60 Minutes per Month Plank Challenge - February 2018!
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Spliner1969
Posts: 3,233 Member
in Challenges
Welcome to 2018!! A new year, same challenge!
This is a pretty simple challenge thread for those that want to have some accountability with their plank workouts. This plank challenge thread is meant to be flexible enough that people of various fitness levels should be able to successfully complete it as long as they are consistent with doing their planks regularly. If you find you cannot complete 60 minutes. or want to do more, you are welcome to set your own goals, many of us do.
Original Challenge Goal - 60 minutes of planks for the month. That's about 2 minutes of planks daily, or 3 minutes of planks for 20 days or 5 minutes of planks for 12 days...or...what ever you want to do to reach the challenge goal. I, personally, do mixed planks of up to 10 minutes per day. I split them up throughout my normal workouts or do them in a couple of longer mixed sets at the end of my normal workout routine.
>>If you are already a planking superstar or start to consistently hit the challenge goal, feel free to post your own goal at the beginning of the challenge that is higher than the one for the posted challenge. Or post an updated goal once you hit 60 minutes.
>>If you join us late in the month, feel free to post an alternate goal that is in the spirit of the original challenge (for example, joining around the 15th would be a 30 minute plank challenge to finish out the month).
How many sets? As many as you need. If you can do a 5 minute plank in one set, that is amazing!! If you want to do a few sets of 1 - 2 minute planks, that's cool! If you need to break up your planks into multiple sets of 15-30 seconds, that's okay too! I do a 5-minute set that goes something like this:
30 seconds forearm, 30 seconds straight arm with 15 push ups added in for good measure, 30 seconds left side plank, 30 seconds right side plank, repeat the 30 second side planks until I hit 5 minutes total without stopping. Mixing things up gives me a more rounded workout, and I generally never hold any one position longer than 1 minute. I'll then stop, do some yoga, stretching, maybe a few crunches or leg lifts, inverted bicycles, then I'll go back and do this 5-minute plank again to finish up my 10 minutes for the day. Feel free to create your own.
Types of planks? ALL planks and their variations count! Straight arm planks, forearm/elbow planks, side planks, reverse planks, etc. This allows you to vary your planks depending on your personal workout goals. (See next post for a variety of planking ideas.) I even add push ups during some of my planks as well as leg raises, etc. to push just a bit harder. Remember form is more important than length of the plank. Don't slouch. Make sure your core is tight during each plank, don't put all the pressure on your arms or legs, don't slouch. There are plenty of youtube videos (some examples below) about how to make a plank effective with good form. Take some time and view a few of them. It'll help in the long run. Your times can increase as you get better, no worries if you can only do a few seconds at first. Rest, and do a few more seconds, or switch positions.
How to join / participate? Just post your intended goal, then the total minutes of the planks you did for the day and your running total for the month. Just post either daily or as often as you can with your running totals. No spreadsheets, no groups. Easy peasy.
Last month's 60 minute plank challenge thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10625436/60-minutes-per-month-plank-challenge-january-2018-happy-new-planking-year/
Welcome and get planking!!
I am continuing this challenge once again for @b3achy, the original author. All credit goes to her for starting this thing many many moons ago. All examples, quoted text, and ideas were, and still are, her contribution. She tells me she copied this from another site, well.. it's ours now! I take no credit here, just keeping the torch lit in her absence. Stay tuned for some examples, and happy planking!
I'd like to add (as stated above in bold) that it has long since been a tradition that we accept any goal. If you don't feel you can do 60 minutes, or if you start late in the month, we want you here. So post your personal goal and start planking. You can come back each month and increase your times until you reach the challenge goal or go beyond it. Some of us go way beyond it and that's ok too. There's no need to feel you have to out match someone else. Your goals are just that, yours. We have never been judgemental. Everyone needs a strong core, and we believe this is a good path to that goal!
