April 2021 Planking and Isometric Exercise Challenge

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Replies

  • sweetdaisy13
    sweetdaisy13 Posts: 357 Member
    Today:
    Straight arm planks: 2 x 30 seconds
    Forearm planks: 2 x 30 seconds
    Calf raises: 2 x 45 seconds
    Glute bridge: 2 x 45 seconds
    Press-ups: 2 x 10

    April Total:
    Planks: 15 mins
    Isometric exercises: 28 mins
    Press-ups: 60 reps

    Feeling tired today from my run yesterday and today, so only a few exercises done.
  • lesdarts180
    lesdarts180 Posts: 3,079 Member
    Goal 60 minutes.

    01/04 rest day
    02/04 rest day
    03/04 rest day
    04/04 4 mins mixed planks
    05/04 4 mins mixed planks
    06/04 none
    07/04 none
    08/04 none
    09/04 4 mins mixed planks
    10/04 4 mins mixed planks
    11/04 4 mins mixed planks

    Total 20 minutes
    Remaining 40 mins
  • lazycat2018
    lazycat2018 Posts: 1,750 Member
    April goal: 100 minutes mixed planks (100 minutes other isometrics)

    Starting a little later this month,
    Apr 3: 5(5); Apr 4: 2(2); Apr 5: 5(5)
    Apr 6: 6(6); April 7: 6(6); Apr 8: 5(5)
    Apr 9: 5(5); April 10: 5(5); Apr 11: 5(5)

    Total: 44(44)
    Remaining: 56(56)
    Starting an additional abs challenge, slightly modified from the previous time, a few years ago.

    Day 1: April 7:
    Sit ups: 20
    Crunches: 30
    Leg raises: 20
    Push ups: 20 (on my knees so far, hope to build up to proper ones)

    Day 2: April 8:
    Sit ups: 30
    Crunches: 40
    Leg raises: 30
    Push ups: 5 half push ups from straight arms plank position

    Day 3: April 9:
    Sit ups: 40
    Crunches: 50
    Leg raises: 40
    5 full push ups, not a perfect form, still...

    Day 4: Rest day

    Day 5: April 11
    Sit ups: 60
    Crunches: 70
    Leg raises: 60
    6 push ups
    /spoiler]
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 60
    Apr 1 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 2 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 3 rest day
    Apr 4 rest day
    Apr 5 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 6 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 7 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 8 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 9 3:00 (6x30s)
    Apr 10 rest day
    Apr 11 rest day
    Apr 12 3:00 (6x30s)
    Total 24
    Remaining 36



  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    Hello all, going to hop in mid-month. I have a morning routine originally just to stretch and get blood flowing which has a number some static holds and recently I have considered building up the time held in these positions making it a little bit more of a workout than it has been thus far. I have no idea what the proper name for a few of these holds are, so I'll just make them as descriptive as possible, please bear with any names I come up with! :lol:
  • sweetdaisy13
    sweetdaisy13 Posts: 357 Member
    WhatMeRunning wrote: »
    Hello all, going to hop in mid-month. I have a morning routine originally just to stretch and get blood flowing which has a number some static holds and recently I have considered building up the time held in these positions making it a little bit more of a workout than it has been thus far. I have no idea what the proper name for a few of these holds are, so I'll just make them as descriptive as possible, please bear with any names I come up with! :lol:

    I'm pretty new to Isometric exercises and I often have to look up the names, as I know what they are in my head/how to do them, but don't always know the official names of some of the exercises ;)
  • dewit
    dewit Posts: 1,468 Member
    My goals for the month:
    • 100 min of planks
    • lower body isometrics
    • more than 10 push-ups in a row.
    4/1: 4:00 with Heather Robertson + 1:00
    4/2: 5:00 with Caroline Girvan. During workout: 1:30 wall sits.
    4/3: 20 min isometrics with growingannanas. I skipped the handstand. Maybe I will have the courage to try it by the end of the month? The workout was 5:00 planks and 10:00 legs.

    I ended up doing a workout on Sunday which had more planks in it... So

    4/4: 5:00 planks with Lille Sabri, v. doable 👍
    + 3:00 during HIIT (or more 🤷‍♀️)

    4/5: rest day (plank-wise), but got 15 pushups in (last 3 were a struggle, but I got myself off the ground). The strength workout had some legs isometrics in, I would say roughly 3:00 in total.

    4/6: Planks: 3:00 during workout + 3:00 Bowflex. Isometrics (legs): 4:00 wall sit (hard! 😐)

    4/7: 5:00 planks

    4/8: 5:00 during Le Sweat HIIT session
    4/9: 5:00 with Caroline Girvan + 3:00 wall sit
    4/10: 2:00 during back/biceps workout + 2:00 wall sit (didn't manage the 20 min isometrics with growingannanas, unfortunatelly)

    4/11: rest day
    4/12: 5:00 planks + 15 tricep pushups, yeay!

