Have you heard of the ultimate plank challenge? How many rounds do you think you can last? Check out more details below.
The plank is a bodyweight exercise that is performed by holding a static position similar to a push-up position.
To perform a plank, you start in a push-up position with your arms extended and your hands directly under your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. From there, you hold the position for a set amount of time, typically starting with 10-20 seconds and gradually increasing the time as you get stronger.
Variations of the plank exercise include side planks, reverse planks, and walking planks, among others. These variations can target different muscle groups or add an additional challenge to the exercise.
Did you know the world record for a traditional plank hold is 9 hours and a half? Crazy, right? But that is just to show that planks can be challenging as much as you push yourself. And this is where the ultimate plank challenge comes to life.
How many rounds can you last at the ultimate plank challenge? This was brought up by Laurie Shaw.
Laurie Shaw is a content creator who set out on a journey to try new things for 30 days every month. He posts videos on his YouTube channel about his achievements which has almost 100k subscribers now.
Sounds easy to just hold your body in a static position. But wait until you understand how the challenge is done.
The Ultimate Plank Challenge
So what is the catch of the ultimate plank challenge? This is how it is designed:
- 1 minute of plank hold
- 1 minute of rest
- Do as many rounds as you can
Sounds simple and you would think that the 1 minute of rest can help you restore your ab muscles and keep them from cramping, but you would be wrong.
Check out how Shaw did in his ultimate plank challenge. At first, he thought he would go for 1 hour (so 30 minutes of planking), but decided to try to go for longer as he felt he didn’t push himself to his limit. And he did it for 2 hours (or one full hour of planking).
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Planks are an effective exercise that can provide a variety of benefits, including:
- Strengthening the core muscles: Planks primarily target the muscles of the core, including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back. These muscles are essential for maintaining good posture, supporting the spine, and performing everyday movements.
- Improving balance and stability: Planks require you to maintain a stable position, which can help improve your overall balance and stability. This can be particularly beneficial for athletes or anyone looking to improve their performance in activities that require balance and coordination.
- Enhancing overall body strength: In addition to the core muscles, planks also work the muscles of the arms, shoulders, and legs, making it a full-body exercise that can enhance overall strength.
- Reducing the risk of injury: By strengthening the core muscles and improving balance and stability, planks can help reduce the risk of injury in other activities, such as sports or everyday movements.
- Improving posture: Planks can help improve posture by strengthening the muscles that support the spine and encouraging a neutral spine position.
Overall, planks are an excellent exercise for anyone looking to improve their core strength, balance, stability, and overall body strength.
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There are several benefits to doing abdominal exercises:
- Strengthening the core: Ab exercises work the muscles in your midsection, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, which make up your core. A strong core can improve your posture, balance, and stability, and also help reduce the risk of injury.
- Improving athletic performance: A strong core can also improve your athletic performance by increasing your power and agility, and enhancing your ability to generate force and transfer energy from your lower to upper body.
- Reducing back pain: A weak core can lead to poor posture and back pain. Strengthening your abs can help improve your posture, relieve stress on your lower back, and reduce the risk of developing chronic back pain.
- Enhancing overall fitness: Incorporating ab exercises into your workout routine can help you achieve overall fitness goals such as weight loss, toning, and increasing endurance.
- Boosting confidence: Strengthening your abdominal muscles can improve your appearance, leading to greater self-confidence and self-esteem.
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Lowering belly fat can bring several benefits to your overall health and well-being. Here are some of the benefits:
- Reduces the risk of chronic diseases: Belly fat is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Lowering belly fat can help reduce the risk of these diseases.
- Improves insulin sensitivity: Belly fat can affect insulin sensitivity, which can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Lowering belly fat can improve insulin sensitivity, which can help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes.
- Boosts metabolism: Belly fat can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight. Lowering belly fat can help boost your metabolism, making it easier to burn calories and lose weight.
- Improves cardiovascular health: Belly fat can increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular problems. Lowering belly fat can improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of these problems.
- Increases energy levels: Carrying excess belly fat can make you feel tired and sluggish. Lowering belly fat can increase your energy levels and improve your overall quality of life.
Overall, lowering your belly fat can bring many benefits to your health and well-being, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases, improving insulin sensitivity, boosting metabolism, improving cardiovascular health, and increasing energy levels.
The frequency of ab workouts can vary depending on your fitness goals, workout routine, and personal preferences. However, most fitness experts recommend working your abs at least 2-3 times a week, with a minimum of 48 hours of rest between workouts.
It’s important to note that while ab exercises can be beneficial, they should not be the only focus of your workout routine. A well-rounded fitness regimen should include a combination of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
Additionally, it’s important to vary your ab exercises to target different parts of your core and prevent boredom and overuse injuries. Some examples of effective ab exercises include planks, crunches, Russian twists, and bicycle crunches.
As with any exercise program, it’s important to listen to your body and adjust your routine as needed. If you experience any pain or discomfort during your ab workouts, it’s best to consult with a fitness professional or healthcare provider to ensure you are performing the exercises correctly and safely.
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Image Sources
- Plank (3): Gustavo Fring on Pexels
- Plank (2): Mart Production on Pexels
- Abs-Crunches-Athletes: Photos Courtesy of CrossFit Inc
- Plank (1): Antoni Shkraba on Pexels