Trainers Disclose the Minimum Plank Holding Period Required to Still See Results
Many individuals think of using a gym membership or an at-home gym when they envision improving core strength and muscle mass. However, you can still put fitness first even if you don't use any devices! Bodyweight exercises are great ways to keep in shape even if you don't have a gym membership, travel for work, or live in a tiny place. The best thing, though? There isn't any equipment needed.
The majority of trainers will tell you that the plank is one of the most powerful exercises. It works a variety of muscle groups while assisting in the development of core strength. Along with keeping appropriate form, holding a plank for a longer period of time has benefits.
To find out more about how long you should hold a plank for and the best plank variations, we consulted with fitness professionals.
Holding a Plank for How Long
Exercises for core stabilization should be performed in quick, intense holds.
According to Zack Phillips, CSCS, a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer at the University of Texas at Austin, "a five-second hard plank hold repeated for five repetitions with a 45-60 second window is a terrific place to start if you are new." "I often utilize two to three sets of hard holds lasting 10 to 20 seconds on my clients, emphasizing the intensity of the hold rather than its length. The longest I would have someone hold for would be 30 seconds because I don't believe holding for any longer would make you better and would grow dull.
It might come as a shock to hear this, but Matt Scarfo, a Precision Nutrition Pn1 and NASM-certified CPT-OPT, CES, PES, and FNS, explains that holding a plank for just a few seconds can have major health advantages.
The deep core stabilizing muscles that we rely on for optimal posture are developed significantly during planks, making them excellent exercises. In addition to your abs, these include the muscles in your shoulders, back, chest, glutes, quadriceps, and hip flexors. Scarfo continues, "All of these muscle systems combine for an excellent isometric workout that can enhance your posture, balance, and stability when running, lifting, or just going about your everyday business."
In fact, according to a recent study, you don't need to hold isometric exercises for very long to observe improvements. In actuality, a 10% gain in strength was seen after four weeks of holding a position for three seconds five days per week. The fact that the workouts were performed regularly and at their hardest was crucial to the study's significance.
The bottom line is that you must perform a challenging variation while maintaining perfect technique if you want to hold a plank, according to Scarfo. You can achieve this by performing a flexed plank, which, in comparison to a stability variant, engages more muscles.
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