Planks are always a popular exercise. And with good reason. They are a great core exercise!
The problem is…it has become a competition to hold a plank the longest. When how long you can hold a plank isn’t near as important as your ability to properly engage and contract the muscles of your core intensely.
It is a much better test of core strength to challenge yourself to engage the muscles of your core so intensely that you create “shakeage” within seconds of starting the plank rather than compensating just to hold longer. If you can engage your muscles so intensely that they are shaking, you will be able to use your core and recruit the muscles of your core more efficiently during other movements.
Developing proper core strength and learning how to properly engage the muscles of your core is why you should truly be including planks in your workout routine. You want to use them to strengthen your mind-body connection!
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of the Basic Plank as well as a few basic variations and a great core burn out workout.
The Power Wheel is a great advanced core training tool. It creates instability and really forces your core to engage and work during compound movements. It can take plank, crawls and glute bridges to the next level.
However, you must make sure that your core activates and engages correctly before using the Power Wheel or you could end up engaging your low back instead of your abs and glutes.
But once you are ready, or using some of the beginner movements below to build up, you can use the Power Wheel to test your core strength and learn how to engage properly during more challenging, unstable and compound movements. (Plus the Power Wheel can be a great home gym tool if you are looking to focus on core strength and stability!)
Squats and Deadlifts are often touted as the head honchos of lower body exercises because they are compound, functional exercises. Heck, the deadlift is even held in high esteem as a back exercise. And while both moves are a great way to strengthen your lower body, you can’t forget about lunges.
Lunges very often take a back seat in our programming. They aren’t the main lift and, often when they are used, they are aren’t used in every direction like they could be.
But the Lunge is an extremely functional exercise that we need to include in our workouts.
Lunges work your entire leg and can target your legs from a variety of angles as you move in different directions. While most Squat and Deadlift variations are sagittal plane movements.
Lunges are also a very “reactive” movement as well. Think about when you move or react to change directions or go after a ball or even chase a child around a playground…You’ll be surprised by how often it is a lunge like movement to react and change directions and chase.
So if you’re moving like that and constantly moving and lunging in every direction, why wouldn’t you want to strengthen those same movements in your workouts? Why would you ONLY focus on sagittal plane lifts like the deadlift and squat?
YOU WOULDN’T!
Start strengthening your legs and glutes with these wonderfully functional Lunge Variations.
