Planks - how good are they really?

darrensurrey

Ok, new question:

How can you make planks ultra tough?

Plank Twists... and to take it even further http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_dD9VLGnME

Thanks. Interesting. Gosh... I'm going to watch that later. :laugh:

Determinednoob

I personally feel like this is the same as any other bodyweight exercise in that it will be strengthening for a beginner and will eventually switch to endurace. Continued strengthening needs something with progressively heavier load.

BerryH

Here's a nice little sequence:
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/one-move-six-pack-exercise

waldo56

I personally feel like this is the same as any other bodyweight exercise in that it will be strengthening for a beginner and will eventually switch to endurace. Continued strengthening needs something with progressively heavier load.

The front lever that he's doing is a SIGNIFICANTY harder ab-centric plank variant (not to mention the lat, rear deltoid, and tricep requirements). Progression comes in the form of progressing towards extending out into a full front lever, a movement so hard very few people on this earth are capable of doing it (I've also never seen a photo of a women holding a full front lever). Were a front lever to get too easy, I suppose that is possible, one could use very small weights to weight the ankles, but the leverage is so low that a tiny amount of weight would make for a massive force increase. Heck just putting on shoes makes a huge difference in difficulty (or doing flutter kicks while in a front lever).

A front lever is essentially holding a fully layed out flat back dragon flag for time. Most people that are strong enough to do dragon flags are not strong enough to stop and hold the motion at maximum stress for time, especially without an arched back.

Basically every ab-centric core exercise out there is laughably easy compared to a front lever, except exercises like ice cream makers and cranks that use front levers as part of the reps.

Determinednoob

I personally feel like this is the same as any other bodyweight exercise in that it will be strengthening for a beginner and will eventually switch to endurace. Continued strengthening needs something with progressively heavier load.

The front lever that he's doing is a SIGNIFICANTY harder ab-centric plank variant (not to mention the lat, rear deltoid, and tricep requirements). Progression comes in the form of progressing towards extending out into a full front lever, a movement so hard very few people on this earth are capable of doing it (I've also never seen a photo of a women holding a full front lever). Were a front lever to get too easy, I suppose that is possible, one could use very small weights to weight the ankles, but the leverage is so low that a tiny amount of weight would make for a massive force increase. Heck just putting on shoes makes a huge difference in difficulty (or doing flutter kicks while in a front lever).

A front lever is essentially holding a fully layed out flat back dragon flag for time. Most people that are strong enough to do dragon flags are not strong enough to stop and hold the motion at maximum stress for time, especially without an arched back.

Basically every ab-centric core exercise out there is laughably easy compared to a front lever, except exercises like ice cream makers and cranks that use front levers as part of the reps.

I figured there was some way to progress to some point, but I like things simple and fast like hold a heavier dumbbell between my feet for 3x10 lying leg raises and\or hanging straight leg lifts.

darrensurrey

Interesting discussion.

I've decided to try planks but holding a kb in one hand for several seconds, then swap hands, repeat a few times. Of course, it aches, but let's see the results in a few weeks. Actually, I've JUST decided I will drop all ab training apart from superman planks (multiple goes to failure http://www.pescholars.com/images/fitness_exercises/superman_plank.JPG) and kb plank holds (see above; multiple goes to failure). So, I'll stop my Friday's 100 toe-to-bar leg raises! I'm at a low enough bodyfat to see if these make my abs pop out or if they shrink.

Here's a nice little sequence:
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/one-move-six-pack-exercise

Thanks.

Huffdogg

if you want to do a hypertrophic workout for your abs, those are not easy to do in an isometric fashion. I suppose you could do weighted planks by simply putting a plate on your hips, increasing the load on your core. Farmer's walks, strapped to take the grip factor out of it, might also be a good way. But, as many others have said, really getting them to pop is pretty much all about bf%.

Azdak

I have always found that doing squats and deadlifts significantly improves my ability to do planks. I have never found that planks improve my ability to do squats or deadlifts, so that's how I allocate my priorities. I think there are a lot more benefits to doing movements based off of plank positions, than just doing stationary planks themselves.

Oddly enough, when I was looking up some info on this topic, I also discovered that many people think that "planking" -i.e. the practice of grilling foods on aromatic wooden boards -- is also overrated. Go figure.

darrensurrey

Oddly enough, when I was looking up some info on this topic, I also discovered that many people think that "planking" -i.e. the practice of grilling foods on aromatic wooden boards -- is also overrated. Go figure.

And the new trend of planking is like extreme sports for retards. When I were a lad and all this was just fields, we did skateboarding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planking_(fad)

vtachycardia

I have always found that doing squats and deadlifts significantly improves my ability to do planks. I have never found that planks improve my ability to do squats or deadlifts, so that's how I allocate my priorities.

Perhaps one of the most erroneous logical progressions I have ever seen. What are your views on night following day or is it day follows night.

Seriously, most people improve at doing planks because they do them, they lose some weight and they put on some muscle and planks become easier, rather like pullups and pushups. Do peeps ever dream of replacing the weight by using a weight belt, vest or whatever and as Dnoob said, progressive resistance - no they would much rather place time as the determining factor to improvement.

Like squat jumps, tell people they have a minute to do as many as possible, do you see people wanting to really take off and jump. No, you have people making lame calf jumps so as to get the best score. Tell people height is the factor and suddenly you see really good squat jumps.