Ready to unlock the incredible power of the plank exercise? We're here to help you discover how this simple but effective exercise can transform your posture, balance, and overall fitness while also boosting your mental well-being. As a certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor, I've seen firsthand how planking can improve core strength, metabolism, and even reduce back pain. Let's explore together how the plank can be adapted for different fitness levels and protect your spine as it strengthens your entire core.
Keep things fresh and challenging with a variety of plank variations that target different muscle groups! We'll guide you through side planks, forearm planks, and plank jacks, each with their own unique benefits for improving balance and coordination. Learn how to modify these variations for lower impact while still reaping the rewards of a stronger core. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your fitness journey and uncover the many benefits of planking. Transform your core, one plank at a time!
https://www.kore-fit.com/
https://linktr.ee/korekast
Ready to unlock the incredible power of the plank exercise? We're here to help you discover how this simple but effective exercise can transform your posture, balance, and overall fitness while also boosting your mental well-being. As a certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor, I've seen firsthand how planking can improve core strength, metabolism, and even reduce back pain. Let's explore together how the plank can be adapted for different fitness levels and protect your spine as it strengthens your entire core.
Keep things fresh and challenging with a variety of plank variations that target different muscle groups! We'll guide you through side planks, forearm planks, and plank jacks, each with their own unique benefits for improving balance and coordination. Learn how to modify these variations for lower impact while still reaping the rewards of a stronger core. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your fitness journey and uncover the many benefits of planking. Transform your core, one plank at a time!
https://www.kore-fit.com/
https://linktr.ee/korekast
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of The Kore Kast. I'm your host, Kris Harris, a certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor who has been working with clients for over 17 years to improve their health, become stronger and move better. I want to share the information that I have learned from my experiences with you. In this week's episode, we'll explore the amazing power of the plank exercise. The plank is a simple but highly effective exercise that engages the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, hips and thighs and can improve posture, balance and overall fitness. The benefits of the plank go beyond just physical fitness, as it can also have a positive impact on mental health and well-being. We'll take a deeper dive into the amazing power of the plank exercise, exploring its benefits, some variations and common mistakes to avoid. So let's get started.
Kris Harris:The plank exercise is a total body exercise that incorporates the core, as you recall from episode one. What is the Core? The core encephalosis is much more than just your abdominal muscles. The primary movers in a plank are your rectus spinae, rectus abdominis and oblique muscles. Every muscles that are working are your rhomboids, gluteal muscles, quadriceps and deltoid muscles. Depending on what variation you're doing, it may work more muscles than that. It's also important to continue doing exercises like the plank as we get older. The proper functioning of the core and core strength are important factors involved in coordination and motor control, and those can often decline as we age. Another nice thing about the plank is its low impact. It can build core strength and it can be modified for different levels of fitness. Minimal equipment is required and planks can be done in many variations, including the side plank, which is a great way to strengthen the obliques and quadratus lemura muscles.
Kris Harris:As we've discussed in previous episodes, the core has a variety of vital functions. It's involved in many things, including back support. In fact, 80% of Americans suffer from low back pain at some point in their life. Core muscles play a primary role in ensuring a healthy back. Also, posture having a strong core is vital for good posture, which will help minimize the wear and tear on the body as we age. Routine movements Any movement that involves manipulation of your torso requires the core muscles to execute, and this can include sitting, standing, rotating and bending. Stability and balance. The core plays a vital role in connecting the upper body to the lower body, and good balance and stability require a well-conditioned core.
Kris Harris:There's a lot of benefits to the plank. Many of them include a metabolism boost. Planks burn more calories than crunches or sit-ups. According to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, the plank exercise increased resting metabolic rate, which leads to increased calorie burning throughout the day. Reducing back pain The plank exercise can also help reduce back pain. A study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that performing the plank exercise for four weeks improved lower back pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain.
Kris Harris:Improvement in core strength Planking engages all major core muscle groups, including the rectus abdominis and those are those six-pack muscles that run vertically on either side of the front of your abdomen and the transfer subdominus. Those are the deep muscles in your abdominal wall. But they also engage your quads, glutes, shoulders, the rest spine, which is your upper back, and feet. According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the plank exercise was found to be more effective than traditional sit-ups for strengthening the core. Better posture Planks help keep your bones and joints in alignment, which encourages good posture. More flexibility Planks will stretch all the posterior muscle groups, including your shoulders, shoulder blades, collarbone hamstrings, foot arches and toes. In a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, it was found that the plank exercise improved shoulder flexibility in many participants. There's many mood benefits. Planks can stretch the muscles most prone to tension, that's, the shoulders, back legs and thighs, and this in turn helps to calm the brain's fight-or-flight response. Planks can enhance overall fitness. It's a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups at once, making it a great way to improve overall fitness. According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the plank exercise was found to improve muscular endurance, balance and posture in participants.
