I did a plank every day for a month and here’s what happened to my running (2023)

FAQs

What happens if I do a plank everyday for a month? ›

It's an excellent exercise that works the entire core, which improves running efficiency (a weak core means you have to work harder to maintain form, which means you expend energy you could be using to run further). You may also feel it in your shoulders and lower back, though I did not.

Plank Benefits for Runners

Planks help runners with injury prevention and running stability. Planks strengthen your core so when you are running you will have better motion control and form. Better running form will make you a more efficient, faster runner. Not to mention helping tone up those abs.

By increasing the amount of time you hold your plank each day, your body will build up endurance. Endurance is important for increasing physical stamina and strengthening and toning your muscles. The plank challenge alone won't give you a six-pack, though. Try to increase your exercise endurance in other ways, too.

Improves body balance and posture: Apart from muscle growth and endurance, a plank can also help achieve better body balance, posture, as well as coordination. The reason the plank is considered a fundamental part of an exercise routine is because of this.

Planks are the most common exercise to flatten a stomach, although there are a number of variations on the simple form in order to achieve better results.

First off, OrangeTheory personal trainer Benji Tiger says that you should hold planks for 30 seconds to see results. And, if you're doing them in intervals, you should hold them for 20 seconds.

Veteran strength coach and Men's Health contributor Dan John has a firm answer: two minutes. That's what he recommends in his new book, Can You Go? If you can't hold a plank for 120 seconds, you're either a) too fat; b) too weak; or c) doing something wrong in your workouts.

The plank works out a tremendous number of muscles in your body, which makes them appealing for all sorts of training – strength, endurance, you name it. Planks can even be a benefit for those wanting to do cardio training.

Planks are known for their core-crushing abilities . Holding one will make anyone's abs tremble after a while. But some plank variations have another not-so-obvious superpower: Any moving plank will get your heart rate pumping, letting you sneak some cardio into your abs workout .

In fact, you can get a total-body workout by just doing plank variations and nothing else. The workout below includes five different types of planks that work your body in slightly different ways. Together, they'll hit most of the major muscle groups in your body.

How do I know if my planks are working? ›

Your arms should feel engaged, but comfortable—not as if they're about to give out. 2. Doing a plank may target the abs, but your legs should feel a little burn too. If they don't, push back through your heels and push the balls of your feet into the floor.

The plank is a highly effective abdominal-strengthening exercise. For most people, it burns between two and five calories per minute. Planks increase muscle and boost metabolism, so they help to sustain higher levels of caloric burn during rest.

Planking exercise improves your body posture by strengthening your back, neck, chest, shoulder and abdominal muscles. If you do the plank every day, your posture improves and your back will be straight. (ALSO READ Get 6-pack abs at home with these 5 exercises).

You don't need to do it more than three times spread out throughout the day. As you get stronger, you can start to work in a few sets. So, plank for a minute, stop and rest for a few minutes and then do another minute. You can do this 3-5 times a week but ensure you don't strain or tire your muscles.

Planks are an excellent way to do this. Unlike crunches or traditional sit-ups, the plank works all of the muscles in the abdomen, and it also includes back muscles, arm muscles, and upper legs. Add this every day or every other day, and you’ll be sculpting out a nice, toned, defined waist.

Sit-ups definitely have their place in a core workout. But if you prefer sit-ups over planks, plan to strengthen other important core muscles by doing complimentary exercises. If your goal is to have a strong overall core, then planks may be your best bet.

"Shaking or quivering during a plank is totally normal. This just means you're pushing the muscle contraction to its limits and challenging its endurance capacity," says David Jou, PT, DPT, co-founder of Motivny in New York City. The same goes for shaking during other exercises, according to Dr. Jou.

By only doing planks every day one can improve the functionality of one's daily activities. Remember that you get to highly engage your arms, shoulders, and neck while doing a plank. Your arms and shoulders are extensively involved in supporting your body weight. Doing these gives these body parts a great work out.

If your goal is to do a two-minute plank in two weeks, India's recommendation is that you aim to add 10 to 15 seconds onto your time each time you plank, and “work on planking five times a week or every second day.” However, if you're feeling up to tackling a daily challenge, chances are you'll even surpass your goal.

Take rest breaks between sets while you're working up to five minutes of plank holds. Try 30 seconds of planks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Eventually increase the time you're holding your plank and try to decrease the rest time as you get stronger, Larkin suggests.

Does plank increase speed? ›

Whether you're a sprinter or a distance runner, a stronger core will improve your running performance and help you get faster. Planks are a great way to strengthen your core, because you can perform them without exercise equipment.

The Pallof press is a core exercise that works all the ab muscles, as well as your glutes and back. It may be more effective than a plank because it creates less strain on the wrists and lower back. To perform it correctly, avoid rotating and scale the exercise by practicing static holds.

Planks are an effective way to build core strength and core endurance, which can improve sports performance and reduce injury risk. They can also be used to build muscle, including your rectus abdominus or 'six pack' abs.

It can lead to poor posture, and inevitably to neck and shoulder pain. Sore knees and hips often can be traced to a weak core.

Planks aren't usually associated with heart health. This classic exercise—which involves holding yourself in a push-up position for, like, ever—is generally seen as a strength-training move for the core, back, arms, and glutes.

