What muscles do the plank work

Exhibit one: the plank.

Planks can help work your core muscles, as well as your upper and lower body. There are different types of planks that may have slightly different benefits. The plank is a full body exercise, meaning it targets muscles of the upper body, core, and lower body. In particular, your rectus abdominis , obliques, and transverse abdominis are utilized 1 , 2 , 3. The rectus abdominis is the top layer of muscles of your stomach. It helps cinch your waist and stabilize your back muscles 4 , 5. Furthermore, your inner and outer obliques and spinal erectors back muscles are engaged during the plank.

What muscles do the plank work

The plank is a fantastic way to build core strength and endurance. In this guide, we dive into detail about all things plank. The plank mainly works four muscle groups, your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, internal obliques and external obliques. Typically, these muscles are used to flex the spine e. Your Transverse Abdominus: Your transverse abdominus are your deeper core muscles responsible for stabilisation of your torso, as well as maintaining good daily posture. Your transverse abdominus works in the plank to hold you stable and braced. Your Internal Obliques: Located more towards the side of your abdomen, your internal obliques assist with hip and back stability during the plank, keeping your body level. Your External Obliques: Your external obliques are located a layer above your internal obliques. During a plank, they work to provide hip and back stability, as well as helping to resist spine extension. What about traps, rhomboids, biceps, triceps etc?

The practice the plank gives you at engaging your muscles will have carryover to other exercises, he says. You can do it!

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Why Trust Us? Planks are the ultimate test of total-body strength, not just your core. This targets a wide range of muscles, especially the rectus and transverse abdominis, Blades says. The rectus abdominis are the front muscles in the abdomen that support the muscles of the spine and help keep organs in the abdomen area in place. In fact, a weak TVA is often the culprit of lower back pain.

Planks can help work your core muscles, as well as your upper and lower body. There are different types of planks that may have slightly different benefits. The plank is a full body exercise, meaning it targets muscles of the upper body, core, and lower body. In particular, your rectus abdominis , obliques, and transverse abdominis are utilized 1 , 2 , 3. The rectus abdominis is the top layer of muscles of your stomach. It helps cinch your waist and stabilize your back muscles 4 , 5.

What muscles do the plank work

Planks are the ultimate test of total-body strength, not just your core. This targets a wide range of muscles, especially the rectus and transverse abdominis, Blades says. The rectus abdominis are the front muscles in the abdomen that support the muscles of the spine and help keep organs in the abdomen area in place. In fact, a weak TVA is often the culprit of lower back pain. You can further engage your shoulders and back muscles in a plank when you grip the floor more with your fingers and hands. Keeping a neutral spine will also help relieve pressure on your neck and make holding a plank less uncomfortable. When people think of their core, they tend to think only about their abs—but the powerhouse includes your hips and low back, too.

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Then, elevate the heart rate a bit with a short minutes on the rower or treadmill. Build more core strength and endurance. Your Internal Obliques: Located more towards the side of your abdomen, your internal obliques assist with hip and back stability during the plank, keeping your body level. But core includes your hips and low back, too. How often should I plank? It places your body at a slightly different angle and is a good first step in learning a proper push-up. Related Articles. The stronger and more stable your core is—two direct advantages of performing planks regularly—the greater your ability will be to not only generate force and transfer it throughout your body, but also to apply that force both in the gym e. Targeting heart rate zones as you exercise is one way to maximize the benefits you get from your workouts. In order to prevent your hips from sagging—a key point of proper form—you must engage another core muscle group that most people associate with the lower body: your glutes. In fact, your hips play a big role in making your planks stronger. That's also why you shouldn't be looking to set records for how long you can hold a plank. What are they? Grind toes into the floor to engage the lower body and actively push palms into the floor to turn on the upper body.

There are many benefits of planking as planks are an excellent abdominal and core exercise.

Join Now. If you're looking to change up your ab and core routine, check out these surprising benefits of plank exercises. Plus, there are thousands of variations of the plank you can incorporate into your routine to make it easier or harder, or to tweak which muscle it targets most. This version of the plank is the most popular and uses your forearms to hold your body up. While the plank can be an excellent core exercise, some common mistakes that can compromise your results. Many variations of the plank are suitable for beginners and advanced exercisers. The plank is one of the most popular exercises in gyms and fitness centres around the world, but why is it so popular? The straight arm plank is a plank variation in which you use straight arms and place your weight on your hands rather than your forearms. About The Author. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thanks for your feedback! Though, he suggests that if you opt for the dolphin plank because of wrist mobility issues you also start incorporating wrist stretches into your routine. In This Article.