Kris Harris:So the power of the plank. What is it? The plank is an isometric exercise And this is a term for an exercise where you contract a muscle or a muscle group and hold the position for duration of the exercise. It differs from movement patterns that you may do when you do strength training. These are concentric movements, such as tension on a muscle that's shortening, or eccentric movement, that's tension on a muscle that's lengthening. So imagine concentric you're lifting up to do a bicep curl and the lengthening or eccentric is when you let that arm lengthen down.
Kris Harris:The benefits of isometric exercise is that they build strength in a different way than the concentric and eccentric movements. A large portion of the strength that comes from isometric exercises comes from training your nervous system. Think of it as the nervous system coordinating with the muscles in a specific position and to get those muscles to fire at the right time. Isometric exercises like the plank also train muscular endurance, or your ability to keep a muscle contracted for a long period of time. Doing a plank for an extended period trains your entire core to activate and stay strong and stable in this contracted position, and this will benefit you in other movements, for example, running or lunging, that require your core to be engaged. It's really important to incorporate isometric exercises like the plank every time you work out. It will keep those muscles strong and stable and it enhances that mind-muscle connection, which can, in turn, lead to reduction in risk of injury.
Kris Harris:The two most common planks are high plank, which is supporting your torso on your hands with your arms straight, and then forearm planks, which are with elbows bent, forearms on the floor. Planks are such a great way to build strength and stability in your core and shoulders, and they do this by challenging the stabilizer muscles, those small muscles that help keep joints and muscles stable. As you do certain movements. Stabilizers in the core can help hold your torso in place and resist rotating or leaning to the side or flexing when you're doing things like weightlifting or running. Stabilizers in your shoulders are important to hold your arm securely in an overhead position while lifting heavy things. Having a strong core can reduce the risk of back pain, like we talked about before. The core stabilizes the spine and if the core is weak it puts much more strain on the spine, which increases the chance of developing back pain. Planks also reinforce that correct posture. It's a proper upright standing position. Think of it when you're doing that plank, your core is engaged, your shoulders are away from your ears and you have a neutral, natural curvature of your spine with no excessive low back extension. That's kind of how you want to stand and hold yourself. Core stability is also the foundation for a lot of athletic movements, and the stability that is gained from planks can really help prepare you for more complex movements.
Kris Harris:Another variation of the plank is side planks. Side planking is such a great way to strengthen the two layers of muscles along the side of your core known as your obliques, and the obliques help you rotate and bend your trunk, and they play a vital role in helping to protect your spine. Some benefits of the side plank include keeping you stabilized in that side plank position will help the muscles in your shoulders, hips and obliques to work together. They almost kind of fire together at the same time to be able to stabilize. Side planks protect your spine by using the deep spinal stabilizing muscles, the quadratus lumborum. This keeps the muscles strong and can reduce your risk of back injuries. It strengthens your core without stressing your back. Side planks don't put the same pressure on your low back that the regular plank does. It does an excellent job of boosting core strength. Side planks will improve your balance and coordination. Side planks will also reduce the risk of back injury And, according to a 2016 study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, poor core endurance is linked to that increased injury risk. Including planks and side planks and your training will help to reduce that risk of back injuries.
Kris Harris:So we're going to go over a little bit about how to do a side plank the forearm side plank variation. You want to start in the forearm side plank by propping your body up on your right forearm, with your elbow stacked underneath your shoulder and your hand in front of your body. You're then going to extend your legs and stack your left foot on top of your right and squeezing your abs and glutes to lift your hips off the floor. If you'd like, you can extend your left arm up or place it on your left hip. Your shoulders, hips and feet should all be in a straight line. You want to try to hold this for 30 to 60 seconds, or as long as you can, repeating on the other side. Now the plank can be modified that side plank by just having that bottom leg bent. It will give you a little bit more stability until you get stronger.
Kris Harris:The elevated side plank is the next step up. You want to start in the same position as you would for a traditional side plank. You want to make sure to keep your neck neutral and your core braced and lift your hips off the mat with the palm of your supporting hand directly underneath your lower shoulder, with your fingers facing away from you, so that arm will be straight. Reach your top arm up towards the ceiling, if you can, and hold this position for 15 to 60 seconds, repeating on the other side. We're going to go over some plank variations, just regular planks. So the high plank this is the one where your arms are straight, so you're going to start on your hands and knees. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart and your knees should be about hip width apart. You're going to begin to lift your knees off the ground and step your feet back so that your legs are straight and fully extended, keeping your core, your glutes and quads tight and avoid arching your back. Think of extending from the crown of your head and out through your heels. Simultaneously, keep your neck in a neutral position by gazing at the floor a few inches in front of your hands, and hold the position for a set amount of time. Maybe try 30 seconds to a minute. You can try to modify that plank exercise, if you need to, by placing your hands on a bench or step or another surface. That kind of helps to kind of make it a little bit less of a position that's too deep for you. You can always go ahead and make that, or you can try a wall plank, just going up against the wall, stepping away from it. For people that are very new to planks, a wall plank is a good place to start. Just place again on a surface, progressively getting lower towards the floor as you get stronger.