Planks are perfect for burning belly fat because they engage multiple muscles at once, boosting the metabolic rate and benefiting core strength. All in all, a plank is an excellent choice to stimulate the whole body. Overall, a plank is a good exercise for facilitating the whole body.

Doing planks on the elbows puts your body more horizontal to the floor, which forces your core muscles to work harder to stabilize you. That said, planks on the hands are better for those who are new to working out, have very weak core muscles, or want to reduce stress on the lower back.

As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. “It's OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” he says. Plus, shorter planks can still give you a solid workout, Sklar says.

Planks aren't supposed to look like Downward Dog. To really get your core working the way it should in the plank position, keep your back flat enough so your abs feel engaged from top (right below your sternum) to bottom (directly below your belt). Just don't dip your tush too far toward the floor.

Don't hold your breath! This one is a basic mistake that many make. Agreed the position is strenuous, especially so if you are a beginner, but you need to keep breathing.

What cardio burns the most calories? ›

Running is the winner for most calories burned per hour. Stationary bicycling, jogging, and swimming are excellent options as well. HIIT exercises are also great for burning calories.

According to Healthline, running burns the most calories. A tried and true exercise that requires little more than your legs and the open road, running burns just over 800 calories for a 155-pound adult per hour.

The magic number of calories bandied about for decades has been 3,500—subtract that number from your diet or burn off 3,500 calories more than what you consume, and you'll lose 1 lb.

Core muscles

Though you're balancing your body weight on your arms and toes, most of the work in a plank is done by your core. In particular, your rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis are utilized ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).

Muscles activity

The plank activates the core muscles including: Transversus abdominis. Rectus abdominis. Internal oblique.

It's an excellent exercise that works the entire core, which improves running efficiency (a weak core means you have to work harder to maintain form, which means you expend energy you could be using to run further). You may also feel it in your shoulders and lower back, though I did not.

Planks help to strengthen the core, burn overall fat and also help to correct your posture. It improves stability and reduces the risk of injury.

As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. “It's OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” he says. Plus, shorter planks can still give you a solid workout, Sklar says.

It strengthens your spine, glutes, and abdominal muscles which significantly improve your posture. It is a full-body exercise that works on building muscle. Regular practice will improve balance.

How many pushups is a 1 minute plank? ›

The general rule: 1-minute plank is equivalent to roughly 30 pushups. The plank exercise engages your abdominal muscle or core. But pushups engage your biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, and core.

Planks are perfect for burning belly fat because they engage multiple muscles at once, boosting the metabolic rate and benefiting core strength. All in all, a plank is an excellent choice to stimulate the whole body. Overall, a plank is a good exercise for facilitating the whole body.

Turns out, it's not that long at all. The ideal time to hold plank, according to Austin Lopez, CSCS and owner of Ausome Fit, is somewhere in the range of 20-30 seconds. In order to be an effective core exercise, it should be completed as a "high-tension move," Austin told POPSUGAR.

You don't need to do it more than three times spread out throughout the day. As you get stronger, you can start to work in a few sets. So, plank for a minute, stop and rest for a few minutes and then do another minute. You can do this 3-5 times a week but ensure you don't strain or tire your muscles.

So are planks better on the elbows or hands? Planks on the elbows are better for working the core muscles more effectively. Doing planks on the elbows puts your body more horizontal to the floor, which forces your core muscles to work harder to stabilize you.

In general, a long plank is better than small sets as it helps to put more stress on your muscles and nervous system. But doing this can comprise your form and may lead to injury or muscle strain. To train your body well, opt for small sessions with multiple sets.

One of the most effective workouts for love handles is the plank workout as they will tone up your muscles under those ugly love handles and also strengthen your core.

Your nose should point toward the floor and the back of your neck should be parallel to the ceiling. Extend your right leg back, with toes flexed, then bring your left leg to join it. The weight of your body should now be fully supported by your hands and toes.

As a general guideline, Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City, recommends striving to do three sets of up to 60 seconds. “It's OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” he says. Plus, shorter planks can still give you a solid workout, Sklar says.

So what does planking do for your body? It doesn't just work your rectus abdominis, but also the rest of your core, and can even help you build strength in your shoulders, chest, upper back, and thighs. So yeah, there are plenty of reasons why planks are good for the body.

Does planking burn fat? ›

A plank helps to burn fat rapidly, largely because it can engage multiple muscles at once. No wonder, it benefits the core strength of your body and boosts your metabolic rate to lose weight. All in all, a plank is an excellent choice to stimulate the whole body.

This way, the longer you are able to stay in the plank position, the better it is.To lose belly fat, experts suggest that you stick to the goal of holding a plank for about 60 seconds for a minimum of 3 times. According to trainers, following this practice of holding a plank for 60 seconds gives the best results.

Take rest breaks between sets while you're working up to five minutes of plank holds. Try 30 seconds of planks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Eventually increase the time you're holding your plank and try to decrease the rest time as you get stronger, Larkin suggests.

Although planks were tough at first, committing to daily planks resulted in incredible physical and mental benefits! Planks have helped me improve my posture, thus making squats and push-ups easier than ever before. My abs showed signs of improvement, too — much less bloating and no more jiggly tummy.