Advice for Planks

[ejostling]

Hi Cathe!

As many times as I do planks, they are just not getting any easier. My arms still shake and I can barely make it through an 8 count. It's always as challenging as the first time, and I'm starting to dread them. Besides repetition, is there anything else I can do to make strength gains to make a plank a little easier?

Thanks!

Sally

 

[tmox]

Not Cathe, but I found that doing plank work BEFORE the actual workout make it MUCH easier! I find that after a tough upper body workout, it's my arms that give out long before my core! Same goes for pikes on the ball...I can ACTUALLY do them now!

 

[kathryn]

Do them with bent arms, with weight on the forearm. This will take some of the strain off the arms and allow you to concentrate on the core. And stay up as long as you can, engaging that core as you feel yourself tending to loosen up. Go to your knees (but stay in plank formation) as you need to, then back up to toes when/if you can. Go for a bit longer each time. It will come.

You can also set yourself a goal to do planks, and work on doing them for a certain amount of time every other day. Set a timer. Start on toes, go down for a rest when you need to and back up again. Once you can hold the entire 2 minutes, increase intensity either by adding time, by going to your hands, by lifting one leg at a time, etc.