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Plank is a dynamic core and abdominal exercise that should be incorporated into your workout regime.
A strong and stable core is not only important for looking and feeling good, but it's also essential for the stability of the body. That's because a strong core is necessary for balance and coordinated movements.
Plank is a strength-building exercise that helps in building the strength of the core along with the overall stability of the body.
If done correctly and regularly, the plank entails many benefits.
Best Exercises to Effectively Perform Plank
We have rounded up a list of the seven best exercises that can help you get better at plank. These exercises are also beneficial for beginners, as planks can be a bit difficult to perform initially:
1) Crunches
Crunches are an effective muscle isolation exercise that tends to exclusively target the core muscles.
It's an ideal exercise for people who are trying to get chiselled abs and strengthen their core muscles, specifically the obliques and lower back muscles. The core strengthening from the crunches can help you get better at plank.
Besides helping you to get better at plank, crunches can also improve the posture and balance of the body.
2) Leg Lifts
There are different modifications to leg lifts that can be incorporated into the workout regime to strengthen the core. It's a simple yet efficient bodyweight exercise that helps strengthen the muscles of both the leg and core region. Strong legs and core muscles can help you get better at plank.
A stronger core can also help in increasing the duration of holding the plank. Additionally, leg lifts also help in enhancing the balance and flexibility of the body along with improved muscle endurance. Therefore, you should include a leg lift to improve your performance in plank.
3) Push-Ups
Push-ups can help you get better at plank in many ways. They help increase the stability of the body along with greater control of the movements. Regularly performing push-ups can increase the performance of athletic activities and overall body balance. Moreover, the standard push-ups can help in building the strength of the upper body.
All these factors can help you get much better at plank and performing it for a longer duration.
4) Table Top Plank
This variation of the plank can be done by beginners if they find difficulty in performing the standard plank.
The Table top plank can help in building strength and enables you to perform the standard plank. In the table top plank, you do the plank while keeping your knees bent on the floor with a neutral spine and toes tucked under. This exercise reduces some pressure from your feet and increases your core strength, which allow you to perform the standard plank better.
5) Glute Bridge
The Glute Bridge works on several muscles in the core, including the lower back, abdominals and glutes, along with leg muscles, such as hamstrings. This exercise effectively strengthens your core muscles and work on your posterior chain, which helps you in enhancing your plank performance.
Aside from getting better at plank, Glute Bridge can also contribute towards a good balance and healthy body posture.
6) Back Extensions
Regularly doing back extension exercises can enhance the overall coordination of the back body. This exercise helps in building greater muscle endurance and getting a stronger back. Overall, the back extension can provide for better posture of the body along with coordinated movements.
A back extension can help you get better at planks by correcting the form of your body required for the plank and reducing the risk of back injury. A stronger back also allows you to get better at plank.
7) Side Plank
The side plank is a variation of the standard plank, which targets all the similar muscles. It's an important exercise that should be done regularly to strengthen the core muscles, as the side plank effectively targets the obliques.
This exercise further works on your shoulders and hip muscles. Regularly performing the side plank can help in enhancing the sense of coordination and balance of the body along with reducing the risk of lower back injury. All these factors contribute towards effectively performing the plank.
Bottom Line
Overall, the aforementioned exercises can help you get better at the plank in various ways, including correcting posture, increasing time duration, strengthening core muscles, enhancing stability, and more. Apart from that, these exercises also provide several other benefits, such as toning the body and crushing calories. That’s why you should include them in your workout routine.
