks on the stability ball, planks in upright position, Cathe sometimes lifts one leg and alternates, etc...she tries to makes planks fun, but oh my they're really hard. Not impossible to master but hard. The first time I did a set of planks exactly like Cathe I was sooooooo excited. You'll get there eventually. Of course you should always preview the DVD before you do it so you get an idea of what's coming (and prepare yourself mentally }( )
and you will feel so good about yourself once you've mastered them:7
scm
Cathlete
And just to add a little more information, I asked Cathe what the purpose of planks were. Here is the link:
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=34735
Susan C.M.
http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=34735
Susan C.M.