Toning Your Abs: The Plank
Barbara Cheng reveals how the plank has become a global trend
and if it really is the best way to exercise your abdominal
muscles.
For the last couple of years, the plank has remained a hot topic. The world
record for the longest time spent in the plank position was first created by a
Chinese SWAT team member in 2014 but was surpassed a year later by a 51-yearold Danish fitness coach with an impressive time of 4 hours 28 minutes. Pictures
soon flooded the internet of others attempting the plank to see what time they
could get.
As for the benefits of the plank, it is a highly effective exercise to tone the abs and
build abdominal muscle. So how exactly does it function? The plank aims to
exercise stability, which includes body control and strength transmission. Once
this has been achieved, strength training can be carried out in support. It's
important to get this right otherwise it could lead to hunching, stooping and other
strains on the body.
With more and more people competing for the longest plank time, can we be sure
that it's good for us to hold this position for such a long time? According to Stuart
McGill, an expert in the field of spine biomechanics, repeating a plank for 10
seconds at a time is best when training for stability (https://www.tnation.com/training/interview-with-dr-stuart-mcgill-part-1). Ev