Some examples:
30 Day Beginner Plank Challenge - builds to a 2 minute plank (total is 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the month, so 33 minutes and 5 seconds short of 60 minutes. Recommend doing multiples earlier in the program when they are shorter to get more minutes for 60):
30 Day Advanced Plank Workout - building to 5 minute planks (total is 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month, so 6 minutes and 40 seconds short of 60 minutes unless you do multiples earlier in the program):
Here's an Alternate 30 Day Plank Workout (for beginners, intermediate, and advanced) that also builds to 5 minutes of Planks (by doing multiples of no more than 30 sec planks; also 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month):
For details on the variations, here's the full slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/TodaysFitnessTrainer/30-day-plank-challenge[/quote]
This is a pretty simple challenge thread for those that want to have some accountability with their plank workouts. This plank challenge thread is meant to be flexible enough that people of various fitness levels should be able to successfully complete it as long as they are consistent with doing their planks regularly. If you find you cannot complete 60 minutes. or want to do more, you are welcome to set your own goals, many of us do.
Original Challenge Goal - 60 minutes of planks for the month. That's about 2 minutes of planks daily, or 3 minutes of planks for 20 days or 5 minutes of planks for 12 days...or...what ever you want to do to reach the challenge goal. I, personally, do mixed planks of up to 10 minutes per day. I split them up throughout my normal workouts or do them in a couple of longer mixed sets at the end of my normal workout routine.
>>If you are already a planking superstar or start to consistently hit the challenge goal, feel free to post your own goal at the beginning of the challenge that is higher than the one for the posted challenge. Or post an updated goal once you hit 60 minutes.
>>If you join us late in the month, feel free to post an alternate goal that is in the spirit of the original challenge (for example, joining around the 15th would be a 30 minute plank challenge to finish out the month).
How many sets? As many as you need. If you can do a 5 minute plank in one set, that is amazing!! If you want to do a few sets of 1 - 2 minute planks, that's cool! If you need to break up your planks into multiple sets of 15-30 seconds, that's okay too! I do a 5-minute set that goes something like this:
30 seconds forearm, 30 seconds straight arm with 15 push ups added in for good measure, 30 seconds left side plank, 30 seconds right side plank, repeat the 30 second side planks until I hit 5 minutes total without stopping. Mixing things up gives me a more rounded workout, and I generally never hold any one position longer than 1 minute. I'll then stop, do some yoga, stretching, maybe a few crunches or leg lifts, inverted bicycles, then I'll go back and do this 5-minute plank again to finish up my 10 minutes for the day. Feel free to create your own.
Types of planks? ALL planks and their variations count! Straight arm planks, forearm/elbow planks, side planks, reverse planks, etc. This allows you to vary your planks depending on your personal workout goals. (See next post for a variety of planking ideas.) I even add push ups during some of my planks as well as leg raises, etc. to push just a bit harder. Remember form is more important than length of the plank. Don't slouch. Make sure your core is tight during each plank, don't put all the pressure on your arms or legs, don't slouch. There are plenty of youtube videos (some examples below) about how to make a plank effective with good form. Take some time and view a few of them. It'll help in the long run. Your times can increase as you get better, no worries if you can only do a few seconds at first. Rest, and do a few more seconds, or switch positions.
How to join / participate? Just post your intended goal, then the total minutes of the planks you did for the day and your running total for the month. Just post either daily or as often as you can with your running totals. No spreadsheets, no groups. Easy peasy.
Last month's 60 minute plank challenge thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10625436/60-minutes-per-month-plank-challenge-january-2018-happy-new-planking-year/
Welcome and get planking!!
I am continuing this challenge once again for @b3achy, the original author. All credit goes to her for starting this thing many many moons ago. All examples, quoted text, and ideas were, and still are, her contribution. She tells me she copied this from another site, well.. it's ours now! I take no credit here, just keeping the torch lit in her absence. Stay tuned for some examples, and happy planking!
I'd like to add (as stated above in bold) that it has long since been a tradition that we accept any goal. If you don't feel you can do 60 minutes, or if you start late in the month, we want you here. So post your personal goal and start planking. You can come back each month and increase your times until you reach the challenge goal or go beyond it. Some of us go way beyond it and that's ok too. There's no need to feel you have to out match someone else. Your goals are just that, yours. We have never been judgemental. Everyone needs a strong core, and we believe this is a good path to that goal!
