What happened to my abs after a week of performing 50 walking planks per day?
Let me tell you a secret: I despise walking planks to the core. The fact that it works both your arm and core muscles at once and is a fantastic bodyweight exercise that you can perform from almost anywhere does not, however, make the activity more enjoyable. Up until recently, whenever I saw these in a workout, I would usually fear being hurt and hold a static plank.
I decided to perform 50 walking planks each day for a week in order to thoroughly understand the technique (and for the sake of quality content). Is this exercise the key to developing a stronger core, or would this be the fitness test that led me to give up my position as Tom's Guide's fitness editor? Continue reading to learn more.
Naturally, what benefits my body and I might not be the best option for you. Before performing 50 repetitions of anything, it's a good idea to have a personal trainer review your technique if you're healing from an injury or starting to exercise again after a break. Also worth noting is that those who have just given birth or have had wrist injuries in the past might not be good candidates for walking planks. Here are 7 abdominal exercises that are safe for those with diastasis recti to try if they are looking for post-natal ab exercises.
A walking plank technique
Let's begin by demonstrating how to perform a walking plank, commonly referred to as an up-down or commando plank, using the best form possible:
-Place yourself in the plank position on a yoga mat that also serves as an exercise mat if you don't already have one.
-Keep your arms straight and your hands flat on the ground. Consider keeping your hands at your shoulders' level.
-As you lower your left elbow to the floor, then your right, brace your core. The plank position, with your weight on your elbows, should still be maintained. Keep your belly button tucked into your spine as you do this to prevent your pelvis from rotating from side to side.
-After pausing, raise yourself back into a high plank position by pressing your left palm firmly into the ground.
This is what happened to my abs after performing 50 walking planks each day for a week
Here's what I learnt after performing 50 repetitions of this workout every day for a week. It wasn't enjoyable or attractive.
THE plans did not become simpler.
By day four or five of the majority of these seven-day challenges, I'm searching for ways to increase the move's intensity to make things a little more difficult. With walking planks, this was not the case. I discovered that my arms and core burned after just a few repetitions. This could be because I spend less time working on my upper body strength because I'm a runner, but this felt more like a full-body workout than my usual ab exercises.
Starting with a standard high plank will help you develop your strength if up-down planks are currently too challenging. Once you are proficient in that exercise, try holding a plank for a minute, but after 30 seconds, go from a high plank to an elbow plank. This will help you become accustomed to the movement. You can, of course, begin with fewer repetitions; aim for two up-and-down planks on each arm, then increase from there.
I felt stronger in my arms and core.
Although it didn't feel much simpler at first, after a week of performing 50 reps every day, my arms and core did feel stronger. I kept my abs contracted during the repetitions by picturing pulling my belly button inwards toward my spine. In order to avoid wobbling from side to side as I transitioned from the low to the high plank, I also had to focus on maintaining a stable pelvis that was parallel to the ground.
My arms suffered in this move, and after a few reps, my core started to shake as well. In an effort to make the move simpler, I discovered that I frequently held my breath. People frequently commit this error when performing commando planks or any other challenging workout. My buddy who is a personal trainer advised me to try diaphragmatic breathing, which is expansive rather than restricted, when I asked her to observe my technique. The dome-shaped muscle in your abdomen supports your diaphragm and is considered to be a member of your network of core muscles.
TEMPTATION TO RUSH WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO RESIST.
On the first day, I completed the exercise as quickly as I could in an effort to finish my 50 reps as soon as possible. When I unrolled my exercise mat and began performing the same activity in the gym on day two, a personal trainer stopped me and remarked, "You do know you'll get a lot more out of this exercise if you move slower?" He wasn't off; as I slowed the exercise down, both my arms and core had to exert more effort to drive me from the low plank onto the high plank.
The secret to this workout is to move carefully and gently. I discovered that performing five sets of 10 reps, with a brief break in between each set, allowed me to proceed more slowly. After five repetitions, I would also switch which arm I was leading with to make sure I was equally working each side.
I was forced to consider the muscle group I was training.
This is a complex exercise that works several different muscle groups in the body, as was already mentioned. By making a mental checklist from head to toe and gently contracting each muscle group as I moved, I discovered that it enabled me to focus on the various muscles I was working as I completed my reps. According to research, you can enhance your form and exert more force on your muscles by using this mind-body connection.
In the future, I'll incorporate it into my daily routine.
Even after 350 walking plank repetitions, I'm still not a fan, but I will undoubtedly include this ab and arm exercise in my future home fitness regimens in the hopes that I won't dread it as much. The secret, in my experience, is to divide the exercise into smaller sets and to pay close attention to the muscles you are working as you go. However, I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I won't have to perform 50 walking plank repetitions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION With TOM'S GUIDE
-In just 7 minutes, this 3-move ab workout will burn more calories than crunches ever could.
-Instead of doing sit-ups, this quick 3-move ab routine chisels your core muscles in just 15 minutes.
-In just 20 minutes, you can shape your pecs, deltoids, and triceps with these three bodyweight shoulder exercises.