How to plank for weight loss: tips and tricks for beginners

If you want to pump the pressure, strengthen the main abdominal muscles, tighten and flatten the stomach, strengthen the muscles of the shoulders and hips, plank will help you.

Is it hard to believe that a workout every day can improve your strength, body, mood and more? But it's true! This pose has many positive effects on your body. While it's not the easiest exercise to do, doing it regularly will give you lifelong benefits.

In yoga, the plank pose or Phalakasana is a pose for developing strength as it stretches all the major muscles of the torso and shoulders, strengthening the neck, back muscles, hips and quadriceps, and abdominals. The plank is also known as the isometric stance. It contracts the muscles, forcing them to hold a predetermined position. You're standing at the bar and your body is working.

This is the most popular exercise in all fitness programs and requires no machines, equipment, free weights and gyms. All you need is your body, desire and perseverance and you can do it even at home!

Plank will help speed up metabolism, improve blood circulation, and exercise is suitable for everyone: both beginners and advanced, both men and women. You will find this exercise in yoga, Pilates, stretching, bodybuilding.

A seemingly simple static exercise just seems so. After standing at the bar for a minute, you'll realize that time doesn't go by so fast. By the way, the world record for men is 8 hours, 1 minute and 1 second. Women's record - 3 hours 31 minutes. So, you have something to strive for. Now about everything in order.

Useful properties of the bar for health and weight loss

Exercise not only tightens the muscles, but also has protective and therapeutic effects against some diseases. The effect is guaranteed by the systematic implementation of the exercise. The board can:

• prevent and eliminate the first manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine;
• significantly improves posture;
• relieve pain in the spine;
• stimulates blood circulation;
• accelerate metabolism;
• burn calories.

Please note that the last two points indicate that this exercise contributes to weight loss.

Which muscles work

During the execution of the standard (classic) bar, the following muscles work:

• Rectus and transverse abdominal muscles;
• Biceps, triceps, deltoid;
• Lumbar paravertebral muscles;
• Biceps, quadriceps thighs and calves;
• hip muscles;
• Back and chest muscles.

Useful features

1. It strengthens the trunk muscles. When trying to build core strength, this pose is most beneficial because it targets all the muscle groups in your abs. . . And you thought you only had abs? The plank works not only the abs, but also the stabilizing muscles and the lateral abs, which are responsible for the position of the hip and spinal muscles.
2. Muscles become more pronounced. The plank also loads the shoulder, chest, leg and back muscles. They will also grow. The functionality of this pose, combined with the isometric tension, helps the muscles in the body "dry" and become more pronounced.
3. It accelerates metabolism. Increased muscle strength and mass with proper exercise, in addition to increased strength and a good figure, has another great feature - an accelerated metabolism! When you increase muscle mass, you speed up your resting metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories.
4. It prevents back pain. As your abs get stronger, your body has to rely less on using your back muscles to maintain your posture. Instead of back muscles, the trunk muscles used for all exercises and tasks are now working, which reduces the possibility of back pain.
5. Your posture improves. Improving posture is mostly achieved by strengthening the health and strength of the back and trunk muscles. When you take the plank position, your back, neck, shoulder muscles and abdominal muscles work to keep your body organically in place.
6. Improved coordination. Keeping the stance isometric stimulates the development of coordination and balance in general. If you learn to do the plank skillfully, you will be able to maintain the upright posture more effectively and steadily.
7. Improves joint and bone health. Plank allows you to train with heavy weights while reducing the unpleasant and negative effects of exercises such as running and jumping. When you stand in this pose, new living bone is created that helps build healthier, stronger bones. Physical activity during exercise also improves blood circulation in the joints, making them more mobile. It reduces friction.
8. It improves mood and reduces stress. Planking, like any other exercise, promotes the release of the neurochemically active compound endorphins. Endorphins improve mood and create a feeling of joy, and also help reduce stress. This pose can also relieve tension as the body is given an opportunity to stretch when you do this exercise.

Judging by the number of pluses from its application, it is not difficult to understand why it is so popular.

