The Plank is one of the most simple and effective exercises. It engages more than 20 muscles in total, primarily the four core ab muscles, back and shoulders, along with your chest and glutes, making it an all-encompassing workout and a more efficient way to exercise. Not only does it effectively burn the fat around your tummy area, but it results in an improved posture, greater flexibility, and a tighter abdomen.
Importance of a Strong Core
Your core is made up of several muscle groups:
- The transversus abdominis is a set of core muscles that ultimately lays the foundation that enables you to develop your abs and is required to develop your rectus abdominis
- The rectus abdominus forms what is known as the “six pack” and greatly improves sports performance
- Your oblique muscles are responsible for bending sideways and twisting your waist
If your core is weak, the other surrounding muscles have to compensate. Over time, these muscles can suffer strain, which leads to lingering pain, so it’s crucial to build a strong core!
How Long Should You Hold a Plank?
The world record for holding a plank is more than eight hours! But thankfully, you don’t need to devote that much time to build stronger and more prominent ab muscles. Many experts suggest anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds is plenty. Multiple sets of shorter bursts are considered most effective. As you progress, you can extend your plank for up to one or even two minutes! What’s the best way to do this…?
How To Maximise Your Plank
The CoreFit ab toning belt is a great tool add to your workout. Why? It elevates your core exercises by using EMS technology to tone and strengthen the muscle, stimulating the nerves which causes your muscles to contract in short bursts. By adding this to your Plank, you know you’ll have challenged yourself to the ultimate endurance test and effectively targeted the four abdominal muscles.
Don’t forget to time yourself doing the Plank exercise at the start of your toning journey and after 4-6 weeks of toning to measure core strength and endurance improvement over time. It will become your favourite exercise before you know it!
Want to get active while toning? Discover more