    Total planks so far: 50:00
    Legs Isometrics: 23:30
    PRs April: 15 pushups
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    I don't have any goals (yet), I'm simply starting to focus more on maintaining each hold long enough to feel it (20 seconds or until failure) and recording how long I held them. I used to just do these as a morning routine of stretches/balance, but figure I could turn this into a little bit more than that and get a small extra workout in each day. I may even add more next month as I learn more isometric exercises. I just discovered a bunch for the first time trying to find the right names for some of these holds.

    4/13
    Superman: 20 secs
    Forearm Plank: 20 secs
    Side Leg Raise (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Side Plank (left/right): 20 secs / 10 secs
    Hollow Hold: 20 secs
    Reverse Plank: 10 secs
    Front Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Side Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Back Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Squat Hold: 20 secs
    Calf Raise: 20 secs

    April Totals
    Superman: 20 secs
    Forearm Plank: 20 secs
    Side Leg Raise (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Side Plank (left/right): 20 secs / 10 secs
    Hollow Hold: 20 secs
    Reverse Plank: 10 secs
    Front Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Side Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Back Kick Hold (left/right): 20 secs / 20 secs
    Squat Hold: 20 secs
    Calf Raise: 20 secs
  • sweetdaisy13
    sweetdaisy13 Posts: 357 Member
    I had to look up 'hollow hold' @WhatMeRunning, looks tough! I don't think I could do that just yet, but these exercises are really helping me with my running and my knees are no longer hurting.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    @sweetdaisy13 - I started doing the exercises that evolved into my current morning routine a few years ago when I really started running long distances and kept getting knee and hip pain from ITB due to adductors and obliques that were too weak to support proper form on the latter part of my long runs, so I definitely understand how much it helps. I also wound up running faster when I focused on building strength in those areas (more like my core overall). While I'm not running anywhere near the distances to require these exercises now, I want to be ahead of the game when I get there this next time! :smile:

    Before today I was doing lying leg lifts instead of hollow holds. When looking up isometric exercises I ran across that one and thought it would be a great replacement/improvement for the leg lifts. Today is the first time I've tried it, and it is a keeper, hits a lot more than the leg lifts did. There is an easier bent knee version of it in order to progress into the straight leg version if you are interested in working into that hold. I was also doing glute bridges instead of the reverse plank. That reverse plank is a *kitten* *kitten*! :grimace:
  • sweetdaisy13
    sweetdaisy13 Posts: 357 Member
    Great advice @WhatMeRunning, thank you.
  • lazycat2018
    lazycat2018 Posts: 1,750 Member
    April goal: 100 minutes mixed planks (100 minutes other isometrics)

    Starting a little later this month,
    Apr 3: 5(5); Apr 4: 2(2); Apr 5: 5(5)
    Apr 6: 6(6); April 7: 6(6); Apr 8: 5(5)
    Apr 9: 5(5); April 10: 5(5); Apr 11: 5(5)
    Apr 12: 5(5); Apr 13: 6(6);

    Total: 55(55)
    Remaining: 45(45)
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited April 2021
    Very impressive doing a wide handstand @dewit! I have been considering adding a number of upper body holds with a goal of doing handstands in mind (I'm way off from being able to do that, I imagine). You're doing amazing!
  • lazycat2018
    lazycat2018 Posts: 1,750 Member
    edited April 2021
    April goal: 100 minutes mixed planks (100 minutes other isometrics)

    Starting a little later this month,
    Apr 3: 5(5); Apr 4: 2(2); Apr 5: 5(5)
    Apr 6: 6(6); April 7: 6(6); Apr 8: 5(5)
    Apr 9: 5(5); April 10: 5(5); Apr 11: 5(5)
    Apr 12: 5(5); Apr 13: 6(6); Apr 14: 5(5)
    Apr 15: 5(5);

    Total: 65(65)
    Remaining: 35(35)

    I quit my additional self challenge, don't want to go to 200, I'm just doing daily 30 to 50 reps, depending on how I feel.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Current tally: 4/8 advanced workouts.

    Officially halfway there but the stretch goal is 10 (not just 8) sessions by month end.
  • dewit
    dewit Posts: 1,468 Member
    @WhatMeRunning thanks so much! ⚘ Coming from you (judging by the excellent work), it's a true compliment! 😉

    @Terry111330 , welcome! 🌻 So glad you joined! The more, the merrier! 😀

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