5 Plank Exercises To Do Every Day For 3 Minutes To Sculpt Your Abs In Just 4 Weeks
We see people working their abs all the time in the gym, and it's probably the part of our body we care about the most. What people want is a lean torso, flat stomach and defined muscles - along with clearly visible abs in the right places, which requires training the entire torso. Adding planks to your workout routine stabilizes, strengthens and sculpts your core muscles while training your shoulders, arms and glutes - all while testing your mental strength.
Discover Giulia's workout routine:
Why Plank?
The trunk is divided into several muscles, of which the abdominal muscles make up only a small part. If you want to achieve the goal of getting a perfect (flat and slender) trunk, what you have to do is train all the muscles, without neglecting any.
The best way to train all the muscles is to think of the trunk in three dimensions: front and back, sideways and in rotation - our body moves and works like this, so the trunk must naturally be trained like this.
It is perfectly possible to train individual muscles individually, but if you want to achieve a slimming and shaping effect immediately you will need to show control and coordination. Planks are a great exercise for training muscle coordination, as they include not only active movement but also require counterforce reacting, training the body to be more stable.
Doing planks daily can be incredibly helpful in improving your performance in other exercises where the trunk is involved, helping you to maintain good posture and take firm positions. If you pay attention to maintaining a correct position of the pelvis and the ribcage, pushing the navel in, you will feel the muscle fibers that stretch and begin to sculpt your abs for this summer.
Variations for Daily Plank
Below are 5 Plank to be performed daily to obtain results and train the trunk in three dimensions. For all variations, be sure to keep the lower back flat and the upper part taut, with the shoulder blades and navel inward.
Do each of these variations for 30 seconds (including both sides for side planks) every day for 3 minutes. You can perform this routine anywhere. If they seem too light, you can perform more complicated variations for longer or increase the time of the routine in general, gradually increasing the total time spent in tension.
Although it is the most common exercise, it is often performed incorrectly. To make sure it is as effective as possible, keep your muscles tight, keeping your knees straight, contracting your glutes and pulling your hips in. So you should be able to intensify the position and feel that you start shaking earlier than usual! If this exercise is too simple for you, raise and lower your feet while keeping your hips in place at all times.
Another exercise that is often not taken seriously enough, but which ensures many benefits, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also as regards the function of the trunk and the correct position of the spine. For this exercise, keep your hips and shoulders parallel, and make sure you don't bring your torso forward or twist it as you perform the movement. To intensify the exercise, raise and lower your hips towards the floor.
One of my favorite planks from a theoretical point of view, but the one I hate the most from a practical point of view. Thanks to this exercise you work a lot on the buttocks and tendons (areas that are not normally trained that much), and also on the stability of movement of the shoulders. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched, bring your hands behind you with your fingers pointing forward. Using the strength of your hands and heels, bring your hips as high as you can, always keeping your muscles taut.
The name comes solely from the fact that this exercise is what rugby players usually do. This is basically a bear crawl that begins on the hands and knees, then raises the knees using the strength of the torso and keeping the muscles in tension. Bring your body back and forth using your toes and hands to keep yourself moving. Intensify the movement by placing your hands on medicine balls and alternating hands, tapping the left foot if using the right hand and vice versa.
This exercise can be done by reaching as high as you want, and you don't need a supporting wall. You can use a box to put your feet on. Begin in a flexion position, with your feet close to the wall. Begin to bring your feet up towards the wall as if you were walking, while bringing your hands back towards the wall. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
In short words
Use these five exercises to create a simple and smart workout that will make the time you spend exercising more efficient. Remember, the more you focus on your core while exercising, the better the results!
