Any suggestions how to add planks to my exercises?

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trixabellster
trixabellster Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I've been doing a 60 sec plank each day in my strength routine. I'd like to add this to my exercises but it asks for no of repetitions. Any suggestions on how to add this?
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Planks do not burn much in the way of calories. 10 per minute?
  • lchadwick3
    lchadwick3 Posts: 66 Member
    edited January 2015
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    The strength training section doesn't add calories to the calorie count.
    I add them and put the number of seconds as the reps just to keep track of my improvement. For the cardiovascular section, list it as calisthenics - sit ups. I believe there is a label for that. Or you can make your own and call it planks if you like.

    Not sure what else you're doing for exercising, but I've tried the following sets:
    30 seconds push ups
    30 seconds low plank
    30 seconds right elbow plank
    30 seconds left elbow plank
    30 seconds tricep dips
    2:30 to 3:15 depending on the time it takes you to change position.
    Doing these back to back is pretty tough and WILL burn some calories.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    If you're looking for a calorie burn from planks, well, not much (like someone said, *maybe* 10, probably less). But, if you're looking to journal it to track your progress, certainly enter it under the strength training section--enter the number of seconds as your reps (so "60" in this case). It won't add any calories (and it shouldn't), but you have a record of your workout for the day.
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
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    When I was doing planks regularly I would just log them as strength training in the MFP area with no cals. They really don't burn much cals. I need to get back doing them again. Since my carpel tunnel surgery I haven't done them but need to start w elbow planks now.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    sounds like number of repetitions is 1
  • msurads06
    msurads06 Posts: 66 Member
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    When I log my planks on MFP I use the number of seconds as number of reps, this lets me track/see my progress. A 15 sec plank is not the same as a 60-120 sec plank.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    edited January 2015
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Planks do not burn much in the way of calories. 10 per minute?

    I haven't planked with Wii Fit, but it gives me 3-4 calories per minute for standing yoga exercises. MFP gives me three cals/minute for Pilates.

    For the number of reps, as long as you're consistent, put in 60 or 1. It's only for your records, anyway.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
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    Don't add. Doesn't burn enough to be significant to your calorie burn.
  • drambert
    drambert Posts: 1
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    While they don't burn calories, they ar a good exercise for conditioning. Push ups and situps don't really burn calories either. I wish planks were on the list just to manage my progess.
  • colleenegreene
    colleenegreene Posts: 6 Member
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    lchadwick3 wrote: »
    The strength training section doesn't add calories to the calorie count.
    I add them and put the number of seconds as the reps just to keep track of my improvement. For the cardiovascular section, list it as calisthenics - sit ups. I believe there is a label for that. Or you can make your own and call it planks if you like.

    Not sure what else you're doing for exercising, but I've tried the following sets:
    30 seconds push ups
    30 seconds low plank
    30 seconds right elbow plank
    30 seconds left elbow plank
    30 seconds tricep dips
    2:30 to 3:15 depending on the time it takes you to change position.
    Doing these back to back is pretty tough and WILL burn some calories.

    @lchadwick3 How do you add these? I don't see them come up in the Strength Training database, or a way to add our own items to the ST database. I too just want to keep track of my progress on time/reps/etc.
  • kampstand
    kampstand Posts: 5 Member
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    So all these answers and no one could answer her specific question.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    kampstand wrote: »
    So all these answers and no one could answer her specific question.

    Did you perhaps have an answer for her?
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
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    Me, me! I have an answer!

    *jumps up and down*

    I also had this issue at one point, so I recorded my planks and their duration under the exercise notes box at the bottom of the exercise diary..
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 347 Member
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    trixabellster wrote: »
    Hi, I've been doing a 60 sec plank each day in my strength routine. I'd like to add this to my exercises but it asks for no of repetitions. Any suggestions on how to add this?

    I think you are getting to the part of the strength section that allows you to create your own exercise. From there, I would name it "Front Plank", for sets 1, for reps I would use number of seconds held.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    turning your planks into pushups might be an option. even if your upper body isn't ready yet for the full thing, you can do them on walls and counters and the arms of chairs and so forth until you've worked your way all the way down to the ground.

    idk whether mfp counts burns for that, but just from the perspective of progressing with strength, it seems like kind of a shame not to capitalize on what you've already built up.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    oh. i see what you meant by 'add' now. nevermind.
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
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    You might be able to just add an exercise manually?? Otherwise, the seconds for reps sounds like the next best.
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
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    I use a different app, Simple Workout Log, to track my exercise. MFP is great for tracking calories, but not the best for exercise. (I enter cardio on both SWL and MFP, so that MFP can use it to calculate my daily calories. But I don't bother putting any of my strength training on MFP.)
  • kileykasper
    kileykasper Posts: 12 Member
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    A simple one minute plank is approx 3.6 calories (varies depending on how much you weigh). If you go to add exercise and select cardiovascular you can create the exercise with one minute equals 3.6 cals and adjust for the amount of time that you do it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    tbmgmc wrote: »
    What was your solution dear? I'm wanting to do the same thing. My GF and I plank by video chat each night, and I want to start adding them, more for tracking than anything, but I'm not happy with the "notes" solution.

    Add it as a custom exercise, described above.

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