60 Minutes per Month Plank Challenge - November 2018!

Spliner1969
Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
Welcome to winter weather everyone! Ok.. winter sucks, but no reason we can't stay fit!

This is a pretty simple challenge thread for those that want to have some accountability with their plank workouts. This plank challenge thread is meant to be flexible enough that people of various fitness levels should be able to successfully complete it as long as they are consistent with doing their planks regularly. If you find you cannot complete 60 minutes. or want to do more, you are welcome to set your own goals, many of us do.

Original Challenge Goal - 60 minutes of planks for the month. That's about 2 minutes of planks daily, or 3 minutes of planks for 20 days or 5 minutes of planks for 12 days...or...what ever you want to do to reach the challenge goal. I, personally, do mixed planks of up to 10 minutes per day. I split them up throughout my normal workouts or do them in a couple of longer mixed sets at the end of my normal workout routine.

>>If you are already a planking superstar or start to consistently hit the challenge goal, feel free to post your own goal at the beginning of the challenge that is higher than the one for the posted challenge. Or post an updated goal once you hit 60 minutes.
>>If you join us late in the month, feel free to post an alternate goal that is in the spirit of the original challenge (for example, joining around the 15th would be a 30 minute plank challenge to finish out the month).

How many sets? As many as you need. If you can do a 5 minute plank in one set, that is amazing!! If you want to do a few sets of 1 - 2 minute planks, that's amazing too! If you need to break up your planks into multiple sets of 15-30 seconds, that's complete fine! I do a 5-minute set that goes something like this:

30 seconds forearm, 30 seconds straight arm with 15 push ups added in for good measure, 30 seconds left side plank, 30 seconds right side plank, repeat the 30 second side planks until I hit 5 minutes total without stopping. Mixing things up gives me a more rounded workout, and I generally never hold any one position longer than 1 minute. I'll then stop, do some yoga, stretching, maybe a few crunches or leg lifts, inverted bicycles, then I'll go back and do this 5-minute plank again to finish up my 10 minutes for the day. Feel free to create your own or mix things up however you would like.

Types of planks? ALL planks and their variations count! Straight arm planks, forearm/elbow planks, side planks, reverse planks, etc. This allows you to vary your planks depending on your personal workout goals. (See next post for a variety of planking ideas.) I even add push ups during some of my planks as well as leg raises, etc. to push just a bit harder. Remember form is more important than length of the plank. Don't slouch. Make sure your core is tight during each plank, don't put all the pressure on your arms or legs, don't slouch. There are plenty of youtube videos (some examples below) about how to make a plank effective with good form. Take some time and view a few of them. It'll help in the long run. Your times can increase as you get better, no worries if you can only do a few seconds at first. Rest, and do a few more seconds, or switch positions. If any of you find better examples you’d like included in the examples below, please post them and I’ll add them in next month. Want to make your own video? Go for it, I’d be super happy to post it.

How to join / participate? Just post your intended goal, then the total minutes of the planks you did for the day and your running total for the month. Just post either daily or as often as you can with your running totals. Some of us only get time to post on the weekends or get tied up doing other things. Catch up when you can, no pressure. No spreadsheets, no groups. Easy peasy.

Last month's 60 minute plank challenge thread:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10698244/60-minutes-per-month-plank-challenge-october-2018/

Welcome and get planking!!

I am continuing this challenge once again for @b3achy, the original author. All credit goes to her for starting this thing many many moons ago. All original examples, quoted text, and ideas were, and still are, her contribution. She tells me she copied this from another site, well.. it's ours now! I take no credit here, just keeping the torch lit in her absence. Stay tuned for some examples, and happy planking!

I'd like to add (as stated above in bold) that it has long since been a tradition that we accept any goal. If you don't feel you can do 60 minutes, or if you start late in the month, we want you here. So post your personal goal and start planking. You can come back each month and increase your times until you reach the challenge goal or go beyond it. Some of us go way beyond it and that's ok too. There's no need to feel you have to out match someone else. Your goals are just that, yours. We have never been judgmental. Everyone needs a strong core, and we believe this is a good path to that goal!

Some examples:

30 Day Beginner Plank Challenge - builds to a 2 minute plank (total is 26 minutes and 55 seconds for the month, so 33 minutes and 5 seconds short of 60 minutes. Recommend doing multiples earlier in the program when they are shorter to get more minutes for 60):
30-day-plank-workout6.jpg

30 Day Advanced Plank Workout - building to 5 minute planks (total is 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month, so 6 minutes and 40 seconds short of 60 minutes unless you do multiples earlier in the program):
30-day-plank-challenge-chart.jpg

Here's an Alternate 30 Day Plank Workout (for beginners, intermediate, and advanced) that also builds to 5 minutes of Planks (by doing multiples of no more than 30 sec planks; also 53 minutes and 20 seconds for the month):
30-day-plank-challenge-10-1024.jpg?cb=1438051399
For details on the variations, here's the full slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/TodaysFitnessTrainer/30-day-plank-challenge[/quote]
b3achy wrote: »
Intermediate Plank Workouts:
These are intermediate level workouts, good to try once you have a good foundation of standard planks and are looking for something more interesting or with more variety.

