Strength And Conditioning
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The Plank
FITNESS TIP: THE PLANK
John Graham, Senior Network Administrator in Network Development at St Luke’s University Health Network demonstrates how to perform the plank.
Building up your core strength is essential to improving your body's overall strength endurance while decreasing the risk of lower back injuries.
Performing planking exercise is a great way to improve your core muscular strength and endurance. In a plank, you will predominantly be using the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis muscles of the abdominal wall.
When performing a plank exercise, push up on your toes and elbows for 20 to 60 seconds, keeping your body a nice straight alignment. By performing the front plank, you are working your rectus abdominis and your transverse abdominis, muscles in the front part of the body.
When performing the side plank, lay on your right side, pushing up on your elbow and the side of your right foot into a nice straight body alignment hold for between 20 to 60 seconds before repeating on the left side. When performing the side plank, we are working the external and internal obliques.