Some examples:
30 Day Beginner Plank Challenge - builds to a 2 minute plank (total is 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the month, so 33 minutes and 5 seconds short of 60 minutes. Recommend doing multiples earlier in the program when they are shorter to get more minutes for 60):
30 Day Advanced Plank Workout - building to 5 minute planks (total is 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month, so 6 minutes and 40 seconds short of 60 minutes unless you do multiples earlier in the program):
Here's an Alternate 30 Day Plank Workout (for beginners, intermediate, and advanced) that also builds to 5 minutes of Planks (by doing multiples of no more than 30 sec planks; also 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month):
For details on the variations, here's the full slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/TodaysFitnessTrainer/30-day-plank-challenge[/quote]
Intermediate Plank Workouts:
These are intermediate level workouts, good to try once you have a good foundation of standard planks and are looking for something more interesting or with more variety.
3 minute Bowflex Plank Workout:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynUw0YsrmSg
Rebecca Louise 5 minute Plank Workout (shows nearly proper form (butt's a little too far in the air, IMO), and modified forms):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Ge7uGpjFY
DareBee 5 minute Plank Workout:
DareBee Killer Core Plank Workout:
Advanced Workouts:
Do not try these if you have never done a plank before. These are workouts to build up to once you successfully establish a good foundation of standard planks (and probably only once you've managed to do some of the intermediate workouts).
15 Minute Advanced Plank Workout:
See details in this article ~ http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/plank-abs-workout
FitnessBlender 10 minute Advanced Plank Workout (this looks brutal):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DNN9a5pU2A
I've been working on making my own video to add to this menagerie of examples. No promises but sometime this spring or summer I'll try and get it posted.
See you Feb 1st!
4
Replies
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I'm in, as usual, for my 180 minutes. I have a business trip and it's always a short month in February so I'm going to have to concentrate to get it done! Hope to see some familiar and new faces this month! If you're returning to this challenge don't forget to invite your friends!2
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Will try again, been a while. How about 45 min for goal. Hoping for more.3
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Newbie here. My goal will be to reach 55 min (gulp!)3
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Newbie here as well! I’m in for 60 min!3
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Welcome new comers! Looking forward to February! Flu slowed me down a bit in January. Really looking forward to spring though.. stupid winter!1
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I'm back for February, gonna try for 90 minutes this time.2
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I'm in for 60!3
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Hi everyone!
I am in for 60 minutes/month plank challenge, need to strengthen those core muscles. Will be following the Five minutes plank work out given here.
Let's have a Fab February!4 -
February 1, None, Starting off the new month with a rest day.
Total for February 0 minutes, 180 left to go!3 -
Good morning! I looked at the calandar this morning and was SHOCKED to see we are in February already.
I am a newbie, however am up for the challenge of 60 min. I like this idea and the accountability to push myself just that extra little bit.5 -
Newbie here too. I do plenty of planks, but I have never tracked them. I am in for 60 minutes.2
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I have never actually been in the challenges forum, but this actually sounds like fun and something that can fit in pretty well with my current schedule. I've been doing planks sporadically over the last few months and can hold a forearm for 45 seconds, so I think I'll try for 60 minutes and try and decide between the second and third plans you listed above after doing probably too much research tonight on the benefits of shorter multiple planks versus longer planks. Because that's how I roll.3
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February 1st and the challenge begins3
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Day 1: 1 min 30 sec4
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2/1 6 minutes complete4
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Day 1: 1 minute bow flex plank that I did at strength class yesterday.
Day 2: 1 minute straight arm plank
I’m going to increase my goal to 120 min.3 -
February 1, None, Starting off the new month with a rest day.
February 2, 1x5 min mixed plank, 1x6 minute mixed plank (11 min)
Total for February 11 minutes, 169 left to go!2 -
I did not do planks yesterday, but I had a session with my trainer (I do this once per week) and she had me do 3 sets of 10 hand release push-ups. While not technically a plank, there is a lot of plank time in there. Do I count this? If so, how? Or do I just let it go?2
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lporter229 wrote: »I did not do planks yesterday, but I had a session with my trainer (I do this once per week) and she had me do 3 sets of 10 hand release push-ups. While not technically a plank, there is a lot of plank time in there. Do I count this? If so, how? Or do I just let it go?
If you'd like, you can. The first part of my 5-minute planks are forearm for 30 seconds, and sometimes (depending on my energy level) I will transition to straight arm and toss in 10-15 pushups during that second 30 seconds just to add in difficulty. A pushup is an exercise that works your chest, back, arms but at the same time it works the core if done correctly (your core should always be tight during a pushup to support your lower back and improve your form).2 -
I am in again for 130.
Feb. 1-2
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