30 Day Plank Challenge

niricava

I'm starting the 30 Day Plank Challenge today... progressing from holding a 20 second plank to a 5 minute plank in 30 days. I wanted to record it under my exercise but couldn't find in listed anywhere in the MFP database. Any suggestions on how to record it?
:grumble:

yogicarl

this is something you do to increase core strength and stability; not calorie burn. It's still worth doing though.

Gina072010

Did you try Create Exercise under strength ?

jdowski

I just record things like this in the notes. I'm sure there isn't much calorie burn to add from it. I am doing the 30 day plank challenge myself. Started Nov 1st and am up to a 1 min and 30 second plank!

TpocketT60

Doing it as well, not recording any calories for it. It's probably not many. Up to 2 min 40 seconds!

Kaylajcornell

I'm doing the challenge as well! You burn only 20 calories per minute that you plank, assuming you're holding the correct position. Once you're up to the 5 min planks, you'd be burning 100 calories and that's worth recording!

OneTonPony

annoying though as you can record other weight training exercises that may not burn many calories. this is a popular exercise that i'd like to record too!

ninerbuff

Kaylajcornell wrote: »

I'm doing the challenge as well! You burn only 20 calories per minute that you plank, assuming you're holding the correct position. Once you're up to the 5 min planks, you'd be burning 100 calories and that's worth recording!

So you can burn 300 calories doing a 15min plank? Over exagerrated. That's as much as a 30 minute run and there's no way an isometric exercise would exceed the burn of an aerobic exercise for the same time limit.
Where is the information on the actual equation to assess how many calories are burned planking?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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CA_Underdog

ninerbuff, the Wii Fit Plus is the one source I found that claims a form-perfect plank held for 60 seconds can burn 15-20 calories. It seems high, but the WEIGHT of the participant is not mentioned. Perhaps at some weight that's possible? Just not yours or mine.

(Update--at 625lbs you'd burn 20cal/min with planks!)

More interestingly, the below article cites Japanese researchers who compared various Wii Fit exercises (including planks) to other exercises. A side plank (close) apparently is a 4 METs activity, which is on-par with a 3.5mph brisk walk (a 6mph run is closer to 10 METs).

http://brainposts.blogspot.com/2010/05/getting-fit-with-wii-ranking-exercise.html

Conclusion: A plank typically burns 4-10 calories/min [125-350lbs]. The MFP "Walking 3.5mph" entry is spot-on, and the MFP "Strength Training" entry is close (slight underestimate).

(I use the later as planks are one of many strength exercises I do.)

granturismo

'Mild stretching' is listed as a cardio exercise. Perhaps you could use this to log planks.