Whether you're just getting started or adding a minute to your time in this pose, remember that quality is always more important than quantity or duration. As soon as your stance starts to "fall apart" you should stop, take a break, and try again in the next set or day.

Correct execution technique

The algorithm for performing the movement is very simple, but still, pay attention to the little things, learn how to stand on the bar correctly, competent technique is the key to success.

• Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows on the ground at shoulder level. Put your forearms on the ground. Bent arms should form a 90-degree angle. Straighten your legs and now lean on toes and forearms. Feet can be placed together or hip-width apart. Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders.
• Tighten and straighten your entire body. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe.
• Do not bend the spine, do not raise the pelvis;
• press tighten;
• Breathing is even and calm.

There are many variations of this exercise. But if you master the classic technique of making boards, then there will be no problems with other options.

Common mistakes

• Raise pelvis above head level. The position of the bar has been violated. What does this lead to? This is the most common mistake. People often feel inclined to lift their hips because this allows them to hold the pose longer. The problem is that when you raise your hips, most of the load falls on your shoulders and the pose loses its meaning. This mistake leads to the development of pain in the shoulders and back. Keep your hips in a straight line between your heels and shoulders.
• Deviation in the cervical region. Overloaded neck muscles. While doing it, the neck should be kept in a neutral position - the head should neither fall nor rise. Imagine that both the head and neck are parts of a straight line formed by the rest of your body. When the neck is not in this line and the head is up or down, you are more likely to experience pain in your upper back or neck.
• Raise the elbows to the side, interlock the fingers and lower the head below the desired level. As a result, the shoulders are less affected and blood rushes to the head. If you keep your hands on top of each other, this will reduce the effectiveness of the pose. Abdominal muscles work less when your hands are holding each other. Always keep your arms apart, extend from your elbows in a straight line, keep your hands on the floor.
• Deviation in the lower back. If you continue to stand with such a mistake, you may experience problems in your back. When you bend your back, the weight of your body stops loading the muscles, instead the vertebrae and the connections between them hold the load. This mistake causes pain in the lower back. Correct the error by slightly rotating the pelvis. This will straighten your back. Squeezing the buttocks is also helpful.
• Hips too low. If your hips are too low, all the weight of your body will be on the lower vertebrae, even though the trunk muscles need to be worked. Leaning on the back seems to be easier than the muscles, but then the exercise loses its meaning.
• A rounded back is a sign that your shoulders are hunched. People sometimes make this mistake to compensate for a weak torso. The mistake allows people with a weak torso to hold the pose longer due to excessive tension in the back, neck and shoulder muscles. To correct this mistake, move your shoulders away from your ears. The trapezius muscles and muscles of the middle back (upper back muscles) should be tightened to prevent the back from rounding.

Getting Started Tips

Perform the exercise on a yoga mat or towel so that the hard floor doesn't bother your elbows. Before exercising, warm up by stretching for three minutes or doing some simple exercises. The first days, just stand at the bar for 20 seconds. This is enough for beginners. To make the exercise easier, stand with your feet hip-width apart.

If you're not completely confident even in this position, do it from your knees.

After a few days, when the muscles get stronger, make the bar harder from the knees by straightening one leg and holding the weight. Stay like this for 30 seconds, then switch legs. After completing the exercise, we recommend taking a child's pose, balasana. This will relieve tension and relax the core muscles.

Is it possible to make a bar during menstruation

Definitely yes. During the menstrual period, you can do many things, especially sports. Some young ladies can use critical days as an excuse not to study, lie on the sofa and have a few cupcakes with bright leaves. But you won't. If during this time you experience a catastrophic decline in strength and mood, it is better to slow down with training. And if critical days are not so critical for you, stand at the bar for health.

How long do you need to stand at the bar to lose weight?

Not sure how long to hold the plank pose? Hold until you find it difficult to maintain the correct technique, or until you feel your muscles begin to ache and your body begin to tremble - then hold for another 5-10 seconds.

