Plank exercise: benefits, harm and main rules

What is a plank

The plank is a popular form of exercise used by athletes to strengthen muscles. If you combine the bar with active sports, you can lose excess weight. If you take into account the reviews, the first results from the classes can be seen in a month, but for this you need to spend a few minutes doing the plank every day. Since the plank is not a cardio exercise, it does not require running, jumping or crawling to achieve the desired result. It is important to consider that, despite its initial simplicity, the plank is considered a complex exercise, especially if performed by a beginner.

Benefit

The plank exercise helps women:

1. Get rid of cellulite.
2. Shape the waist.
3. Give a sporty shape to your arms.
4. Lose weight. However, the effect can only be achieved with an integrated approach (diet, nutrition regimen).
5. Restore your abs after childbirth. You can start classes for this purpose no earlier than a month after the birth of the child, provided that the birth was normal and without complications.

You can learn about the benefits of planks for men here.

Why the plank is useful for men and women

If we consider the benefits of the plank exercise for men and women, we can note the following points:

• The plank is a basic exercise with which you can strengthen many muscles. In technical terms, there are no difficulties even for beginners; it is enough to devote a few minutes a day to training, doing several approaches;
• when performing the exercise, all muscles are involved - abs, back, arms, legs, buttocks;
• thanks to the large number of variations, you can choose the appropriate option for a person with any physical fitness;
• Using a plank, you can regain your shape after a long break from sports.

Before you start training, it is worth considering the possible benefits and harms of the plank.

Advice! The desired effect can only be achieved if you perform the exercises regularly.

Is it possible to lose weight with planks?

Many people are interested in the benefits of planking for weight loss. In this case, it is worth considering that the bar allows you to strengthen all muscle groups, but not lose excess weight. This exercise is used to tone muscles, but not to burn fat.

The process of losing weight depends entirely on proper diet and active sports. The plank can be used as an additional exercise during sports, as it is an excellent way to strengthen muscles.

Does the plank remove belly fat?

Undoubtedly, this question interests many women and men. It is important to understand that the plank is beneficial for the body, but this exercise cannot get rid of extra pounds.

Despite the fact that all muscles are under strong tension, the body is in a motionless state. Consequently, fat burning is minimal and is not enough to lose excess weight.

You can only lose belly fat if you combine the plank exercise with other sports. The bar should not be considered a panacea. This exercise is the first step to getting an ideal figure.

Butt plank

To achieve the beneficial effect of the buttock plank, you must perform this exercise correctly and take the pose. The process looks like this:

1. The first thing you need to do is get into the starting position. To do this, take a stand with outstretched arms, the body should be straight from the top of the head to the feet.
2. 1 leg is lifted off the floor in a straight position, after which it is returned to its original position.
3. Then you need to repeat the same action with the other leg.
4. A total of 20 repetitions are needed on each leg.

If necessary, you can do these exercises not only in the gym, but also at the workplace.

Attention! Tension should be felt not only in the abdominal area, but also in the gluteal muscles.

How to do it right

Currently, professionals perform such training in both static and dynamic versions. But for people who decide to do this for the first time, it is better to start by mastering the classic version.

Use step-by-step instructions to help you understand how to do the plank correctly:

1. Lie on your stomach.
2. Bend your elbows and then straighten them as if you were about to take a prone position. In this case, the hands should be shoulder-width apart, that is, the elbows should be located strictly under the shoulders.
3. Place the toes of your straightened legs on the floor.
4. Lift your hips and torso off the floor. The body should take the position of a straight line.
5. Fix your body in this position and start counting the time.

You need to stay in a fixed position until your muscles begin to tremble.

What muscles work in the plank?

Elbow planks are beneficial for both girls and men. In addition, this exercise is loved not only by beginners, but also by people involved in professional sports. When performing this exercise, the following muscles work:

• back muscles - starting from the cervical vertebra;
• hands - since the bulk of the body is concentrated on them:
• stomach – when doing exercises you can feel a tremor in the abdomen;
• legs - they, like the arms, bear most of the weight;
• buttock muscles - they can be strengthened by doing planks on your elbows.

