Although there are many ways to work the abdomen, one of the most effective is doing the Iron or plank exercise And, for this same reason, it is one of the exercises that you can find most in training routines of any kind. Despite its simplicity, in addition to strengthening the core, It allows you to improve body posture, which means great benefits for your health. Another advantages of Plank is that It does not require material, so you can practice where and when you want. Next, we explain the correct way to perform the plank and three variations to put the strength of your core:
What is a plan?
The plank, known in Spanish as "anaerobic iron" or "abdominal iron", is a Basic Exercise of Calisthenics (or Bodyweight), a training discipline that consists of using your own body weight to train. To perform this exercise you must support your forearms (or your arms) on the ground, so that your body form a straight line from head to toe, hence its name, since to correctly execute body posture, it must be straight as an iron. It is an apparently very simple exercise but that, however, is really demanding, since for its execution we must contract several muscles and maintain balance at the same time. For this reason, you can find planks series included in many functional training routines and other disciplines. If you have problems in the spine, you must pay special attention to avoid any type of injury. And remember, you can consult your coach to guide you at all times, you will always be willing to give you a hand.
How to do the perfect plank
If you are looking for a strong and toned abdomen, pay attention to the following steps, It is essential to follow the technique to achieve better results: Steps to follow:- Place yourself on the ground mouth down, supporting your hands and knees.
- Then, flex your arms in such a way that the forearms and elbows are supported on the ground, parallel to the body and just under the shoulders.
- When you have supported yourself, take impulse and choose up, supporting only the elbows, forearms and the tips of the feet. Your body must form a straight line.
- Finally, hold on for a few seconds (or minutes), depending on your physical capacity. For example, if it is one of the first times you make a iron, you can make 4 15 second series.
To correctly perform the plank, the most important thing is that you get the abdomen, buttocks and thighs, you can also use a Lotted vest To increase resistance. It prevents the back from archeishing, and in case this occurs, relax your shoulders, make strength with the forearms and throw the omoplats back. In the following video, you can See how a plank explained in detail:
What muscles work when you perform abdominal plates?
If for something the iron or plank exercise is known, it is because it is a very complete movement that allows to strengthen and develop several muscle groups at the same time. These are the main ones:- Transverse abdomen
- Straight of the abdomen
- Internal oblique
- External oblique
- ILIOPSOAS
- Lumbar square
- Major buttock
- Quadriceps
- Deltoid
- Trapeze
- Biceps femoral
- Pectoral Mayor
3 planks variations for your training
These are some variations of planks that you can include in your training:✅ Lateral plank
To make a lateral plan, you must put yourself in the initial position forming a straight line from head to toe. Once you are in position, place one of the elbows under the shoulder and both feet together. Then separate the body from the ground and carry the arm pointing up (or rest your hand on the side). Repeat the exercise with the other side. In this video you can see in detail how to make a side plank:
✅ Plank with opposite leg and arm
Place yourself in the initial position, but this time, take over your hands, which must be below the shoulders. Keep this position for a few seconds until you are stable. When you have managed to maintain balance, raise one of the arms and one of the opposite legs, endure a few seconds, return to the initial position and repeat with the other arm. Here you can see in detail how to do this plank:
✅ Plank with chest knee
From the initial position of the abdominal plate and as in the previous exercise, with the arms stretched, you have to wear one of the knees on the opposite shoulder, return to the initial position and repeat with the opposite knee. Here you can see how to make a knee plank to the chest:
If you want to tone and strengthen your abdomen, the plank is the ideal exercise, yes, we recommend that you combine this exercise with others such as, for example, with The best abdominal exercises. You can also consult our Blog to know other basic crossing training movements.
