It’s not a secret that exercises that involve your own weight are the most effective in order to bring the body into shape as soon as it is possible. These exercises can be carried out wherever and whenever, the main thing is to find your motivation to put them into practice. This time we will tell you about an exercise that is highly appreciated not only by sports experts, but also by glorious models, such as Gisele Bündchen, Miranda Kerr and Doutzen Kroes.
Plank is a static training that can improve not only the abdominal and back muscles, but also well-being in general. The position of the plank remotely resembles the starting position for push-ups, but here the main goal is to keep the balance for the maximum long. The standard plank exercise is carried out by maintaining your own weight on the arms, elbows and toes, while the body is put in a completely horizontal position, imitating a straight line. This kind of muscle load is the main component of yoga and it is often used in boxing as an element for the endurance of the muscles.
Why is the plank one of the most effective exercises? The answer is simple, it requires only 5 minutes a day and a minimum of equipment, while allowing you to achieve incredible results in the shortest period of time. In addition, this is one of the few trainings considered to be multifunctional, as almost all the groups of muscles are activated: a large gluteus, gastrocnemius, biceps, triceps, abdominal, cervical spine and upper humeral girdle. In the end, you get a huge amount of benefits for your health, doing just one exercise.
The main point in the plank is regularity, in order to feel its effect. If you put this exercise in your daily “must do” list, then in a short period of time you will feel and see a lot of positive changes in your body. First of all, each of the muscles will be toned, resulting in the ability to lift heavy weights, as well as sports performance will be improved, in particular, with jumps; the waist line will be more clearly traced; the gluteus muscle becomes stronger and, of course, such a desired six-pack will appear in all its beauty. In addition, the key advantage of the plank is the improvement of posture, which will be developed as a result of the daily practice of this exercise. The risk of back, spine injury will also decrease significantly. Fitness experts affirm that the plank influences even internal processes in the body, for example, improves metabolism. Almost every physical exercise has the potential to increase mood, here the plank is not an exception. Plank has the ability to find the perfect muscles position, which is considered an important element for those whose work is sedentary.
In addition, to the classical static plank, there are distinguished the side bar, where the stance is on one hand; the “Jack” plank, where the athlete, restraining himself on his elbows, spreading and bringing his legs together in a jump; in the plank “Spider-Man” we can see the effect of climbing upwards, which is created, raising the legs in turns sideways; with the plank “Tom Cruise” the athlete puts his legs and arms maximally wide, trying to keep himself on his half-bent hands. There exist a lot of variations of this exercise, the main thing is to start with the basic version, improving and complicating it with various movements later on. So enjoy your exciting training and be healthy!
Photos @ WorldClass/lequipe.fr