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When performing a plank on your elbows, you should take into account not only the benefits and harms of the exercise, but also the fact that thanks to increased loads you can create sculpted abs.

Other types of planks

Once you have mastered the classics, you can add variety to your morning routine and try other variations of the exercise. Today there are about a hundred of them. But we will tell you about the most common ones:

• Side plank. The body turns on its side. It turns out that you are leaning on one elbow. The second hand is pressed to the thigh.
• With your leg raised up. The starting position is the classic “plank”. During the exercise, you should alternately lift your right and left legs.
• With an outstretched hand. Starting position – classic “plank”. Extend one arm forward parallel to the floor.
• With the transition. Do the classic “plank”, stand for 10 seconds, then move on to the side plank. 10 seconds are allotted to the right side and 10 to the left.
• Side with a turn. Starting position: side plank. But at the same time, you are not standing on your elbow, but leaning on the palm of your straight hand. The second arm is raised perpendicular to the floor.
• With fitball - for advanced people. If you have a fitball and a low bench at home, place your feet on the bench and your elbows on the ball.

Plank technique

When performing a plank for the back, its muscles are strengthened, and in general the whole body benefits. If you approach the implementation process irresponsibly, you may not only not get the desired benefits, but also cause significant harm to your health. In this case, it is important to take the correct pose to further perform the plank. Otherwise, you may experience muscle pain.

Classic plank

For the classic plank you will need to do the following:

1. Lie on your stomach.
2. Raise your upper body.
3. Stand on your hands, first bending your elbows to form a 90-degree angle.
4. Close your hands into a fist.
5. Raise your head and look straight.
6. Pull your feet towards you and lean on them.
7. After this, you should tense your abs and lift your body.
8. The position taken should resemble a single line along the entire length of the body.

For the first time, 30 seconds will be enough.

Advice! The classic plank is great for beginners. If done correctly, you can not be afraid of causing harm to your health.

Elbow plank

Elbow planks are beneficial if done correctly. In many ways, this exercise resembles the classical technique, but there are some nuances. To avoid mistakes, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. You need to lie down and lean on your forearms.
2. Elbows shoulder-width apart.
3. Hands should be clasped or parallel to each other.
4. The body above the floor surface must be perfectly straight.
5. Shoulders relaxed. Breathing is free.

If you feel trembling in the body, burning in the muscles, or pain and cramps, then you should immediately stop doing the exercise.

Side plank

When performing the plank correctly, the following muscle groups should additionally be involved in the work:

• back;
• shoulders;
• breast;
• legs.

Necessary:

1. Lie on your side.
2. The legs should be kept one in front of the other, as if walking, but lying down.
3. Raise your upper body.
4. Lean on your arm, bent at the elbow.
5. Lift your pelvis off the floor, while you only need to lean on your feet and elbow.
6. Place your other hand on your belt.

This position must be held for 30 seconds.

Plank with raised leg

When performing this type of plank, it is worth considering that the area of ​​support will be significantly reduced, as a result of which much more load will be placed on the abdominal muscles. This option is ideal for those who want to lose weight around the waist:

1. Take a classic plank pose.
2. The leg is raised up - above shoulder level, while the position of the body remains the same.
3. The toes of the raised foot should be pulled towards you.

You should stay in this position for up to 40 seconds, then change legs and repeat the exercise again.

Reverse plank

The reverse plank exercise brings health benefits and helps strengthen muscles. This pose can be compared to the classic plank, only upside down.

To perform the reverse plank you will need:

1. Take a sitting position.
2. Straighten your legs and back.
3. Place your palms on the floor.
4. Hands shoulder width apart.
5. Buttocks raised.
6. The body forms a straight line.

For beginners, it is worth holding the pose for 30 seconds, for more experienced ones – 1 minute.

Attention! As an additional load, you can put a small weight on your chest.

