Introduction

Is it your desire to work on your stomach area and lose weight from this area? Tired of getting a beer belly even when you hit the gym every morning for hours of crunches? This makes plank exercises effective as it helps to engage the core muscles, burn some calories, and reduce your waist size.

In contrast to the abdominal crunch exercise that works on the minimal abdominal muscles, the holding planks exercise simultaneously stresses several muscles. When you work on the top and forearms for support, your stomach muscles will be put through a rigorous workout as your body struggles to maintain steadiness. This concerns muscles situated at your back, stomach, hips, and even around the waist, including the Abs muscles. This high-intensity exercise involving the entire body increases calorie expenditure. Even if one tried holding a plank, they could easily burn 10-15 calories in just 1-2 minutes. Not to mention the additional calories you will burn as your new and stronger core assists you during your daily workout activities.

Advantages of Planks on Weight Reduction

There are many excellent reasons why planks deserve a spot in your weight loss workout regimen, including:

- Burns calories: Even when maintaining the correct plank position, isometric contraction of the muscle groups in the abdomen, back, shoulders, arms, glutes, and legs are needed. This causes a massive boost in the calorie consumption rate.

- Builds overall core strength: Planks help establish and maintain strength in your core from the abdomen to the sides, back, and even beyond. This translates into improved body posture and using the abdominal muscles when handling weights, jogging, or cardiovascular activities.

- Compliments other weight training: Core training enhances efficiency in performing varying legs, glutes, shoulder, and arm exercises, as well as enhancing the fat loss process.

- Requires no equipment: It is perfect exercise because it can be done at any place, at any time, without weights, machines, or any other equipment. Versatile to incorporate into any training regime or do alone if preferred!

- Helps improve posture: The writer notes that there are several postural abnormalities, especially in the mid and upper back, arising from the fact that most people spend most of their time seated. Maintaining proper plank form strengthens the muscles along the spine to work towards improved posture over time. Stimulating awareness of the posture also reveals that one gains the appearance of being slimmer immediately.

Tips to Perform the Plank Exercises

To perform plank exercises, stand facing away from the wall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight down at your sides.

Although it is easy to assume that while holding a plank position, there is actually an art form to it, hitting all the right abdominal muscles. Follow these tips for getting proper form: 

- Start on the floor on hands and toes: Put hands on the floor beside shoulders, and with heels on the floor, unfold the legs backward and balance on toes. Ensure that the feet are shoulder width apart or slightly more and that the back is straight.

- Brace core by pulling naval in: Slightly pull your belly inward towards your spine without arching your back to activate deep abdominals.

- Keep shoulders down from ears: Avoid bending the shoulders up toward the ears. Keep the long neck positioned as if it is slightly in front of the hands.

- Hold for time or reps: Begin holding for the parasympathetic time building plank up to as long as 1 to 2 minutes. Can also perform sets for lower holding time with short breaks.

- Start low to build plank progression: If you cannot support your upper body through the high plank, exercise with your knees touching the ground until you are strong enough to do the high plank.

Plank Variations 

If incorporating planks for the first time into your workout regime, include normal high and low planks to enable the body to understand how to position itself. As you build endurance, incorporate more challenging versions like:

- Side planks: Bearing your body in line laterally recruits the ab muscles.

- Walking planks: Holding one’s hands in front and slowly moving forward when in plank position challengingly tests coordination.

- Single-leg planks: Standing on one leg helps to work the abdominal control to a greater extent.

- Planks with arm/leg lift: Alternate gently raising of opposite arm and leg for more exercises to be put to the muscle.

- Plank jacks: Perform plank jumping jacks with legs spread wide apart and brought back closer to the body.

- Plank up-downs: Begins in a high plank, and descend halfway down before pushing back up with emphasis on upper arms, chest, and back.

Plank Routines

Here are two sample plank routines to mix into your regular workouts 2 to 3 times per week to transform your core and get lean:

15-Minute Plank Circuit

1. High plank x 30 seconds
2. It is called low plank, and the exercise will be repeated for 30th seconds.
3. Side plank with leg flexion x 20 seconds (right side)
4. Left side plank on the forearms x 20 seconds
5. High plank walkouts followed by 10 reps.

5 Minute Daily Planks

1. High plank the duration of 1 minute
2. Crossover step 30 x Low plank
3. Single-leg lift while in a high plank position x 10 reps (each side)
4. Low plank leg lifts (10)

Conclusion

Planning to guide your weight loss efforts to the next level? Avoid the many boring crunches that work only some of the abdominal muscles. Thus, incorporating different plank exercises into your fitness regimen will enhance your overall core strength, increase the number of calories burned per minute, raise your metabolism rate, and define sculpted abdominal muscles. Try different planks and change the order and duration to keep pushing yourself and the rest of your abs. Consistency will also make you stand taller; without knowing it, you will set those excess pounds on your belly goodbye!

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