The Plank
Starting
Position
- Starting position of
the plank requires you to lie on your stomach propping yourself up with
your elbows under your shoulders.
- Forearms lie in front
of you, comfortably, with hands relaxed or placed in a fist.
Action
- Lift your legs and
hips off the floor such that you are straight from your heels to your
shoulders.
- Make sure your elbows
remain under your shoulders.
- Don't look up, keep
your chin tucked in, and don't allow your back to arch up to the ceiling
- Concentrate on engaging
your abdominal muscles and
breathing normally.
- Hold this position.
Prime
Movers
- Anterior trunk muscles
are emphasized.
Physio
Tips
- I will use this
exercise clinically to help assess core endurance. This can be measured
and used to monitor progress in an exercise program.
- This exercise has a
greater risk of increasing back pain.
- Don't push beyond the
point where you can maintain perfect form. To do so does not benefit
you.
- If you experience any
pain while doing these exercises, stop the exercise and consult with a physical
therapist.
- Make sure your arm is
vertical and positioned directly under your shoulder so as to avoid
shoulder strain.
Progression
The plank is a well
known exercise used in the training programs of many different sports.
Any land sport requires the efficient transfer of energy from the
ground through the trunk. All functional movement also requires this
stability so we can all benefit from this exercise.
From my observations in the clinic, I find few people unfamiliar with
core exercises can hold this position for more than just a few seconds.
A big problem people have is either letting their back sag, or they
flatten their back too much. Make sure you are familiar with your
neutral
position. If you try
this and you find you can only hold it for a few seconds before you
start to sag at the hips or shake, try it on your knees:
Plank on the Knees
- Lie face down with
your elbows under your shoulders, feet together.
- Lift yourself up so
that you rest on your forearms, and on your knees.
- You should form a
straight line from your knees to your head.
- Concentrate on
breathing normally, and keeping your abdominals tight.
- Hold this until you
can no longer keep that straight line from knees to hips.
- Rest for 1-2 minutes,
and try again. Repeat this daily.
- When you can hold this
position for 30 seconds you are ready to move onto the plank on your
toes as above.
Hold this position for
10 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Hold this position for
30
seconds and repeat 3 times.
Hold this position for
90 seconds.