Plank on fitball

The plank on a fitball should be performed after the classic exercise has been mastered. In this case, the most important thing is to maintain balance on the ball and not retract your neck:

1. Take the classic plank pose, only in this case the elbows should be on the ball.
2. Straighten your knees.
3. Fix the position for up to 5 seconds.
4. Lower your knees, lightly touching the floor.
5. Take the starting position.

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It is worth repeating from 7 to 15 times, making 3 approaches.

Exercise "Plank" - reviews and results

Especially for our readers, we conducted a survey of people who have practiced or continue to practice the plank exercise for a long period. The purpose of our study is to determine the effectiveness of the plank exercise, as well as to find out the pros and cons of this exercise based on feedback from real people.

Now we would like to present you the first results of our survey. Our fitness expert Oleg Kondratyev will comment on people's reviews.

We would like to note right away that our research is not finished yet, so we invite all our readers who perform the plank exercise to share their feedback about this exercise in the comments to this article.

Ekaterina, 25 years old:

I never had problems with being overweight and didn’t particularly like physical activity, so my attitude towards sports was, frankly speaking, “cool.” I started doing the “plank” following the example of my friend, who decided to get her body in order for the beginning of the beach season.

Seeing how she literally became slimmer before our eyes, I extracted from her the secret of such rapid changes. As it turned out, she did not spend hours in the gym, but simply spent 10-15 minutes of time on the “plank” every day.

Inspired by her example, I also decided to do the plank. During the first lessons, I could not hold the plank for more than 10-15 seconds, but after two weeks this time increased to 30 seconds, and after another two weeks - to 1 minute. After the first classes, all my muscles ached terribly, I wanted to lie down and not move.

However, I still overcame myself then, which I am very proud of now. After all, doing the “plank” every day for 2 months gave an amazing effect - the folds on the stomach disappeared, the waist size decreased by 4 cm, the butt became beautiful and toned. Now, after six months of training, I can easily hold the “plank” for 3-4 minutes and am always in excellent shape.

Fitness expert comment:

We see that with the help of the “bar” Ekaterina managed to achieve significant results - a girl who had never played sports got her body in order in just a couple of months. I would like to note that muscle pain after the first classes is a common occurrence, which, however, often forces people to quit classes.

Remember that without this pain there will be no results, so you need to overcome yourself in a certain sense. Yes, it can be very difficult at first, but if you want to get good results, you will have to be patient. In addition, the pain will soon pass, and exercise will no longer bring discomfort.

Maria, 30 years old:

I am a housewife and mother of 2 small children, so I, unfortunately, do not have enough time to visit a fitness club to stay in shape. In this regard, the “bar” has become a real salvation for me - no matter how busy I am, I can still allocate 10-15 minutes a day for classes.

I have been familiar with the “bar” since my student years, when I was actively involved in fitness and aerobics. I think this exercise is one of the best ways to keep yourself in shape when you don’t have enough time for proper exercise.

With the help of the “bar” I got my body in order after the birth of twins, and with its help I maintain good physical shape. I try to exercise regularly, 10-15 minutes a day.

I hold the plank for 3 minutes, after which I take a minute break and repeat the exercise in another variation - side plank, plank with a raised leg, and others.

Fitness expert comment:

Combining different variations of the plank is a great way to effectively work out most muscle groups of the body.

Shifting the emphasis of the load allows you to pay more attention to problem areas. For example, a “plank” with a raised leg will effectively load the gluteal and thigh muscles. A set of 3-4 plank variations is quite capable of replacing a fitness workout.

Alena, 32 years old:

I tried to do the “plank” for a week, after which I gave up on it. It’s very difficult for me to hold the “plank”; I can’t hold it for more than 10-15 seconds. At the end of the exercises, I began to feel dizzy, and after the exercises my lower back began to hurt.

I honestly tried to keep the “bar” every day, I thought that this pain was just a consequence of my weakness, and that, as everyone assured me, it would go away with time. However, the pain did not go away, and in the end I stopped doing the plank.

Fitness expert comment:

Lower back pain is usually a consequence of performing the exercise incorrectly. During the plank, your lower back should remain flat, as if someone was pressing it against the wall, and in no case should it round or sag.

