Plank for Beginners(With Detailed Steps) – Ways Of Doing Plank For Long Time

Plank for Beginners – Plank is a great exercise that can help you to complete many types of fitness goals. It is a compound exercise that means it targets multiple muscles of the body. I also like this exercise a lot because in my gym many members, and I personally also gain many results by adding this exercise in workout list. There are also many other reasons for recommending this exercise are –

• Gives a Strong Core
• Burns Your Belly Fat/Side Fat
• Increases Back Strength
• Reduces Back Injury Chances
• No Equipment Needed
• Full Body Workout
• Gives A New Energy
• Increases Balancing And Flexibility
• Increases Mental Strength
• Improves Core Agility
• Improves Other types of Workout

These are those benefits that you will surely gain from the plank workout If you will add this in the workout schedule. For reading about these benefits of plank in details you can read – Benefits Of Planking

What is Plank?

A plank is a form of bodyweight workout that will never fade away because it’s so powerful and requires a small amount of time on your part. This is a great bodyweight workout and with the help of the plank, there are a large number of people who have achieved very big results.

Plank Muscles Involved 

Majorly Plank workout targets your core. The major and minor muscles that targeted by the plank workout are –

• Anterior Deltoid
• Erector Spinae
• External Obliques
• Gluteus Maximus
• Internal Obliques
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Multifidus
• Pectoralis Major (clavicular)
• Quadratus Lumborum
• Rectus Abdominis
• Semispinalis Thoracis
• Serratus Anterior
• Rotator Cuff
• Rhomboids
• Trapezius
• Synergists
• Segmental stabilizers

How To Do Plank For Beginners?

The first and starter type of plank of the plank workout is Forearm Plank Or Simple Plank. There are many people who only know this type of plank. This is the initial type of plank, just like push-ups.

• Set up a stopwatch
• First, come in the simple push-up position. This is the simple & Best way to do Plank.

• Squeeze your core.
• Raise your first arm slightly and bend it with the elbow and place the forearm on the surface.
• Place another forearm on the surface.
• After this straighten your back and start looking in the forward direction. (After getting into this position you can start the stopwatch timer).

Points Must Be Remember

• Keep your Back straight during the whole plank workout.(Keep your knees, butt and shoulders in line)
• Keep your shoulders directly above your elbows
• Keep your feet together from the start position of the plank.
• Set up a stopwatch, a watch, your phone would do, never count yourself.
• Do Plank for less but do it perfectly.
• For the good strength and results add types of planks in the plank workout.
• Also, maintain your Diet and rest also with the workout.

 Types Of Plank

For good results and strength, plank types should be added in the plank workout. The list of plank types is very long but here I will tell you about the top-type of planks suggested by fitness experts. And these types of planks are enough to complete the plank workout.

• Simple Plank
• Long Lever Plank
• Side Plank
• One Leg Plank
• Straight Arm Plank

These are the top 5 planks of the following list of planks. Every plank has a different role and different benefits but these 5 types of plank cover 90 percent benefits of planking.

1. Simple Plank/Forearm Plank

Details steps of this plank mentioned above. This is the most common plank type of any plank workout.

2. Long Lever Plank

Steps – 

• First, come in push-ups position.
• Then joined your both legs to each other and tighten your core.
• After this, keeping your palm position in the same place and start to backward your both legs till your body come in long lever plank position
• Hold your body according to your capacity.

Long Lever Plank – Perfect Way To Do, Benefits, Results

3. Side Plank

Steps – 

• Lie on one side with the upper foot stacked right on top of the lower foot.
• Place your elbow directly in line under your shoulder
• Lift your hips so that they form a straight line from feet, between your legs, through the groin, and straight up through the middle of your neck. Should Maintain a straight spinal alignment both horizontally and vertically.
• Do not let your hips or shoulders tip forward or back. Keep them aligned with the top side of the hip directly over the other hip.
• Hold Your Body at this position according to your capacity.

