“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commissions or revenue for some items from the links below.”
Have you ever wondered how much time you need? Hold the board To get results — without hanging out Pause 1 second longer than necessary? We too. I’ll go into more detail (spoilers: there are some factors to consider), but first: that’s why you need to manipulate the core with the Staple Move in the first place.
Why core strength is important
by American Movement Council (ACE), Core muscles include spinal erection muscles (or back extensors), medial and lateral oblique muscles (involved in trunk rotation), oblique muscles (these help to bend sideways), and abdominal oblique muscles (which boot). Instructors that include (the muscles used in the camp) “pull the abdominal oblique muscle into the spine”), the abdominal straight muscle (commonly referred to as the “6 pack” muscle), and the polyfissure muscle (stabilize the spine). ) Is enthusiastically tightened with a belt.
And according to Annie Mulgroo, Founding instructor New York City CITY ROW For NASM certified personal trainers, keeping these core muscles strong is essential for the proper functioning of the body.
“Core strength provides stability and balance, improves overall strength, and enhances the ability of those to perform daily tasks,” she explains. “”[When your core is strong], You move better, breathe better, and work at a higher level. “
A 2019 PLOS ONE researchFocusing on endurance athletes in college, they found that eight weeks of core training helped improve runners’ endurance and balance. in the meantime, Other studies We note that regular core enhancements are a factor in reducing chronic low back pain. Mulgroo adds: [your] Waist, knees, shoulders. “
Advantages of board
According to Mulgroo, whether you do board, sit-ups, crunches, or other movements actually comes down to the form of core enhancement you like most (or rather tolerate). Still, the board is her favorite for a single comprehensive reason: you get the most value for your money.
“Plate is a whole-body exercise rather than a crunch that focuses primarily on the rectus abdominis,” she explains. “Planking engages the arms, hips, gluteal muscles, legs, and upper back. Because it is an isometric exercise, these deep stabilizing muscles work.” On the other hand, abdominal muscle exercise is a little less than crunch. Many work on the corresponding muscles (hips, hips), but not as much as planks.
In addition, if you have had previous hip or neck injuries, even crunches or sit-ups more Plates, on the other hand, help strengthen these muscles without extra strain.
However, as Mulgroo reiterates, there is room for all kinds of exercise focused on the abdomen. She compares crunch or abdominal exercises to biceps curls (isolated exercises) and squats or deadlifts the board.Complex exercise).
How to run the perfect board
Ready to get started? Here’s how to take advantage of all these core-tastic enhancements and balances by running the perfect plank:
Method: Start from the floor with your hands and knees. Place your hands just below your shoulders. Put your feet back one at a time. To increase stability, keep your feet wider than your hips and bring your feet closer to tackle more challenges. Keep a straight line from your heels to the top of your head, looking down on the floor and looking slightly forward. Next, tighten and hold the abdominal muscles, quadriceps muscles, and gluteal muscles.
Here are some additional form tips from Mulgrew:
-
Arms and legs should be fully extended.
-
The shoulders should also be stretched or pushed down to increase the space between the shoulder blades.
-
Your coccyx reaches your inner heel.
-
The abdomen should be fully involved, not just the buttocks and hips.
Time to hold the board
The answer is not as simple as you might think. Albert Matheny, RD, and CSCS, co-founder of the SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition, say they can put up a board every day. The length of time you need to hold the board varies from 10 seconds to 1 minute... The reasons are as follows: The form is the most important. “The goal is to keep it in perfect shape. Do it as long as you can,” says Massenny.
As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, Certified Personal Trainer and Founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving for three sets of up to 60 seconds. “It’s okay to start with a short set and work in up to 60 seconds,” he says.
In addition, shorter planks can still give you solid training, Sklar says. He suggests holding the board for 10 seconds, relaxing for 5-10 seconds, then re-engaging for 10 seconds and repeating 3-6 sets. “We’re moving the muscles for the same total amount of time as if we were holding the board for 30-60 seconds without stopping, so we get a very similar strengthening effect,” he says.
That said, one minute tends to be the ideal time frame for getting the most out of planks. “It’s more difficult to stay tense longer,” says Massenny. However, he adds that if you can easily stretch the board for a minute, it will be more difficult to contract the abdominal muscles more and squeeze the gluteal and quadriceps more.
Again, if you’re not ready, don’t push yourself to hold the board longer. “Forcing the board to hold for long periods of time can put a lot of strain on your lower back,” Sklar says. “When fatigue begins, your hips may begin to arch. This is where you are at risk of injury.” (There’s a 60-second record!)
So, board as much as you can and do it for up to 1 minute as long as you can keep it in good shape. You should see great results.
Raise your board to the next level
The board is really a gold standard exercise when it comes to strengthening and stabilizing the core (and it works perfectly out of the box!), But you can add a few variations to increase the intensity of your movements.
Take a peek at these 10 board variations, including hand taps, elbow taps, and other erratic movements. This keeps the core in a stable position by functioning overtime.
You probably like it too