Plank exercises are a simple way to work on core strength. They can also be used as part of an overall program to build strength and can even be used as part of an aerobic conditioning program. The nice part of this exercise is that they do not require any extra equipment. As one makes them more challenging, weights and balance balls can be added. The most common planking position is holding the position of the body straight while balancing on bent arms at the elbows, and the with the legs stretched out on your toes.

Muscles Used In Planks

Planks look easy but it takes a lot of muscle strength to keep the body in a good position for even 30 seconds. The muscles used include abdominal, back, arm and shoulder. Specific primary muscles are the erector spinae and abdomimal wall muscles. Secondary muscles, or stabiliziers, include the trapezius, rhomboids, rotator cuff, deltoids, pectoralis and serratus anterior, and in the lower body the gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius, and quadriceps. Regular planks use muscles all along the spine, shoulders, abdomen, pelvis and legs.

Once the regular basic plank is routine, it can be made much more difficult to keep things challenging. The next level is doing side planks. This is holding a plank type position on either side of the body. Side planks activate abdominal muscles, some of the spine and shoulder muscles, and a lot of the pelvic, gluteal, hip and upper leg muscles. The nice thing is this a whole different set of muscles that can be strengthened, and again one needs no special equipment.

Planks can still be made even harder with a variety of techniques. In a standard plank, a person has four points of supports using the arms and legs. Move to three points of support and the exercise becomes significantly harder. Balancing on the feet and one arm at time stresses more upper body strength. Lifting off one leg requires more abdominal, back and arm stabilization. Maintaining good form for even 30 seconds is extremely difficult. With side planks, one has two points of support in general, so increasing the workload can be achieved with raising and lowering the upper leg, strengthening the hip muscles even more.

For true punishment, planks can be made even more difficult in two ways, decreasing the stability of the platform for the feet or arms, and adding weights to use with the arms or legs. Doing planks with the use of a wobble board, movement ball, half sphere – Bosu, or balance platform adds the challenge of maintaining position without tipping over or falling. Adding light weights of a few pounds to the arms or the legs can add more to the strengthening.

Controlling neck, back, shoulder, and pelvic pain all involve improving your core muscle strength. Working on strengthening does not take a fancy gym with expensive equipment, it can be done simply at home. Start a program with planks and see how difficult working on the core muscles can be.