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inShape – Planks

With reading week coming up, most people want to have a six pack when they go down south.

“Doing a lot of ab exercises won’t necessarily give you a six pack because everyone has muscles under their fat, but unless you have proper nutrition you probably will never see your six pack,” says Michael Lok, a second year masters of kinesiology student.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do abs — it is  important to have a strong core. You should work your core to avoid back pain or injury from other exercises.

A lot of people do crunches or sit ups for abs, but you can do a lot of other things that are probably a bit better for your spine. When you do a crunch you do a lot of trunk flexing, which can cause injury or a sore neck, so doing planks is a good alternative to doing a standard crunch.

What to do

A plank is when you hold yourself up in a straight static position. You can do a front plank and a side plank. A front plank will work your rectus abdominis, which is your six pack, or you can do a side plank, which will work your obliques. You will want to do at least 2 to 3 reps holding each for 30 to 60 seconds.

What not to do

You want to make sure that you are not sticking your butt up or letting your butt sag down towards the mat. To optimize this work out you want to stay as straight as possible.

Avoid

Planks are good workouts for anyone. They are an especially good exercise for anyone who has back pains. Crunches should be avoided by people who have back or disc problems. This is healthy alternative ab workout.

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