Why is standing in the plank for a long time does not make sense? Coach answers

The plank is a very popular exercise, it is loved, added to workouts, modified with weights or changing positions. But sometimes such love for the exercise makes you try to stay in this position as long as possible through pain. However, you should not always do so.

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The plank can be performed for any amount of time that the practitioner can withstand. It is clear that the longer a person is able to stand in a static position, the stronger his muscular corset. But there are no clear time limits for the lower and upper thresholds. Feats in the bar do not have any super benefit for the body, so it is not necessary to set records.

How much you can stand in the bar

For the general strengthening of the muscular corset, it is enough to stand one or two minutes of the plank. But if these figures seem exorbitant, it’s okay, you can start even with 15 seconds. Working out the technique to get the desired result takes time. It is important to remind that in the bar should not set records for people with high blood pressure. It is better for them to avoid this exercise.

The plank can be performed in different ways: both separately and as part of a cycle of exercises. Let’s take, for example, a set of three exercises for abs, where the last exercise is static, i.e. plank. When the plank comes right after pumping the abs, you will not be able to stand for long, due to muscle fatigue. Here the optimal time will be one minute.

If we consider the situation in which the bar is performed separately, then here the body is not loaded, and you can try to increase the time of execution, set small records. For example, every week try to add 15-20 seconds to the time to eventually reach two or three minutes of holding the position. To increase the time of the exercise was more fun and interesting, you can invite friends and work on the bar together, setting a common goal.

Personal experience of a trainer

Anna Motina: My colleague and I wanted to increase the time in the plank to five minutes. We made ourselves a table for a month and every day we increased the time by 10-15 seconds. As a result, after 30 days we stood for not five, but seven minutes! It was a big surprise.

More is not always better. Sometimes you should pay more attention to the technique, watch how your body feels, and not fixate on the time of performance. Setting small personal records is good.

However, it is not worth jumping over your head, trying to stay in the bar for five minutes longer than the previous result. This approach can often harm the technique of execution, and this should not be done. Improve yourself correctly, then the effect will be the right one.