Kris Harris:The forearm plank This one you're going to start on your hands and knees and then lower down to your forearms, so your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders and your palms and fingertips are facing forward. Your forearm should be parallel to each other. You're going to start to lift your knees off the ground and step your feet back so that your legs are straight and fully extended. Again, you want to keep your core, your glutes and quads tight and avoid arching your back, keeping that neck in a neutral position and don't let your hips drop. Holding the position for a set amount of time again 30 to 60 seconds. So again, that can be modified.
Kris Harris:Being down on your knees, as we talked about before, plank jacks are a variation, a little bit more of a high intensity. You're going to start in that high plank position with your palm flat on the floor, hand shoulder width apart and shoulders directly above your wrist, legs extended behind you so those arms will be straight. You're going to keep your core and glutes engaged. Start by jumping your feet out to the sides and back in, kind of like you're doing jumping jacks. The trick here is to keep your hips stable so that they don't bounce up and down as you jump your feet in and out. You want to try to do this for 30 to 60 seconds, and this exercise can be modified by just doing a step out or tap out. For lower impact, you can go to a forearm plank toe tap. So this is a forearm plank, with your palms flat, hands underneath your shoulders and shoulder width apart. You want to have the shoulder stack directly above your elbows, legs extended behind you, with your feet together and core and glutes engaged. Go ahead and step your right foot out a few inches to the right and then bring it back to the starting position. And then step your left foot out a few inches to the left and bring it back to the starting position And again continue for 30 to 60 seconds, keeping your glutes and hips from lifting or sagging down as you step. And these step outs are great because they work your abductor muscles. Those are the muscles that help bring your legs away from your body.
Kris Harris:Another very challenging variation is called the plank shoulder tap. You're going to start in a high plank position, that's, with the arms straight, your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder width apart, shoulder stack directly above your wrists and legs extended behind you with a hip width distance apart and your core and glutes engaged. You want to take your left hand and tap your right shoulder while engaging your core and glutes to keep your hips as still as possible. Try not to rock from side to side. This is pretty challenging. Do the same with your right hand to your left shoulder and that's considered one rep. This exercise can be modified by widening your legs for better balance. Also, if you needed to, you can drop down to your knees again and make that a little bit more of a variation, if needed.
Kris Harris:The plank up down. That is a high plank. You're starting again with those arms straight, palms flat on the floor with hands shoulder width apart, shoulder stack directly above your wrist, legs extended behind you and your core and glutes engaged. Lower your right arm down to the floor so that your forearm is on the floor and then do the same with your left. You should now be in that forearm plank position. You're going to place your left hand back to the floor to extend your arm and follow with your right. So now you end up in the high plank. That's one rep. For the next rep, start lowering your left arm and following with your right. Try to keep your hips still so that they don't sway from side to side and that is really challenging. To make that easier, widen your legs a little more. As with any exercise, always listen to your body, don't push yourself. If you feel pain or discomfort, it should feel like you're working and reaching that fatigue, but not pain. Especially watching the low back, neck and shoulders, the plank exercise is such a powerful and effective exercise that can provide numerous benefits for the body, from strengthening the core muscles to improving posture and reducing the risk of injury. The plank exercise is a versatile and accessible workout that can be performed by people of all fitness levels. Whether you're looking to improve your athletic performance, increase your overall strength and stability, or simply maintain an active and healthy lifestyle, the plank exercise is an excellent addition to any fitness routine.
Kris Harris:Thanks for joining me for this edition of the Kore Kast. Make sure to follow or subscribe to the Kore Kast on all major podcast platforms so you don't miss an episode. You can also subscribe to the Kore Kast channel on YouTube as another platform alternative for our podcast, and that's Kore with a K and Kast with a K. Check out our website, www. k ore-fit. com Kore with a K for excellent resources about fitness and Pilates, including weekly vlogs, live stream classes and more, and we also have a YouTube channel, Kore Fitness AZ. Again, that's K-O-R-E Fitness AZ. We've got a huge library of free workouts that you can check out, and if you're enjoying this podcast, check the link in the description to support the show. We really appreciate it. See you next time.