If this is your first time taking this pose and you find yourself standing easily for 1 minute, congratulations. You are in satisfactory physical condition. But if you're completely new to the sport, you can start with 10 seconds by doing five reps a day. After a while, when the muscles get stronger, do 4 rounds of 30 seconds, increasing 1 second each time.

Remember that the main thing is technique. It's better to stand for 20 seconds with perfect form rather than 40 seconds with your waist arched.

Plan every day, but take one day off per week.

But you must understand that everything depends on the capabilities of your body. Starting to train and evaluate your strength, you will be able to choose the best option and time, and stand in this position with health benefits and pleasure.

It's up to you when it's better to plank for weight loss. All in all it's good because it needs nothing more than your body and some space. Exercise can be done in the morning, evening and during the day, but should not be done right after a meal or just before bedtime.

How to stay longer in Plank?

Regular training will allow you to stand on the bar longer and more technically. But other points are also important:

• Comfortable shoes and clothing. Make yourself comfortable in this sense. The cut-out shoulder straps of the upper or the slip-on sneakers shouldn't distract you.
• A mat or towel that is soft enough to keep you in the pose longer. After all, pain from a hard floor felt in the elbow can cause you to give up prematurely.
• Ventilated room. You need oxygen.
• Turn on the music.
• Keep yourself quiet, turn off your phone, be careful not to be accidentally distracted.
• Motivate yourself mentally. The words: "My body is working, the muscles are getting stronger, I'm getting prettier! "work great.
• Do a warm-up before your workout.
• Use a stopwatch. It's motivating when you see how the seconds go by.

Popular board options: technique, nuances and differences

classical

You should rest on your toes and forearms. Arms bent at the elbows at an angle of 90 degrees, forearms parallel to each other. Your body is a straight line from head to toe. Tighten your hips and leg muscles. Do not lower your pelvis, raise or lower your head. Breathing is equal.

Full or straight arms

Straighten your arms and lift your hips, keeping your hands on the floor. This plank may seem easier for some people with a more developed upper body. This variety will make the shoulders more stable than the classic. The fingers should be wide apart and the middle finger should point straight ahead. Turn the inside of your elbow forward to work your biceps.

Lateral

Lie on your right side, put your feet on top of each other. Place your lower right elbow directly under your right shoulder and lift your thigh off the ground to form a straight line. You should feel tension in the lumbar region. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling or rest it on your left thigh. Hold this pose for a few seconds, then repeat the same with the other left side of the body. If you feel that one side of your body is stronger than the other, keep doing the same number of repetitions on each side to make it equally strong.

Lateral with leg raise

Once you can hold the side plank for a minute, you can try this variation. Rise into a side plank position and, maintaining this position, raise your upper leg a few inches off the ground, then tense your muscles, control the movement of your leg, and lower it back. Do 10 reps, then repeat for the other side.

Lateral with lowering of the hips

Stand on a side plank, lower your pelvis without touching the floor, then return to the starting position. What is happening? Increased load on the oblique.

full leg raise

Start in a full plank position, place your hands on the floor and keep your hips and abs tight. Lift one leg up by squeezing your hips. Hold your leg in the air for a few seconds, then switch to the other leg and do the same. You do not need to raise your legs very high, it is important to stretch them away from you. Do 10 repetitions with each leg.

Opposite

Sit on the ground. Put your hands on the floor, pull back a little. Lift your pelvis. The palms should be strictly under the shoulders. Opara on palms and heels. Tighten your body, it should form a straight line.

on fitball

We make the classic plank, but raise the legs with the help of a fitball. The ball is under your feet.

army or dynamic

Start in the base plank position with your forearms on the floor. Now get into the full plank position by pushing first with your right hand, then with your left hand. After that, lower yourself back to the floor position, starting from the right side. Do 10 reps on each side - 10 reps on the right, then 10 on the left.

Rock climber or knee pull

Start in a full plank position, then tighten your abs and use your lower abs to pull your right knee towards your chest. Return your right leg to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the left leg. Keep repeating the exercise with both knees 20-30 times. You can do it fast or slow, the main thing is the right technique, because it is more important than speed.

