Planks, Thornton CO Gym | Adventure Fitness Athletic Club

What comes to mind when you think of the plank? Sure, the first few seconds of planking aren’t so bad. But beyond that, planking can be an excruciating experience — a true test of endurance and discipline. The way your muscles start to fatigue and your body starts to shake. How minutes start to feel like hours. You keep looking at your stopwatch, wishing the agony could end. But that’s exactly the point when planking helps you!

The plank is an excellent exercise to increase your core strength and stabilization. It’s also a rewarding exercise because people of all fitness levels can start doing planks for short increments (10-20 seconds) and then slowly build over time to hold a plank for 1-5 minutes. They give you a real feeling of accomplishment and you can see the results in your stronger shoulder and abdominal muscles.

The other great thing about planks and other bodyweight exercises is that they don’t require equipment and they’re easy to fit into your exercise routine. And good news is, you don’t have to hold a plank very long to reap results. For most people, holding a one-minute plank is all that’s needed to build your core muscles.

At Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, our team of personal trainers is here to help members of our Thornton, CO, gym use proper form during all their exercises, including planks. If you’d like our assistance with planking, let one of our staff members know and we’ll be happy to help. Below we’ll discuss how to do a plank and the benefits of this simple yet incredibly effective exercise.

How to Do a Plank

There are dozens of different types of planks that you can do, and sometimes, the same plank can go by different names. That said, each plank type varies in terms of difficulty and the muscles it targets. For the best results, you should try to mix up your plank workout. That way, you can receive the wide array of strength training and functional benefits that planking offers.

Below we’ve listed some of the most common planks. Please ask the team at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club for assistance with adding planks to your fitness routine and achieving the best form with each plank style. Also keep in mind that people with a history of back pain should only hold a plank in 10-second increments to avoid aggravating their condition. Likewise, trying to hold a plank for extended periods of time can cause injury, so listen to your body and remember that planking for more than a few minutes isn’t highly recommended.

Beginner Plank

The Beginner Plank is an easier version that’s good if you’re just starting out. Basically, the Beginner Plank makes you look like you’re about to do a pushup. To perform this plank, place your hands flat on the floor directly under your shoulders and spread your fingers out. Keep your arms straight with your elbows slightly bent to avoid excess pressure on your joints. Keep your back and legs in a straight line and lift your knees off the floor. (For a simpler version, you can leave your knees on the floor.) Balance your lower body on your toes and keep your heels above the balls of your feet. Your neck, back, hips, and legs should be in a straight incline as you hold this plank.

Forearm Plank

Also known as the Basic, Low, or Hardstyle Plank, the forearm plank is what most of us picture when we think about planking. For this plank, your elbows, forearms, and toes will be on the ground and the rest of your body will be suspended in a straight line. To do this plank, get into planking position and put your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Your elbows and forearms should be on the ground and your feet should be hip-width apart with your toes holding up your legs. Make sure your body forms a level line from your shoulders to your heels. This will shift your weight to your core. Avoid bending at the hips.

Note: You can do arm reaches while you’re in a Forearm Plank to strengthen your shoulders. From the Forearm Plank position, lift one arm and extend it out in front of you and return it back to the original position. Repeat with the other arm. Add dumbbell weights to increase difficulty.

Side Plank

You can go into a Side Plank from the Forearm Plank by pushing your body onto your left forearm and elbow. Shift your body so that you’re facing your right side, with your body perpendicular to the floor. Stack your right foot over your left foot, balancing your lower body on your left ankle. You can raise your right arm to the ceiling or keep your right hand on your right hip. After holding this position for the desired time, switch and hold the other side for the same amount of time to keep each side even.

Note: You can do leg raises while you’re in the Side Plank position to get your obliques involved even more.

Plank Jacks

Plank Jacks give you the core strengthening benefits of a plank mixed with the cardio benefits of jumping jacks. Start with a forearm plank and with a little jump, move your feet out and in as if you’re doing jumping jacks, touching your toes to the ground at the outermost point and then when you bring your feet back together.

What Are the Benefits of Planking?

The benefits of planking are many, whether you’re just starting out with a regular exercise routine or you’re a professional athlete. Benefits include but are not limited to:

You can do planks from the comfort of your own home.
You can do planks every day of the week.
You can do planks without any equipment.
Planks are easy to learn and have many variations to target extra muscle groups.
Planks will help you build confidence in your body strength.
Planks build strength in every area of your core, from your six-pack area to the obliques and areas around your spine.
They’ll give you a flatter stomach.
Planks help strengthen and tone your shoulders, back, glutes, and legs.
Planks will help you perform many other exercises like weightlifting, running, and yoga.
They can keep your back healthy and strong.
They can help you prevent injury.
Planks can improve your posture.
Planks can prevent and relieve back pain.
They can improve your balance and flexibility.

Pick Up Planking at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club

The personal trainers at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club are here to help our members incorporate a wide variety of exercises into their fitness routines, including planking. You’ll even notice that planking is included in several of our fitness classes. Our friendly and knowledgeable team and variety of classes are what set us apart as the best gym in Thornton, CO. For more information about our gym, visit us or contact Susan at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.