I think planks are worthless, tell me why they arent

Cherimoose

IMHO planks and other stability exercises are essential tools for body awareness, fine stabilizer control, and PNF... If they are not difficult enough, there are a multitude of variations out there to enhance the complexity and difficulty. Brushing them off as unimportant is a potentially harmful mistake.

For athletes, they are a key component of most major muscle group moves, and are responsible for protecting spinal alignment through almost everything we do. For aesthetics, they are responsible for tightening the abdominal area, and creating the leaner, more slender lines that people find appealing.

A good strength training program incorporates the core into exercises for the other muscle groups - legs, chest, upper back, etc. For example, doing a standing cable punch (below) or a squat makes your core function the way it would in a plank, making planks redundant.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/7uYBccC.gif[/i] The advantage of incorporating your core into other lifts is it simulates how our core tends to function in the real world - with other muscle groups, dynamically - so it gives more carry-over benefit (= more "functional"). As far as core exercises "tightening the abdominal area", the effect is minimal. They do not target the fat in that region, which is what most people are trying to do. Googling "spot reduction myth" gives more info on that.[/img]

Rays_Wife

I have enjoyed reading this thread immensely.

I'm still an amateur at exercise so planks are still challenging to me. But its been interesting to look ahead to see what I can move onto when I get stronger.

I may have also enjoyed looking at the results all of these exercises. Keep up the good work guys :blushing: :flowerforyou:

Topsking2010

Bump

Rays_Wife

why do I always kill the threads :laugh: :sad:

KANGOOJUMPS

I use planks when I cook salmon on the BBQ.