Planks Shouldn't Be Easy

If you’ve been following along with the Gain On Demand workouts, you’ve been rewarded by seeing some simple planks kick my ass. Planks are generally regarded as an effective core exercise and they’re universally known by all from 8th graders to grandmothers. Why is it then that they’re often executed poorly? 

In my opinion, it’s because they’re usually written off as a beginner exercise. The thing with planks however, like most exercises, is that the better you get at them, the harder they can be. Planks can teach us about tension, how to get stiff and how to breathe while bracing. If you don’t know what that means though, it can be challenging to do it properly. That’s my issue with these long plank hold challenges, they reward survival, not quality.

Next time you do a plank keep these things in mind. Turn on everything. Try to squeeze all your muscles, dig your toes into the ground, push your elbows away from your and breathe deep down into your hips. If someone walks over to you and nudges you on the side of your hip, you should be able to resist the force and not move. A great visual is to pretend like you're getting ready for someone to punch you in the stomach, a sure fire way to get those abs working. 

Don’t be passive while holding that plank. Squeeze, brace and make it hard, don’t just lay there quickly counting your breaths, make those breaths big and deep. The better you breathe, the harder the plank will be. 

Justin Miner 

@justinminergain

(pre COVID picture)