Exercise: The plank

I think we've always dreamed of a strong belly and buttocks. While some just want to look good, others are looking to strengthen the central area of our body to improve our sports performance.

There are a great variety of exercises that we can do to strengthen the CORE area, however I want to refer to one specifically that I really love to perform for the large number of benefits it brings, besides challenging us physically and mentally. This exercise is the plank.

For those who do not know, the CORE zone consists of the rectus abdominal, lumbar muscles, hip muscles, buttocks and the so-called deep abdominals, oblique and transverse; So working this area with the plank allows us to burn calories and tone our figure, but also helps strengthen the back (reduce back pain), correct posture problems and improve body balance.

Below I bring you 7 quick steps that I’ve built with GoMind’s professionals in order to perform a plank correctly:

1. Start with four-point position (dog position).

2. Head in natural position.

3. In a normal plank, the elbows and forearms should be in contact with the floor and the elbows should be just below your shoulders in a straight line. On the other hand, in the full plank (arms stretched as in the photo) the hands should be placed on the ground just below your shoulders in a straight line, with the fingers fully opened.

4. Separate the shoulder blades (prevent them from coming together). To achieve that, you have to push your shoulders toward the floor and bring the inside part of the elbow joint forward.

5. Stretch your legs to the width of your hips.

6. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt (squeezes butt and pulls ribs). That makes your pelvis move forward.

7. Activate the quadriceps, buttocks and abdomen.

Before beginning the exercise you should practice posterior pelvic tilt to make you aware of the movement, as well as tighten the quadriceps, buttocks and abdomen to identify the areas that you will work.

Gladiators, only with a few minutes of Plank weekly you can enjoy great benefits to your body, so do not wait any longer. Remember that any consultation related to technique and/or progression should be seen with a certified trainer.

#english