How to Do Planks and Plank Benefits
Side planks. Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer
If you need to brush up on how to do planks, this post offers help. Planks are a great core workout, as they help strengthen your core muscles without putting as much pressure on the neck and back as ab exercises like crunches. Planks also will help improve your balance, stability, and athletic performance, improving your running form. If you want to get strong, defined abs, planks will help you get there. Planks are also perfect for a home workout or traveling since you don’t need any equipment. Read on to learn more about the benefits of planks, how to do planks, and different variations to make planks more or less challenging. I also have a plank video below with demos.
Plank Benefits
Forearm planks
There are many benefits of planks, which is why they’re such a popular form of strength training for the core. Here are some of the main benefits of doing planks:
Improve core strength
Help prevent injuries by boosting balance and stability
Convenient - you can do planks anywhere, with no equipment
Improve posture
Adaptable - you can modify planks or make them more challenging to suit your fitness level
If you’re a runner, planks can help with injury prevention and running stability. Planks strengthen your core so when you are running you will have better motion control and form. Better running form will make you a more efficient, faster runner. Not to mention helping strengthen your abs. So what’s not to like about planks!
Learn how to do planks and some plank variations:
How to Do Planks
One of the perks of doing planks is they are relatively simple and you do not need any equipment. You can do planks at home or while traveling in your hotel room. You can also do planks at the park or at a track. Planks are a great addition to circuit workouts or at the end of your strength training. Another benefit of planks is you can easily add intensity to your plank workouts. If you start out doing 30-second planks, for instance, you can build up to doing 1-minute planks as you get stronger.
Photo by Sushil Ghimire for Unsplash.
To do a plank, get in a push-up position on the ground, with your body in a straight line and your arms straight below you, hands resting on the ground. Keep your core tight and maintain a straight line from the tip of your head down your back to your heels. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, arms straight and holding your body up. You do not want your body to cave inwards or to push upwards, just to maintain a straight line. Breathe and hold your position, continuing to breathe and keep your core tight.
If you are a beginner, you can start with doing 5 sets of planks for 10 or 20 seconds four times a week and add more time to your planks each week as you get stronger.
Plank Tips
When you do planks, focus on maintaining your form. Here are some tips:
Keep your core and glutes tight and imagine a straight line running down your back.
For side planks, think of your body as forming a diagonal line with the ground.
Make sure you can complete your planks with good form before adding time or intensity to your planks.
Keep your spins and neck in a neutral position when you do planks. You should not strain your neck, arch your back, or sag your back when planking.
Do planks at the end of your workout. Planks are not as demanding as strength or speed training so if you have a tough workout, do them at the end. (If you do them first, you may be too tired for more intense workouts).
Don’t sink down into your shoulders. Keep your core muscles engaged.
Remember to breathe! Take slow and steady breaths.
Plank Variations
Planks are a great exercise for your core with many options, so you can tweak them to suit your fitness goals. If you want to also build your shoulder and arm muscles while doing planks, for instance, try the straight arm planks. To focus more intensely on your core, do forearm planks, where you bend your arms at the elbows and rest your weight on your forearms and toes. For an oblique workout that targets your side abdominal muscles, try side planks. Check out our video for a demo on these plank variations.
Modified planks
Beginner Level Planks
For beginners, you can do planks from a modified push-up position, with your knees bent and resting on the floor. For side planks, bend your knees and rest the side of your lower thigh on the ground for extra support. Once you can do modified planks for 20 seconds with good form, try doing regular planks.
Advanced Plank Options
To add difficulty to your planks, elevate your legs and place your feet on a bench or step. You can also use a stability ball, placing your feet on the ball for an extra balance challenge. Another option is to lift alternating arms and legs. For instance, you can lift your right hand and left leg and do your plank by balancing between your left hand and right foot.
Another form of advanced planks that I like because I have a short attention span and they go by faster is plank shoulder taps. To do these, begin from a high plank position and alternate tapping one hand to your opposite shoulder. Counting the taps and focusing on keeping your core tight and stable helps the exercise go by quickly.
Do you do planks as part of your workout program? Have they helped your running? Comment below. Happy planking to you!😊
Related Posts: How to Do Straight Arm Planks, Benefits of Burpees, Strength Training Exercises for Runners
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer, USATF, and RRCA-certified running coach and the creator of Runstreet Art Runs, which bring together communities through running and street art. She is a Brooklyn resident, trainer, Akita mom, and writer. She enjoys running coaching, traveling, art, and eating messily. You can follow her running and training at @Runstreet Instagram.
