60 Minutes per Month Plank Challenge - September 2017

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Spliner1969
Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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, 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.

>>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 4-minute set that goes something like this:

1 minute forearm, 30 seconds left side plank, 30 seconds right side plank, 30 seconds left side plank, 30 seconds right side plank, 30 seconds left side plank, and finally, yup, you guessed it.. 30 seconds right side plank. Mixing things up gives me a more rounded workout, and I generally never hold any one position longer than 1 minute. 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.

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. No spreadsheets, no groups. Easy peasy.

Last month's 60 minute plank challenge thread:
http://http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10583272/60-minutes-per-month-plank-challenge-august-2017/

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, hers. 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. We have never been judgemental. Everyone needs a strong core, and we believe this is the 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-plank-workout6.jpg

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):
30-day-plank-challenge-chart.jpg

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):
30-day-plank-challenge-10-1024.jpg?cb=1438051399
For details on the variations, here's the full slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/TodaysFitnessTrainer/30-day-plank-challenge[/quote]
b3achy wrote: »
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:
five-minute-plank-workout.jpg

DareBee Killer Core Plank Workout:
killer-core-workout.jpg

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:
wh-15-min-plank-workout_0.jpeg
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
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Replies

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I am in as usual for 180 minutes. Hope to see some new faces as well as some regular faces! Happy planking!
  • brittdee88
    brittdee88 Posts: 1,874 Member
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    I am in for 30 minutes this month! I want to hold myself accountable to 2 minutes every other day.
  • kolson111322
    kolson111322 Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm an absolute beginner with planks so I'll do the 30 day beginner plank challenge goal and add a few minutes to make it 60 minutes!
  • lbenson2006
    lbenson2006 Posts: 3,372 Member
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    Going to try to get back at it again. Consistency has been my downfall and September will be a crazy month as well. However, I'm in and I'll shoot for 60 again. Thanks @Spliner1969 for keeping this going.
  • lavernicat
    lavernicat Posts: 7 Member
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    I will do the beginner plank challenge as well and add more to make it 60 minutes
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
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    Totally in for 60 minutes, and will probably try out a bunch of the above! Looking forward to it!!
  • rykrieg1
    rykrieg1 Posts: 3 Member
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    Def need this! My abs have been neglected for way too long!
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
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    I'm in for 150 min for September - goal is to do 5min straight for the last two weeks.
  • swells164
    swells164 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm in for 90 minutes and will do a combination of the above examples.
  • Creativityfailure
    Creativityfailure Posts: 96 Member
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    I'm in again for September, but lowering my goal down to 60 minutes, as I go back to work and need to figure out a new routine to work all my exercises in.
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
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    I'm in. Did a 90 sec plank yesterday out of the blue. Woo hoo. Who knew!
  • spyder2765
    spyder2765 Posts: 30 Member
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    I am in for 60 minutes.
  • vandinem
    vandinem Posts: 550 Member
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    I just completed my August challenge. For September, will try to move up to 70 minutes.
  • zumbaforever
    zumbaforever Posts: 6,854 Member
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    I am in for September!
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
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    There is something immensely gratifying about doing a 60-second plank every 90 minutes or so in my empty, freezing (I have no control over the temp *grr*) office.

    Day 1: 3 minutes
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    September 1, 2x4 min mixed planks, 1 x 2 min mixed plank (10 min)

    Total for September, 10 minutes, 170 to go!
  • ISweat4This
    ISweat4This Posts: 653 Member
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    Sep 1 - 5min (3+2)
  • vandinem
    vandinem Posts: 550 Member
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    Date      Minutes      MTD   Notes
    -------   -------    ------- -----------------------
    Sep   1     3.0        3.0   1X90, 1x60, 1x30 seconds
    
  • brittdee88
    brittdee88 Posts: 1,874 Member
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    9/2: 4 x 30 seconds (regular, forearm, right and left sides)
    2/30 minutes completed
  • mellarslan
    mellarslan Posts: 22 Member
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    Hi again;)
    I started planking last month, thanks to you guys! I really really appreciate a lot. :)
    My plan is 60 min elbow plank + 30 min full plank + 15 min raised leg plank. In total 105 min :) let's see!

    2.09: 2 min elbow + 1 min full plank