3 minute Bowflex Plank Workout:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynUw0YsrmSg

Rebecca Louise 5 minute Plank Workout (shows nearly proper form (butt's a little too far in the air, IMO), and modified forms):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Ge7uGpjFY

DareBee 5 minute Plank Workout:
five-minute-plank-workout.jpg

DareBee Killer Core Plank Workout:
killer-core-workout.jpg

Advanced Workouts:
Do not try these if you have never done a plank before. These are workouts to build up to once you successfully establish a good foundation of standard planks (and probably only once you've managed to do some of the intermediate workouts).

15 Minute Advanced Plank Workout:
wh-15-min-plank-workout_0.jpeg
See details in this article ~ http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/plank-abs-workout

FitnessBlender 10 minute Advanced Plank Workout (this looks brutal):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DNN9a5pU2A


See you November 1st!

FYI: Open offer.. if any of you regulars who come back to the challenge each month would like to run the challenge for a month or more just let me know. It takes very little effort (aside from the planks lol). Just post the challenge by the first of the month, and post regularly and try and interact as much as possible with the participants. I get way behind some months and don't get to interact as much as I'd like, and some of you actually help out in that respect, so I appreciate you more than you know. If someone asks a question and you have an answer, feel free to answer. I appreciate everyone's input! We keep each other motivated, and that is why we're here!

Thanks everyone!
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Replies

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    I'm in as usual for my 120 minutes. Hope to see everyone from last month re-join, and bring some new faces with you! Happy planking!
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    I’m in for 110 minutes.
  • KLM4k
    KLM4k Posts: 181 Member
    November plank challenge

    Goal 60
    11/3 2 min.

    Total 2
    Remaining 58
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 110
    Nov 1: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Remaining 105
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    November 1st: 4 minutes
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 110
    Nov 1: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Nov 2: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Total 10
    Remaining 100
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
    Hi Spliner, I'm here.
    1 Nov - 60 secs
    2 Nov - 60 secs
    Goalis to NOT miss a day.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,152 Member
    My shoulder is recovered, so I'll give it a try this month! This is my first attempt, so I'll keep it simple goal of 60 minutes.

    Nov 2: 4 minutes.

    I probably won't post every day I plank. Maybe weekly. Or weakly if I do fewer than my goal :)
  • lbenson2006
    lbenson2006 Posts: 3,372 Member
    I've got to get back to planking. Going with the 60 min goal but hope to exceed that.

    11/2 - 1 min forearm planks x 3

    Total - 3 min
    Remaining - 57 min
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    November 1st: 4 minutes
    November 2nd: 2 minutes

    Total: 6 minutes
  • KLM4k
    KLM4k Posts: 181 Member
    Goal 60

    11/1 2 min.
    11/3 2 min

    Total 4
    Remaining 56
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    November 1st: 4 minutes
    November 2nd: 2 minutes
    November 3rd: 4 minutes

    Total: 10 minutes
  • lesdarts180
    lesdarts180 Posts: 2,710 Member
    edited November 2018
    I'm back again
    Goal 75 minutes.
    01/11 1 x 60s forearms + 60s straight arms + + 2 x 30s side planks = 3 mins
    02/11 ditto 3 mins
    03/11 ditto 3 mins

    Total to date 9 mins
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    You guys are doing great already! Sorry I managed to tweak my back this week, and I've been on vacation so there's that.. lazy. Starting out slow this month, will have to catch up....

    Nov. 1st, None, Planking Rest Day
    Nov. 2nd, 1x5 min mixed planks (5 min)
    Nov. 3rd, 1x5 min mixed planks (5 min)

    Total for November 10 min, 110 left for goal!
  • panjabi
    panjabi Posts: 70 Member
    Oh man, going to set my usual 60min goal.
  • KLM4k
    KLM4k Posts: 181 Member
    Goal 60
    11/1 2 min.
    11/3 2 min
    11/4 2 min

    Total 6
    Remaining 54
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Nov. 1st, None, Planking Rest Day
    Nov. 2nd, 1x5 min mixed planks (5 min)
    Nov. 3rd, 1x5 min mixed planks (5 min)
    Nov 4th, 2x5 min mixed planks (10 min)

    Total for November 20 min, 100 left for goal!
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    November 1st: 4 minutes
    November 2nd: 2 minutes
    November 3rd: 4 minutes
    November 4th: 2 minutes

    Total: 12 minutes
  • rsbalogh
    rsbalogh Posts: 10 Member
    I'm in for 60 minutes
  • jeffrey_ad
    jeffrey_ad Posts: 789 Member
    Goal 110
    Nov 1: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Nov 2: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Nov 3: rest day
    Nov 4: rest day
    Nov 5: 5 minutes mixed planks
    Total 15
    Remaining 95