If you're just tuning in, be sure to check the links people have provided. They show plank variations, progressions, etc.

One small warning: the woman trainer pictured on one site is looking upward with her chin raised and her neck scrunched. Don't do that. Keep your head, neck, and spine in a neutral position: all in a line. You can look a little way forward with only your eyes if that helps. But keep that neutral spine.

And remember to breathe. Yes, you are pulling in your abdominal muscles, but you still need to breathe if you're going to make the distance.

yeah, I guess maybe straight arm would have been a better way to describe it. I was focused on what part of the body touched the floor.



Believe me, I'm NOT looking up! My eyes are on the little digital stopwatch right under my thumb. And I know I need to breathe...I just haven't figured out yet how to draw a breath AND still keep all those muscles tight enough not to collapse. I'm realizing that although my leg muscles are pretty strong, the rest of me is a total wimp!

Wonder how many of us have the stopwatch right there too! So it helps to stay in good form, who knew?

I'm on day 7 of my plank challenge:

Sixty days to a 3 minute plank!

Doing 4 "elbows and toes" planks a day with alternating squats and chair pushups in between (hands on a chair seat, legs straight behind - I can't do a pushup totally on the ground ... yet).

Still on 30 sec. planks. On day 9 I go up to 40. Having fun and feeling good!

I'm using a timer on my phone - and yes, right there under my face : )

Just finished my 30s x 4 forearm/toe planks. Will increase to 35s x 4 on Tuesday. Sunday will be my last 30s x 4.

Happy Planking!

You go, Plankers!!

Absolutely! However, I've been setting the timer on my phone at two minutes and trying to survive until the chime. After that, I count seconds. Not many seconds! I should start using the stopwatch instead.

30s knees and straight arms. Tried to do 3 with long rests in between. Second was only 20 seconds and third just 17s. But, I WAS breathing on all three. Now I feel like my abs are on fire.

Lordy, I've got such a long way to go to even begin to catch up with the rest of you....

A friend of mine used to say this about competition: self to self for progress, self to others for inspiration.

IOW: I finally got back to one minute. GO ME, because I'd restarted at 15 seconds. And, look at Barb: she's beyond 2 minutes already. Can't wait to be there.

YOU started at 7 seconds. You're doing 60, all together. That rocks.

I went back to 40, yesterday then rest, 20.

I was wobbly, for some reason, so tried to respect that.

The only people we are competing against is OURSELVES! And Imma gonna whip Just Jo's azz!

Perseverance & practice makes progress when planking!

Accountability, not competition. As for me, I've been doing regular strength training for years. I should be even better already! Challenging the body in new ways has many benefits. Take your time.

Good thing this thread is not time dependent, with restarts. It's been a crazy past couple of days and I'd be pressing the restart button. However, I managed to get in one plank last evening. One tripod plank at 60 seconds. Because I'd gone to pilates earlier and we'd done a few abs intensive exercises, I didn't have the energy to try another. Anyway, I'll be back at the planking later today.

I too find it difficult as well not to compete with others on this thread, but it really is about competing with your own results of yesterday or a week ago (forget 10 years ago for now). Like Barb, I'm a long time regular exerciser, and am disappointed I can't do more. But I'm making progress....

For the record, I use the stopwatch on my phone, which is located just beyond my clasped hands. I raise my trunk into position, tap the start button, and then clasp my hands and hold and hold and hold and hold.....

Carry on, fellow planksters!

I believe that the Pilates philosophy is all about core strength. I've always disliked doing Pilates! I'd say you're off the hook for additional planks. I've never been able to do a proper Pilates roll-up. I think that's a true test of plank achievement. Maybe I'll be able to do a roll-up as well someday.

Today:
Forearm plank: 2 min 15 seconds (used the stopwatch on my phone)
Side plank from the knees: 30 seconds--one each side

And I adore pilates. It makes me feel so strong.

It sounds like you've not had a good teacher - there are legions of poor pilates instructors out there. A good one will modify any movement to fit your current limitations and continue to modify as your abilities increase. I've been fortunate to have a few excellent instructors (and a few bad ones as well).

It's like math - at the beginning of the year, you look ahead in the book and it all looks so difficult. By the end of the year, you look back to the beginning - or middle - of the book and wonder why it seemed so difficult.

Yesterday: learned that my counting was cheating my time: I count slower than the stopwatch on my phone.

Even so, just 45/25 with a rest in between.

Everything else is fine, but lower back is whiny, still.

Hope your back stops whining soon, MS!

Completed my 30s x 4 sets today. Will begin 35s x 4 on Tuesday!

Happy Planking!