According to Health.com there are about 20 ways to do a plank. Crazy? Perhaps. Best part is, is there’s never a way to get bored with planks. There is always a variation you can add or mix in. And the amount of body parts a plank works is pretty incredible. Lifehacker wrote a piece demonstrating the benefits of planks including but not limited to core and back strength, balance and more.
I mix in planks into my weekly workout routine. Best part – you can do them anywhere. In your apartment, at the gym, or even when you’re traveling on vacation or business.
My go to’s include:
- Straight arm plank – 30 seconds
- Forearm plank – 30 seconds
- Switch from straight to forearm (back and forth) – 20 seconds
- Side plank – 3o second each side
- toe tap during forearm plank – 30 seconds
- pushups – 10
There are plenty of other variations, but doing this mix 3 times a week in addition to my other workouts is pretty helpful.
In the end, you have to figure out what works best for your body. Perhaps it’s the traditional straight arm, the forearm, the side plank, or perhaps it is a mix of a few. And you can change up how long you prefer to do them, but the key is although it may suck at first, it will get easier over time, and the benefits are worthwhile.
#radiatedaily
Image source: Clarisa Mirnov
