Boat Plank: How to Engage All Abs and Core Muscles in 5 Minutes

A healthy lifestyle is gaining popularity every day. In the pursuit of an ideal body, there is not always free time to visit the gym or conduct a full workout. This is where the amazing plank exercise will come to your aid. For weight loss, figure correction, strengthening and tightening muscles, this type of physical activity is ideal. The only important thing is regularity and correct technique. Today we will present universal sets of plank exercises for women and men, depending on their level of physical fitness.

Set of plank exercises for 2 minutes
For 5 minutes
At 9 and 10 minutes

Plank exercise for 30 days

The benefits of doing the plank exercise every day

You can perform the plank under any conditions at home: in the morning when you wake up, in the evening, immediately after you return home. You will spend a minimum of time completing the plank. But you will still get excellent results. In addition, this exercise does not require additional equipment. Of course, it is advisable to do the plank on a mat and in a special form. However, if you decide to perform the exercise on an ordinary mat and in ordinary clothes, the effect will not be reduced. The most important rule is to do the exercise without mistakes.

You may be interested in the question: “How often should you do a plank?” The answer is quite simple - every day. Plus, if you decide to do the plank a couple of times a day, you'll only get more benefits from the exercise. Here it is also worth remembering an important point - do not overdo it with time when you do the plank.

An important question is: “What will happen to the body if you constantly do the exercise?” Let us consider with you a number of processes that you will notice in just a couple of weeks.

Classic

Muscle tissue will be significantly strengthened . During the exercise, the muscles in the abdomen, shoulders, buttocks, back, and legs function. Despite the fact that the plank does not last long, the load from it is very strong.
Blood circulation improves, metabolic processes are normalized. The active work of muscle tissue causes the blood flow to circulate much faster. As a result, the quality of metabolic processes in the body and their speed increase. Scientists were able to prove that exercise performed in the morning allows food to be digested faster and increases the absorption of beneficial components.
Increased flexibility. This feature of the exercise may cause confusion for many people. How is it possible to increase flexibility if there is no stretching? The fact is that during the execution of the plank this happens involuntarily. In fact, with increased load, doing the bar every day, muscle tissue and ligaments tend to stretch, becoming elastic.
Pain is eliminated. Currently, some people are complaining of spine diseases. They are caused by many factors, such as lack of daily activity. Thanks to scientists, it has been proven that constant performance of this exercise significantly reduces the intensity of pain. Sometimes the plank greatly improves a person’s health. The plank is an effective exercise for scoliosis and osteochondrosis.
After the exercise, “cubes” appear. Many of us dream of having a six-pack and a flat tummy. The plank can make this dream come true thanks to its active effects on the abdominal muscle tissue. There are several types of this exercise, and during each one or another muscle is involved: both oblique and deep. However, it is worth remembering that if the muscles are hidden under a fat layer, then there will be little exercise. A whole range of special nutrition and exercises are needed.
Legs become slimmer. If you do the plank every day, your legs will become significantly slimmer, but the muscle mass on your legs will not grow much.

The plank has many advantages

The buttocks become beautiful. Having firm, chic buttocks is the main goal of every modern woman. And sometimes this goal pushes them to do grueling, long workouts in the gym. If you take the bar, then it can only make your buttocks beautiful, with exquisite shapes in a short period of time.
Increases endurance. Each exercise, including the plank, has a positive effect on a person’s endurance. Even doing the plank every day for 5 minutes, you can notice results fairly quickly. In addition, a person will be able to perform more complex variations of the exercise that were previously impossible to do.
Balance is restored. Sometimes it is quite difficult to maintain balance. However, the plank helps restore the ability to maintain the desired balance. Responsibility for correct balance in this case falls on the muscular tissue of the body. And since the plank actively strengthens the muscles, it becomes much easier to maintain balance.
Your mood improves. Strong tension and then relaxation of muscle mass affects every system of the human body, plus the human psyche. Therefore, by doing the plank after work, you can improve your own mood and strengthen many muscles.

By the way, trainers recommend doing the bar not only at home. Nature, fresh air - these are the additional components of excellent mood and good health.

Execution technique

Classic boat

lie on your back;
bring your legs together so that your heels and toes touch;
straighten your arms and press them tightly to your body;
start diaphragmatic breathing: while inhaling, pull in the stomach, while exhaling, relax;
raise your straight legs 30-40 centimeters;
Raise your head and back to the same height to create an angle. Stretch your arms forward;
the support in this case is the area of the sacrum and buttocks. It is important to control your balance and not roll onto your back;
hold your breath in this position for 10 seconds;
exhale slowly and return to the starting position.

It is recommended to start with 3 approaches lasting 10 seconds, then, as you adapt, gradually increase the number of repetitions and periods of tension.

Advice! It is better to do the plank on an empty stomach: before breakfast or a few hours after eating.

Reverse boat

Lie on your stomach.
Extend your arms straight forward.
Straighten your legs and stretch out your toes.
Raise your torso and legs to a comfortable height, leaning on your stomach and pelvic area.
Hold your breath for 10 seconds. At this time, stretch your arms and toes in opposite directions, stretching your body.
Exhale slowly and return to the starting position.

