Planks

FlittyGetsFit

I struggle to hold a plank for more than 10 seconds, and I'm not getting any better. I have almost no upper body strength and when I'm in the plank position, it's my arms that give way. I rest on my forearms, with my elbows under my shoulders, and I'm on my toes, not knees. I've had someone check that my body is in a straight line and it is. Is it normal for arms to hurt/ache? Or am I doing something wrong?

GreenTeaForDays

Keep working on it. Do 10 sets of 5 seconds. When you can do that easily start increasing the time / number of sets. You'll get there. When I first started doing planks I could barely hold 20 seconds. Within a short amount of time I was up to a minutes and now I'm at about 90 seconds. I noticed that the improvement was pretty drastic and quick at first, so just stay with it.

victoria4321

Its normal if you've never done it. Just do a lot of sets and aim for a total time. So if you want to do it in 1 minute aim for 6 sets of 10sec. After a few weeks shorten it to 4 sets of 15sec. After a while you'll get up to a minute.

littlecaponey2

Bump

ironanimal

I think you should have a look at your posititioning. My arms elbows are more level with my chest when I do it. You may be fine there, in which case it's just practice, practice, practice.

Sp1nGoddess

Just keep at it, try doing them from your knees and working up to doing them on your toes. Tell yourself that you are solid and strong. If you keep trying you'll find yourself getting stronger and stronger!

HMVOL7409

Its normal if you've never done it. Just do a lot of sets and aim for a total time. So if you want to do it in 1 minute aim for 6 sets of 10sec. After a few weeks shorten it to 4 sets of 15sec. After a while you'll get up to a minute.

Second this. I wasn't good with planks in the beginning and now I can do them for over a minute. It takes time and practice. Be good to build some upper body strength as well.

kettle_belle83

It's normal to feel a little weak if you're new to the exercise. Keep trying it and gradually increase your time like the others have said. There are tons of different variations you can do once you've been doing them a while. It's important to engage your core during a plank so you get the full benefit. They work your abs all over and if you get creative you can also add glutes, triceps, shoulders, upper back, and pecs to the list.

lstnlondry

Planks are only fun when your arms are trembling, sweat is dripping and your dog wants to lick your face!

kabarnes45

You may want to check that your elbows are below your shoulders and your abs are doing most of the work. My abs get tired way before my arms do. Also, I have found that if I try to improve on something I can barely do, I do not make much progress, but if I push ahead to the next hardest thing (hundred push-ups challenge or plank twists?) then I start to see gains.

FlittyGetsFit

Thank you all for your advice. I started afresh today, made sure my arms were in the correct place and did it on my knees. My arms still tired out first, but it was much easier to concentrate on keeping my abs tight and I managed to hold it for 30 seconds, twice. I kinda feel like superwoman!! Thanks once again

jaharrison763

My whole body shakes during planks! My trainer has me do them for a minute at a time (3 sets), and by the time I get to the 3rd set I'm ready to die. lol! My lower back usually feels it before anything else, so he has me slightly lift my hips. It's made a huge difference in progressing. But keep at it - they won't seem any easier, but you'll get stronger and will be able to do them!