4. One Leg Plank

Steps – 

• First, come in the simple plank position.
• Then raise your right leg in that air. Keep your body balanced during whole workout.
• In another set, you must raise your left leg in the air and keep the right leg on the floor.
• For making this exercise more explosive you can also raise your one hand in the air.
• You can also see this practically in the picture below.

5. Straight Arm Plank

Steps – 

• First, sit down on the four hands and legs.
• Then straighten your both arms and legs.
• Form a straight line with your body. Keep your legs straight but don’t lock the knees to hyper extension.
• Keep your pelvis neutral so your butt don’t stick out. Neutralize the spine and neck. Keep your head in a line with your back.
• Look downward.

Plank Workout Results

For motivation, people want to know the results of doing plank. And plank workout results really helps to show the future of body shape if they add plank workout in their workout schedule.

Minimum Requirements For These Plank Results

• Normal Body Weight (In overweight, there are many risks of back injuries during plank)
• Perfect Plank Steps
• Daily Plank Workout (Must Add Different Types Of Plank)
• Good Diet and Rest

5 stories of results from plank workout are – Plank workout results 

Pros & Cons Of Doing Plank

Pros

Pros section Include all the benefits of the plank workout that also mentioned above, And In Short all major Pos of Doing plank are –

• Trunk endurance
• Tension building practice
• Anti-extension practice
• Breathing mechanics under tension practice
• Scapular endurance practice

Cons

• You can face some breathing problems. And avoid planking if you facing from suffering from asthma, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia.
• People might face  pain in their joints because the whole body rests in the support of your costochondral joint.
• Not Very Exciting
• Painful and too strength consuming
• Not very dynamic
• Can be boring and repetitive

Ways To Do Plank For Long Time (For Beginners)

1. Do plank with stopwatch.
2. Read an article in a magazine while Planking
3. Do it until it hurts, then hold for 30 seconds more
4. Play a planking game
5. Do plank mini-sets
6. Plank in front of a mirror
7. Compete With Friends

1. Do Plank With Stop Watch

There are many people who start counting the count while planking which gives them more tension to mind. Should Set up a stopwatch, a watch, and your phone to count time. If you have a partner then you can take help from them otherwise you can keep the stopwatch near to your fingers and operate it.

2. Read an article in a magazine while Planking

The plank starts to bore after some time. Reading magazines during Plank takes your mind off and they can able to do Plank for a long time.

If you can’t read anything while planking then you can enjoy music. Play any song to pump up your mood. Preferably Music with strong bass.

3. Do it until it hurts, then hold for 30 seconds more

In this way, you need to set a target of plank time. Perform plank until your core starts feeling pain badly. Start ignoring the pain of core while Planking.

No Pain No Gain

4. Improve Strength

In my point of view, this is the best method to increase the timing of plank. How much time you can hold your body completely depends on your core strength. With plank workout, if you also train your core by other workouts then it  helps to increase the timing of the plank. In core workouts you can try –

• Flutter Kicks
• Seated Knee Tuck
• Crunches
• Bicycle Crunch
• Vertical Leg Crunch
• Other Types Of Planks

5. Plank in front of Mirror

Mirror in the Gym really motivates people to do more repetitions same happens with plank. Watching in the mirror during plank really motivates and creates new energy that helps to do plank for some more time. This is little bit weird method but it works.

By this way, you can also check your plank posture whether it is right or wrong.

6. Compete With Friends

There are many people who becomes weak after hearing the name of the competition. But competing with friends really gives extra energy to everyone.

You can also feel this difference by using this method. And I also felt the difference(About 30 Seconds) by using this method. So If you have friends in the gym then you can compete with them or you can give plank challenges to your friends.

These are awesome tricks by which you can feel instant or long time improvement in the plank. Plank has great potential to give many types of big changes in the body.

Final Words

Must Remember – Avoid mistakes during plank and perform right plank. For the results only plank workout is not sufficient, you must also focus on the diet and rest also.

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