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Plank (exercise)

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Plank (exercise)

The plank (also called a front hold, hover, or abdominal bridge) is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time.

Contents

Form

The most common plank is the front plank which is held in a push-up-like position, with the body's weight borne on forearms, elbows, and toes. Many variations exist such as the side plank and the reverse plank. The plank is commonly practiced in pilates and yoga, and by those training for boxing and other sports.

The "Extended Plank" adds substantial difficulty to the standard plank exercise. To perform the extended plank, a person begins in the push-up position and reaches their arms/hands as far forward as possible.

Effect

The plank strengthens the abdominals, back, and shoulders. Muscles involved in the front plank include:

  • Primary muscles: erector spinae, rectus abdominis (abs), and transverse abdominus.
  • Secondary muscles (synergists/segmental stabilizers): trapezius (traps), rhomboids, rotator cuff, the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid muscles (delts), pectorals (pecs), serratus anterior, gluteus maximus (glutes), quadriceps (quads), and gastrocnemius.

    • Muscles involved in the side plank include:

  • Primary: transversus abdominis muscle, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles (abductors), the adductor muscles of the hip, and the external, and internal obliques.
  • Secondary: gluteus maximus (glutes), quadriceps (quads), and hamstrings.

    • World Record

    In April 2016 the world record for a front plank, resting on elbows, was set by former Marine officer and retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent George Hood with a time of 5 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. This was broken in May 2016 by Chinese policeman Mao Weidong, who formerly held the record and regained it by planking for 8 hours, 1 minute and 1 second.

    The longest time in an elbow plank :

  • by a woman is 3 hours, 31 minutes and 0 seconds by Maria Kalimera (Cyprus) in September 2015.
  • by a woman with a 60-lb pack is 17 min and 26 sec by Eva Bulzomi (USA) in July 2013.
  • with a 100-lb pack is 4 min 41 sec by Paddy Doyle (UK) in 2016.
  • with a 200-lb pack is 3 min 8 sec by Sverre Diesen (Norway) in June 2016.

    • The longest single arm plank while balancing on medicine balls is 47.54 seconds, by William Borger (Canada) on October 2016.

    References

    Plank (exercise) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA