60 Minutes per Month Plank Challenge - January 2019!

Spliner1969
Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
Welcome to Fall weather everyone!

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 amazing too! If you need to break up your planks into multiple sets of 15-30 seconds, that's complete fine! 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 or mix things up however you would like.

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. If any of you find better examples you’d like included in the examples below, please post them and I’ll add them in next month. Want to make your own video? Go for it, I’d be super happy to post it.

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. Some of us only get time to post on the weekends or get tied up doing other things. Catch up when you can, no pressure. No spreadsheets, no groups. Easy peasy.

Last month's 60 minute plank challenge thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10709749/60-minutes-per-month-plank-challenge-december-2018/

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 original 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 judgmental. 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-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

See you January 1st, 2019!!
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Replies

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    I'm in for my usual 120 minutes this month.
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    I’m in for 110 again.
  • Fitatelo
    Fitatelo Posts: 180 Member
    I'll join! My first month, so I'll just shoot for 60 and see how I feel
  • allmannerofthings
    allmannerofthings Posts: 829 Member
    I'm in for 75.
  • lesdarts180
    lesdarts180 Posts: 3,034 Member
    I'm in again - 80 minutes this month.
    Aiming to do 4 mins mixed planks 5 or 6 times a week.

    01/01 4 mins mixed planks
  • FitIrenewms
    FitIrenewms Posts: 1 Member
    I’m in. It’s a first for me so I’ll shoot to complete the beginners plank workout.
  • ElC_76
    ElC_76 Posts: 3,054 Member
    I'll aim for 60 min.

    1/1/19 -rest
    2/2/19 -2.45min
  • lbenson2006
    lbenson2006 Posts: 3,372 Member
    Aiming for 60 min minimum. Really shooting for consistency and goal is 2 min a day at least.

    1/1 - 2 min forearm

    Total: 2 min
    Remaining: 58 min
  • Lazy_Bones_1985
    Lazy_Bones_1985 Posts: 49 Member
    I’m in. I’m going with 62 minutes for the month to keep a consistent two minutes daily average.

    1.1.19: 1:00
  • mawash9
    mawash9 Posts: 77 Member
    I’m in. 2. -30 seconds. It’s a start!
  • Lazy_Bones_1985
    Lazy_Bones_1985 Posts: 49 Member
    Going for 62 minutes for the month.

    1.1.19: 1:00
    1.2.19: 1:00, :46 Total of 2:46

  • KKHKISHZKH
    KKHKISHZKH Posts: 187 Member
    I'm in for 60 min!

    1/1: Rest day
    2/1: Rest day
  • mawash9
    mawash9 Posts: 77 Member
    mawash9 wrote: »
    I’m in. 2. -30 seconds. It’s a start!
    1/2 0:0:30
    1/3 0:2:30
  • lbenson2006
    lbenson2006 Posts: 3,372 Member
    1/1 - 2 min forearm
    1/2 - none
    1/3 - 2 min forearm (want to make up for yesterday still hopefully)

    Total: 4 min
    Remaining: 56 min
  • Fitatelo
    Fitatelo Posts: 180 Member
    January 3rd: 2/60 mins
  • allmannerofthings
    allmannerofthings Posts: 829 Member
    Jan 3 10 mins (4 x 2.5) /75
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Still nursing a slight back strain so not starting until this weekend but you guys are all doing great already! Rock on!
  • Rachbauerle
    Rachbauerle Posts: 4 Member
    I’m in! 30 second forearm, I’ll do another 30 later. Just a beginner.
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 110
    Jan 1: rest day 🎊
    Jan 2: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Jan 3: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Total 10
    Remaining 100
  • Rachbauerle
    Rachbauerle Posts: 4 Member
    30 more seconds. 60 total-forearm plank.
  • lbenson2006
    lbenson2006 Posts: 3,372 Member
    1/1 - 2 min forearm
    1/2 - none
    1/3 - 2 min forearm
    1/4 - 2 min forearm

    Total: 6 min
    Remaining: 54 min
  • lesdarts180
    lesdarts180 Posts: 3,034 Member
    Goal 80 minutes.
    01/01 4 mins mixed planks
    02/01 4 mins mixed planks
    03/01 4 mins mixed planks
    04/01 4 mins mixed planks

    Total 16 mins
    Remaining 64 mins
  • Fitatelo
    Fitatelo Posts: 180 Member
    January 4th: 3/60 mins
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 110
    Jan 1: rest day 🎊
    Jan 2: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Jan 3: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Jan 4: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Jan 5: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Total 20
    Remaining 90
  • allmannerofthings
    allmannerofthings Posts: 829 Member
    Jan 3 10 mins (4 x 2.5) /75
    Jan 5 10 mins 20/75
  • Fitatelo
    Fitatelo Posts: 180 Member
    January 5th: 4/60 mins
  • Ardael
    Ardael Posts: 244 Member
    I’d like to work it up to 5min. For that I’m going to start at 2min and add seconds to it progressively.

    5 : 2min high

    2/60
  • Fitatelo
    Fitatelo Posts: 180 Member
    January 6th: 6/60
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Jan 1st, None, Planned Rest Day
    Jan 2nd, None, Unplanned Rest Day
    Jan 3rd, None, Unplanned Rest Day
    Jan 4th, None, Unplanned Rest Day
    Jan 5th, 2x5 min mixed planks (10 min)
    Jan 6th, 2x5 min mixed planks (10 min)

    Total for January 20 minutes, 100 left to go!
  • orangequilt
    orangequilt Posts: 4,667 Member
    I'm going to give this a go! My core is shocking!!