Planks!

Coco9 · 08-05-2008, 05:20 PM

How long can you hold your planks for? assuming your body is straight as a board and not with your butt sticking up.

I finally broke my own record and can do two for 2 minutes each. It took me a few months to get here! Anybody else do them?

JVo · 08-05-2008, 05:37 PM

I'm actually pretty cocky about this one!

) My gym held a plank contest, and I held it for 8 minutes, 15 seconds. I probably would have given up far before that, except that I had to beat the guy who had gotten 8 minutes. I was definitely shaking for the last couple of minutes.

Coco9 · 08-05-2008, 05:40 PM

Wow! Congrats! That's pretty awesome

.... at this rate it'll take me 2 years to do 8 minutes LOL!

JVo · 08-05-2008, 05:54 PM

Thanks! Yeah, I kind of wonder if there's something wrong with me.

) I mean, it wasn't like I was practicing planks all the time or anything. I don't even work on my abs per se more than once a week. Maybe it's just a combination of yoga, building core through weightlifting, and genetics(?).

Thanks again for letting me brag! ;o) Good luck on your planks!

amber_stone · 08-05-2008, 07:25 PM

I'm only at 30secs on my toes....

Great exercise though, I have some back problems and I'm found these have been the best thing to rehab and strengthen my lower back and abs.

Mrsstanpoe · 08-05-2008, 08:33 PM

Did side planks yesterday, just started doing them again after a long withdrawl (yes, went back to the good ol fashioned crunch!)- WHEW I am super sore today, AWESOME! I held each side for 60 seconds- 3 sets.
tomorrow I will do the reg. planks... I will see if I can't break that record! LOL- I am not holding my breath!!!

Coco9 · 08-05-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JVo

Thanks! Yeah, I kind of wonder if there's something wrong with me.

) I mean, it wasn't like I was practicing planks all the time or anything. I don't even work on my abs per se more than once a week. Maybe it's just a combination of yoga, building core through weightlifting, and genetics(?).

Thanks again for letting me brag! ;o) Good luck on your planks!

Hey, I didn't know that holding it for 8 minutes was even possible so that's great! I may try to do one - one of these days just to see what's my limit. I guess I may stop when my face starts to turn blue lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber_stone

I'm only at 30secs on my toes....

Great exercise though, I have some back problems and I'm found these have been the best thing to rehab and strengthen my lower back and abs.

I'm glad they're working for you! Last year I suffered from low back pain (plus threw my back out 3 times!) but since I started doing these workouts, I haven't had any back problems! And for a while I thought that I was cursed to suffer back pain for the rest of my life. I just needed to strengthen my back

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrsstanpoe

Did side planks yesterday, just started doing them again after a long withdrawl (yes, went back to the good ol fashioned crunch!)- WHEW I am super sore today, AWESOME! I held each side for 60 seconds- 3 sets.
tomorrow I will do the reg. planks... I will see if I can't break that record! LOL- I am not holding my breath!!!

3 sets of 60 second is pretty good! Good luck tomorrow with your regular planks tomorrow!

gecko... · 08-06-2008, 12:17 AM

In Aus - the Aussie Rules Footy teams do planks for over 15mins! Yikes!

I can do 2mins but I tell you, it bloody hurts

I'd love to get to 5 mins one day. .

CharliC · 08-06-2008, 10:00 AM

Last time I tested myself I got five minutes. Haven't been doing any for a while though, maybe I'll give it a shot today

aabang · 08-08-2008, 01:55 PM

I can do them for 2 to 3 minutes; last night my trainer put a 45lb. plate on my back and had me hold for 1 minute. I thought I was going to die, but I just focused on my breathing and held it. Once he took the plate off my back I just fell to the floor and laid their.

Shanice · 08-08-2008, 07:55 PM

I have never enjoyed doing planks, I guess about three minutes is probably the most I have done them for.

Coco9 · 08-09-2008, 12:12 AM

You guys do hard core planks! It gives me something to strive for. Thanks for your replies!

chalpin · 08-10-2008, 09:07 PM

at my best, i could do 1 minute WITH a 15 lb medicine ball on my back

Rainessa · 08-11-2008, 11:53 AM

I tried them twice now...first time I was looking for a different workout on another site and decided to try the yoga/pilates routine for fun. I mean its just like stretching and meditating right? Now I admit I have just started out and I am a wimp, but that stuff was way harder than the dumbbell exercises I was starting with. First time, I lasted maybe 15 seconds on the plank (it looks so easy in the picture), second time I tried was yesterday and got to 30 seconds. Looked at some videos, I swear those people have no joints. Havent tried the side ones yet, might need to work on my balance first.

vanillabn · 08-11-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalpin

at my best, i could do 1 minute WITH a 15 lb medicine ball on my back

Wow!! Great job!

I haven't done planks in a LONG time! I think I just might have to start again

Nena26 · 08-12-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coco9

How long can you hold your planks for? assuming your body is straight as a board and not with your butt sticking up.

I finally broke my own record and can do two for 2 minutes each. It took me a few months to get here! Anybody else do them?

I think that is great! I started doing planks several months ago and am able to hold mine for 1.5 minutes now. I really look forward to doing th em because they are really helping. When I first started, I couldn't hold it for more than 20 to 30 seconds. I have a severe case of sciatica and I could feel my spine popping in several places (as if it was aligning itself). I couldn't do any situps either because the strain on my back was so much. Now, I can do three sets of 25 sit-ups now so the planks are definitely helping with the support of my spine.

beanbag · 08-14-2008, 08:54 PM

one of the girls I lived with can go for up to 15-20 minutes at a time. it's insane! she's definitely extremely strong, and has some really good muscle definition.

me...I can go for a minute, maybe 1.5 max. one day I'll get to two minutes.

NightSprite · 08-14-2008, 09:09 PM

My trainer started me doing them in sets of 3....I can hold the first two for the full minute but on the last one my butts in the air and I'm shaking like crazy!

Magmarashi · 08-16-2008, 08:59 AM

I can do them for 1 to 2 minutes

Finner · 08-16-2008, 11:52 AM

I can go forever, too. I've only officially been timed at 5 minutes - we were having a contest among friends, too. . .I beat out the last guy by two minutes. I could've kept going, too. . .it's just that my physical therapy (for recovery from a neck injury) for the past year has REALLY strengthened my core.

Personally, I think holding planks that long is a waste of time. I do them every day, but I've added stuff in to keep them from geting boring.

One thing I do is to push up on one arm, then the other, then go back down to my forearms over and over. It's like you start down, in the plank, forearms on the floor, then put your right hand under you, then left, then back down on your right forearm, then left. (Up, up, down, down.)

Another thing I do is to put my feet up on yoga blocks or a step and hold the plank.

Lastly (and the most fun), use a body-ball to hold your plank. Put your forearms on the ball and hang out there for a few minutes. Then switch around and do it with your feet on the ball.

It's a lot more challenging and a lot less boring than hanging out on your forewarms for 20 minutes solid!!! LOL!!!

gecko... · 08-17-2008, 01:29 AM

20 minute planks?!

*slinks off dejected at her measly 2min plank max*