As for dizziness, this is most likely a consequence of increased blood pressure due to physical activity. Alena can be advised to once again carefully study the technique of performing the “plank”. Also, at the initial stage, it is worth reducing the time of performing the exercise and gradually increasing it, avoiding the occurrence of dizziness.

Olga Borisovna, 61 years old:

I’m no longer young, and I haven’t even thought about doing any physical exercise. For the last couple of years, I have been plagued by lower back pain, which I, however, considered only a consequence of aging.

My granddaughter, to whom I once complained about constant pain, recommended that I try the plank exercise. She, who is constantly involved in sports, actively practices it.

I just laughed - what exercises at my age! However, the granddaughter was persistent and gave me examples of older women who, nevertheless, remain in excellent shape and have no health problems.

As a result, we agreed to study at home together. I started with just a few seconds of holding the “plank”, but it didn’t work anymore. My granddaughter constantly made sure that I did everything correctly and did not overexert myself.

After just a month of regular training, I could stand in the “plank” position for more than a minute. However, the most important advantage of the classes was that I was completely relieved of lower back pain.

The blood pressure also improved, the skin tightened, it became easier to move, and strength appeared. Now I practice planks every day, and I feel like I'm 20 years younger.

Fitness expert comment:

Indeed, the “plank” is one of those exercises that can be performed by people of any age. Strengthening the muscles of the back and spine allows you to improve your posture and also get rid of back pain.

The main thing is to perform the exercise correctly and dose the load. One can only admire Olga Borisovna: after all, despite her age, she was not afraid to discover physical exercise.

How long should you stand in a plank?

During training, it is worth considering that the number and duration of approaches completely depend on the physical fitness of each person. In addition, training is developed for each individual individually. If you take into account the general recommendations, thanks to which you can bring benefit to the body rather than harm, then you can perform several approaches lasting from 30 to 60 seconds. As the muscles are strengthened, these indicators can be increased.

Important! The benefits of the plank exercise for the abs are significant if you take into account all the recommendations and perform the exercise correctly.

Plank workout plan for beginners

Undoubtedly, the plank exercise is beneficial both for weight loss and for beginners, but for this it is necessary to combine it with sports. Beginners should adhere to a specific training plan, which can be drawn up for a month.

Harm of the plank and contraindications for performing it

Despite the benefits of the plank exercise for women and men, there are some points when this type of training is contraindicated. It is not recommended to perform the plank in the following cases:

• there is an injury to the hands, feet or shoulders;
• during pregnancy and after childbirth;
• if you are overweight;
• if there are acute chronic diseases;
• for hypertension;
• contraindicated for people with intervertebral hernia;
• spinal injury.

To avoid causing significant harm to your health, you should adhere to these recommendations.

Errors when doing planks

Holding a plank is good for your figure, but beginners can often make some mistakes when doing the exercise. The most popular of them are:

• stooped back;
• drooping shoulders;
• buttocks raised up and above the head;
• there is a deflection or a rounded lower back;
• the muscles of the abdomen, legs and buttocks are relaxed;
• head raised up;
• there is a deflection in the area of ​​the cervical vertebra;
• While performing the plank, the breath is held.

If you make these mistakes, you can cause significant harm to the spine and not receive the expected health benefits.

Advice! For overweight people, it is recommended to perform the plank on your knees.

Benefits of planks for the body

The plank exercise is performed in a static position, but it is thanks to this that all the muscles of the body tense and function with maximum efficiency. When performing a plank, the psoas muscles, deltoids, biceps, triceps, back muscles, buttocks and thighs are immediately involved. But the plank is especially loved for its effectiveness for the abdominal muscles - rectus, oblique and lateral.

If you do the plank every day for 5 minutes, after a couple of weeks you will notice that your stomach becomes flatter, your hips and buttocks become toned and beautiful. Moreover, this exercise helps strengthen the spine and improves posture. Therefore, the plank is a complex exercise that allows you to work several muscle groups at once and have an extremely positive and even healing effect on the body.