With changing shoulder touches

Start in a full plank position, keeping your hips as stable as possible. Reach over your left shoulder with your right hand. Return your right hand to its original position, then touch your right shoulder with your left hand. Keep repeating this exercise 20-30 times.

But now that you know a lot more about the bar than before, you ask, how many pounds of weight can you lose with the help of exercise? Maybe the answer will disappoint you, but even this 30-day fat burning program won't help you lose weight unless you create a calorie deficit in your diet. It will help strengthen the muscles, make them stronger. If you want to lose weight, start burning more calories than you consume. A simple rule of thumb works in losing weight: If more is lost than lost, all the excess body fat goes. If only we could learn to save money the way our bodies store fat! Perform by combining the board with these tips:

Useful tips for training and weight loss

• Eat eggs for breakfast. The consumption of eggs in the morning has many positive properties, one of which is accelerated weight loss. If you replace the bread that many people eat for breakfast with eggs, you'll lose more calories and fat for the day, and you'll stay fuller better.
• Drink coffee (preferably black). Coffee contains large amounts of antioxidants and has many health benefits. Caffeine in a cup of coffee accelerates metabolism by 3-11%. But sugar or other high-calorie ingredients should not be added to coffee, as this completely negates its benefits.
• Eliminate hidden sugar from your diet. Sugar is one of the most harmful components in the current human diet. Many people consume too much sugar. Studies have shown that both sugar and fructose syrup are associated with a strong risk of obesity, as well as diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. If you want to lose weight, remove sugar from your diet. Pay attention to the labels on the packages, even so-called "healthy" foods can contain a lot of sugar.
• Eat fewer processed carbohydrates. Refined or processed carbohydrates are found in pasta and white bread. These carbohydrates are usually made from grains that have had all other nutrients removed, such as proteins and fats. These types of carbohydrates cause spikes in insulin levels. Insulin surges stimulate hunger and the desire to eat something sweet. Refined carbohydrates are closely associated with obesity. If you're going to eat carbs at all, eat them whole with natural fiber.
• Control sections. Portion control or calorie counting is very helpful. Counting calories at every meal helps keep you motivated to lose weight. Anything that makes you know more about your food will help.
• Eat more protein. Protein is the most important thing to lose weight. Eating protein-rich foods speeds up metabolism and allows you to burn 100 more calories per day. At the same time, the food itself contains 400 fewer calories than you would normally consume. You also lose your desire to eat in the evening and your desire to eat sweets.
• Include whey protein in your diet. If you're having trouble adding enough protein to your diet, start taking protein powder supplements to get enough protein.
• Eat "real" food. If you want to be a healthy person, you should switch to a menu that consists entirely of whole foods. These foods fill you up, it's hard to overeat, and it's very difficult to gain weight on a diet like this if most of your food isn't processed.

daily diet example

• Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal toast + 2 boiled eggs + hot sauce (optional)
• Snack: 1 cup of strawberries, blueberries, for example + a handful of nuts;
• Lunch: 100 g of salmon + avocado + 1 whole grain bread + 1 glass of greens;
• Afternoon snack: broccoli and cauliflower + 2 tablespoons of unsweetened yogurt;
• Dinner: 130 g lean steak + boiled carrots + Brussels sprouts + 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
• And at night (possible for an hour) 150 g of cottage cheese (without sugar, of course).

What else can you do to lose weight faster?

aerobic exercise

Doing aerobic exercise (cardio) is a great way to burn calories and improve your physical and mental health. Cardio is especially effective in removing the fat in the abdomen, unhealthy fat that accumulates around the organ and causes disease.

strength training

This will speed up your metabolism and prevent you from losing muscle mass. Of course, it is important not only to lose fat, but also to gain muscle. Therefore, strength training is important.

High Intensity Interval Training

By not spending too much time exercising, you'll speed up your metabolism, increase your stamina, and burn additional calories.

The board develops a sense of balance and develops willpower and character. By staying a few seconds longer each day and not letting go, you build your character and become stronger. Perhaps this exercise will be a prelude to a beautiful, athletic body that you can be proud of.