This embodiment will help not only strengthen the spinal region, but also reduce the girth of the hips and waist.

This universal exercise is suitable for people with any level of physical fitness: both professional athletes and people with a sedentary lifestyle.

It perfectly strengthens muscles and joints, creates ideal posture and a toned body, and does not require equipment or material investments.

How to do the plank exercise correctly: photo instructions

Never do a plank for a very long time - this is what many trainers recommend. It’s better to do the exercise correctly, spending about 20 seconds on this process first. If you make a lot of mistakes during the exercise, you can harm your own health, since due to unnecessary bends of the ridge, spinal discs may become displaced, pain may occur, and so on. We offer you recommendations that you will have to follow during the exercise.

Before performing, warm up: do light exercises, jump, stretch. You can do the plank after the main physical activity, this way you will only consolidate the result.
Buy quality shoes that have rubberized soles. This way your body will be strictly horizontal and your legs will not slide on the floor.
To prevent redness on your elbows while doing the plank, always wear elbow pads or place a soft mat under your elbows.
Take a position horizontal to the floor. Place your feet and palms on the floor. Turn on the timer, place your palms so that they are not too close to each other. This can cause injury to your shoulder joints.
Don't raise your head up, look down.

A large number of muscles are involved

Place your palms correctly on the floor so that they are parallel to your elbows. Clench your hands into fists. Many trainers advise locking your hands together, but don't do this. Also, do not turn your palms; they should not fall completely to the floor surface.
Tighten your thighs and abs. Also tighten your buttocks, feel the pressure in the tailbone area. Do not arch your back in the ridge area - this is a big mistake.
Watch your breathing. Please note that you cannot hold your breath while doing the plank; breathe intermittently, deeply and measuredly.

Doing it right

Hold the plank for as long as you can. Do not increase the time it takes to complete the plank, do not rush. Your body must first remember the process of performing the exercise. To start, hold the plank for 20 seconds, then gradually increase the time to 2 minutes.

When is it better to do a plank before or after a meal? What is the exercise

The whole point of the plank exercise is that you need to stand in one position for the maximum possible amount of time: you need to support your body in a level position using your hands (or elbows) and toes. Beginners only need 3-40 seconds from the very beginning. Then you need to increase the amount of time in the bar. In addition, you should not limit yourself to one approach. After a short break, you need to repeat the plank again, and so on for several approaches.

For those who have never done this exercise, it seems very simple. Stand on your feet and hands for 30 seconds, nothing complicated. It seems so, but the whole point is that keeping the body in an absolutely level state is quite difficult. That is why, in order not to overload your body or negatively affect the body, professionals advise starting with a small amount of time in the plank. This is how you can gradually accustom your body to increased stress. Increase the seconds from time to time, reaching 3-4 minutes. The above-described version of the plank is called classic, but in addition to this, there are also other types.

In particular:

With weights
Lateral, which focuses on one hand
Plank on a fitball when it is extremely difficult to maintain balance
Using crunches or push-ups

But these are already more complex versions of planks, which begin to be introduced into classes only after several months after regular classical planks have been carried out for several months in a row. Don’t think about when it’s better to do the plank, focus on the quality of execution, it’s much more effective.

Is it possible to do planks during menstruation?

The presence of a menstrual cycle is a sign that a woman is completely healthy. If you look at performing the plank from the medical side, this process is not considered a contraindication. But at the same time, you should know that your body is quite weak during this period, it is experiencing some kind of stress. Active loads can lead to negative results. Therefore, there is no clear answer to the question. A lot here may depend on your well-being.

Doing planks during menstruation should be done with extreme caution.

The concerns regarding the exercise are understandable. After all, when doing the plank, the muscle tissue of the abs and back begins to actively tense. As a result, spasms and pain may occur. If you want to exercise during your menstrual cycle, test your body in advance. Stand in the plank for a while, about 30 seconds. If during the exercise you feel pain, discomfort, dizziness or shortness of breath, then stop doing the exercise. Give it up for a while until your period ends. If there are none, then you can continue.

Many experts do not recommend doing planks during your menstrual cycle. High tension in the abdominal muscle tissue activates blood flow to the organs that are located in the pelvic area. This may cause harm during your period. To prevent this from happening to you, consult your own gynecologist in advance.

Is it possible to do planks before bed? Is the plank exercise really effective?

When performing the exercise, consider three advantages that provide benefits in the form of:

- improved body composition and health promotion;

- improved functionality and health promotion;

- relieving stress or conquering yourself.

In addition, at least five cost options associated with any exercise are assessed:

1. Time

2. Risk

3. Pain or discomfort

4. Equipment requirements

5. Technique

Considering the costs and benefits discussed above, let’s evaluate the popular plank exercise.

Advantages of the plank

Changing body composition

Body composition is the ratio of the mass of muscle, bone and fat tissues of the body to determine a person's physical capabilities.

Visual attractiveness is the main reason why people visit a fitness club.

The plank exercise is advertised as a means to reduce body fat. To influence body composition, the exercise burns calories or stimulates the growth of muscle tissue.

Since no movement occurs when performing a static plank, there is no significant calorie consumption, and there is no sufficient disruption of the body's homeostasis for muscle hypertrophy. Despite the intense burning sensation in the muscles, prolonged isometric exercises burn 8 calories per minute.

Thus, in order to use up the eaten apple, you will have to stand in the plank for about eight minutes. For comparison, even when we do nothing: sleep, lie on the couch - our body spends energy: for breathing, for maintaining a comfortable body temperature, for the work of the heart.

Resting while lying down consumes 1.2 calories per minute, so lying in front of the TV for an hour can burn 70 calories.

Improved functionality

Proponents of the plank claim that the exercise works the core muscles and teaches you to stabilize the body, much more likely than weight loss. The “core” often refers only to the abdominal muscles. Why good core strength and body stability are needed. That was. By training to hold a plank, you train your ability to hold your body in a certain position for a really long time and no more.

The “plank” exercise is specific and it is not clear where in life the skill of standing still for a long time will be useful.

The ability to hold a plank for two minutes indicates sufficient stability of the core muscles; if this is not possible, then the muscles are weak or you are overweight.

You need to work on the tasks of losing weight and strengthening muscles, which can be solved by other methods.

Constant exercise - how to get stuck in first grade. Learning planks is necessary to prepare for more difficult things.

Fun or personal challenge

People perceive fun differently and judge how difficult an exercise is or how useful it is. Therefore, if the bar falls under subjective criteria, then feel free to include it in the training plan.

Costs of completing the plank

Cost by time

The exercise takes time to complete, and the plank takes a lot of time, on average 1-2 minutes. On the other hand, you are unlikely to spend more than 5-10 minutes on the “plank” during a workout, so the exercise is not energy-intensive.

Low risk

Planks have a low risk of injury, except for those whose general health and fitness preclude the exercise.

Pain or discomfort

Subjective aspect of the exercise. Some people think that “planks” are tiring, others don’t share the same point of view.

Equipment

Not required.

Technique.

“Planks” are easy to learn and do not require long learning. Ideal for beginners and rehabilitation.

What's the result?

Personal trainers who force clients to do planks for long periods of time have found an easy way to waste a lot of time.

Is it possible to do planks during pregnancy?

In fact, there are no prohibitions regarding doing planks during pregnancy. Thanks to the exercise, you can strengthen your back muscles. In addition, women in the position often have back pain and discomfort, which is easily eliminated by the plank.

If you look from the other side, during this exercise the abdominal muscles become very tense, which negatively affects the well-being of a woman in this position. It is because of these points that it is advisable to consult a doctor before performing the plank.

As a rule, doctors allow you to do the exercise in the 2nd trimester. At this time, the risk of miscarriage becomes minimal, the tummy is not yet very large, so the bar is easy for a woman. However, if pain or other discomfort occurs during the exercise, you should abandon it altogether and consult a doctor.

You can also do planks in the second trimester.

There are many controversies that directly relate to doing the plank for pregnant women. Some were able to prove that the exercise benefits both ordinary women and pregnant women. There are also those people who claim that the bar can threaten both mother and baby at the same time. It all depends on how prepared the woman is, on her general well-being. It is also worth considering this important point - thanks to physical activity, childbirth is easier, and a woman’s figure recovers faster after the plank.

Your metabolism will speed up

Planks burn more calories than classic abdominal exercises. Twisting and lifting the body are great, but the plank speeds up the metabolism with less effort and for a long time: even at night the body will burn calories (don’t be alarmed: you won’t have to sleep in the plank, although... who knows what sporting peaks you will achieve in a couple of months).

Contraindications for doing planks

Despite the fact that the plank is very simple to perform and the exercise brings great benefits, there are some contraindications to its implementation. The contraindications are:

You should not exercise immediately after the birth of your baby, especially after a caesarean section. It is better not to complete the plank in the first 6 months. The period, of course, can increase in a given situation.
It is forbidden to do the plank if you have problems with your joints, shoulders, feet and elbows. Exercise is contraindicated for high blood pressure.
You cannot do the exercise if you have a vertebral hernia or after a spinal injury.
People who are overweight also cannot do the exercise. Because the plank will not be able to get rid of extra pounds. In such a situation, gravity can work, which can cause many problems associated with the spine.
If there are any exacerbations of chronic diseases, then it is better to refuse training for a while.

There are also contraindications for doing the plank.
If you are trying to lose weight, then it is advisable for you to perform active exercises that help burn calories. It is ideal to do cardio regularly. You can combine planks and active loads, so you can quickly achieve your final goal - burn calories and strengthen muscles.

Is it possible to lose weight by doing planks?

The static exercise itself does not produce a fat burning effect and does not reduce weight. With the right approach, this promotes weight loss, since static loads force the body to intensively expend energy reserves, and this means burning calories.

Plank for weight loss before and after photos: