Planking Experiment

[TromboneAl]

I've concluded that the best way to prevent back strains is by doing planks regularly.

DW and I do them every five days, which I estimate gives the muscles time to heal in between the stresses of planking.

I decided to test this by doing planks every day instead. My thinking was that if after a week, the planks were much easier to do, it would mean that I should do them more frequently than every five days.

After a week, they weren't any easier to do.

 

[savory]

I do front and side planks regularly as well. But, I am a believer in changing up approaches for the same part of the body. But after working with a trainer who I had a great deal of respect, I came to this conclusion that I feel better when I change up the exercise (same/similar muscle group) based on his approach. No evidence this is better. I do feel it helps keep the routine fresher.

 

[LOL!]

How are you doing planks that they don't get easier? It was 3-a-day here. At least a minute for each one. Don't hold your breath and squeeze your abs every breath.

 

[razztazz]

I've concluded that the best way to prevent back strains is by doing planks regularly.

DW and I do them every five days, which I estimate gives the muscles time to heal in between the stresses of planking.

I decided to test this by doing planks every day instead. My thinking was that if after a week, the planks were much easier to do, it would mean that I should do them more frequently than every five days.

After a week, they weren't any easier to do.

How long are you holding the plank?

 

[LOL!]

And try some pikes, too:

 

[ocean view]

I've concluded that the best way to prevent back strains is by doing planks regularly.

DW and I do them every five days, which I estimate gives the muscles time to heal in between the stresses of planking.

I decided to test this by doing planks every day instead. My thinking was that if after a week, the planks were much easier to do, it would mean that I should do them more frequently than every five days.

After a week, they weren't any easier to do.

Absolutely agree that planks are the best way to strengthen your back, but every 5 days? IMO that is too long between plank days.

DH & I have a different approach. We exercise 3x per week, 3 planks each time. We increase our plank time by one second each day, until we’ve added 10 seconds. Then we stay at that time for 6-10 days, then start increasing again one second per day. The starting point depends on your fitness level. If it’s too easy increase a few seconds more.

I like this method because it makes you work, but little risk of over doing it since the increased time is so subtle.

 

[Music Lover]

Muscles need 48 - 72 hours to recover, so every 2nd or 3rd day is ideal.

I don't do planks, but my core is worked with squats, deadlifts, pushups, and chinups.

 

[traineeinvestor]

I prefer to mix things up by varying the exercises for my back – lat pulls, planks, crunches, superman, etc. Also proper daily stretching.

I have a minor spinal deformity and my physio recommended including some rotation exercises with a viper 2-3 times a week. The level of discomfort in my back has been noticeable since I added these to the routine.

 

[2lhasas]

As someone who used to suffer frequent back pain, I would recommend you investigate the McGill 3, which you can do daily. If you Google it, you will find a thousand videos, articles and interviews with Dr. Stuart McGill, but this video walks you through the basics. Once you're really strong with them, you can move to rotating side planks and making boxes with your leg and arm during bird dogs to add challenge.

https://youtu.be/S8VFbkSjCsQ

 

[MRG]

I think 5 days is too seldom and every day too often. Our routine is Sun, Wed, Fri. I'm not currently doing planks, but may add some.

Right now my focus is on performing unassisted dips, and pull ups. I still need 5 and 20 pounds of assist, by the end of the year the goal is 0..

 

[zinger1457]

I do planks as part of my strength training twice a week. I have read some studies that claim once a week strength training for 'older' adults provides close to the same results as twice a week. Below is one of the studies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465144/

Conclusions

One set of exercises performed once weekly to muscle fatigue improved strength as well as twice a week in the older adult. Our results provide information that will assist in designing strength‐training programmes that are more time and cost efficient in producing health and fitness benefits for older adults.

 

[splitwdw]

Al, Which plank are you doing, how long are you holding, how many sets and are you doing them correctly?

 

[LOL!]

If one wants to mix it up and spend only a little time on it, then the NYTimes had this set of exercises:
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-build-muscle

There are quite a lot of exercises in there similar to planks.

Try that Russian twist.

 

[TromboneAl]

How are you doing planks that they don't get easier? It was 3-a-day here. At least a minute for each one. Don't hold your breath and squeeze your abs every breath.

I hold them for one minute each.

If I go longer than five days they get harder. So, I should say that they didn't get easier when I did them every day than when I did them every five days.

Here's part of what influenced my thinking for choosing five-day intervals:

https://www.painscience.com/articles/strength-training-frequency.php

 

[Music Lover]

I hold them for one minute each.

If I go longer than five days they get harder. So, I should say that they didn't get easier when I did them every day than when I did them every five days.

Here's part of what influenced my thinking for choosing five-day intervals:

https://www.painscience.com/articles/strength-training-frequency.php

When I tell people that I only lift about every 2nd or 3rd day for about 15 minutes per workout they usually either blown away that I can accomplish so much in so little time, or they don't believe me.

If you're training correctly and doing the right exercises with the right amount of intensity, reps, and rest between sets that's all the time you need. Train smart and stop wasting hours in the gym.

Sorry (sort of) for bragging...

 

[splitwdw]

Did you build up to the 1 minute and how many sets are you doing? Is Lena having the same problem doing forearm planks?

 

[Chuckanut]

When I tell people that I only lift about every 2nd or 3rd day for about 15 minutes per workout they usually either blown away that I can accomplish so much in so little time, or they don't believe me.

If you're training correctly and doing the right exercises with the right amount of intensity, reps, and rest between sets that's all the time you need. Train smart and stop wasting hours in the gym.

Sorry (sort of) for bragging...

I think you are right. Once I got past all the macho, to-the-max junk on the gym posters, I realized that it's all hype. In fact I am considering going down to 2 days a week from 3, by just taxing my muscles a bit more on the days I go.

Would you mind posting what exercises you do in your 15 minute workouts?

 

[ERD50]

....

If I go longer than five days they get harder. So, I should say that they didn't get easier when I did them every day than when I did them every five days. ... https://www.painscience.com/articles/strength-training-frequency.php

But what is the goal? It sounds like you are doing planks for the sake of doing planks.

OK, so maybe doing them once a week versus once a day makes you better at doing planks. But is that important?

To make an extreme illustration, what if laid in bed six days a week? I'm pretty sure I'd be stiff when I get up on the seventh day and it would be very difficult to go about the things I normally want to do.

So maybe focusing on doing planks well isn't the right goal, but we should focus on gaining flexibility and enough strength to do the things we want to do from day to day. I'm not sure "plank ability" is a good measure of that.

I do my beck stretches twice a day (including planks, but I don't hold them long at all, I just want to go through that range of motion). I don't know, but I really don't think doing them once a week would be better for me. Maybe it's in my head, but I feel looser and better able to do things after the stretches, and I like tho gain that feeling at least 2x a day.

-ERD50

 

[Music Lover]

I think you are right. Once I got past all the macho, to-the-max junk on the gym posters, I realized that it's all hype. In fact I am considering going down to 2 days a week from 3, by just taxing my muscles a bit more on the days I go.

Would you mind posting what exercises you do in your 15 minute workouts?

I split my workouts into lower and upper body, all compound movements that use multiple muscles. So, either just the upper or lower half my body is worked out each training day. Rest time is about 90 seconds, reps taken close but not to failure.

A typical upper body training day is 5 sets of 6-8 bench press or pushups and 5 sets of chin-ups. Yesterday I did 5 sets of 40 pushups and 5 sets of 12 chin-ups. Next time I'll do bench press and single arm rows to mix it up.

Lower body day would be 6-8 sets of 10-12 squats or lunges. The next lower body workout will be 6 - 8 sets of deadlifts.

Another workout might just be farmer's walk...I'll carry a pair of dumbbells up and down the stairs a few times and do a few sets of that. Or, I'll clean a barbell to my chest, squat, get back up and then press it overhead. 5-6 sets of that.

 

[LOL!]

Re Frequency and Strength training: I don't consider planks having much to do with weight lifting and strength training where the muscle fibers are ripped and need to repair themselves over the next 48 hours. A plank doesn't have any range of motion, so it is isometric.

I doubt most people will rip any fibers doing planks because
a) they will start with partial plank, say from the knees and
b) they collapse if they cannot hold the plank.

Basically, one just works up to a 60 second plank. Sure one can go longer, but that might lead to other problems and not necessarily a stronger lower back.

So I think three 60 second planks every day (or a set 4 to 6 days a week) pretty much ends up like walking up the stairs 3 times every day. One can do a plank while microwaving something for a minute (instead of trying to balance on one foot )

Or maybe one has something that takes 3 minutes to microwave, so instead of doing a single 3 minute zap, do 3 one minute zaps: 1 minute, do plank, get up, punch in another minute and do another plank, then do the last minute and another plank. If your food needs to cool, then do another plank (or one of those NYTimes suggested exercises or a bunch of push-ups or pikes or pull-ups or whatever).

Planks also help to stretch one's calves and feet.

 

[Winemaker]

When I tell people that I only lift about every 2nd or 3rd day for about 15 minutes per workout they usually either blown away that I can accomplish so much in so little time, or they don't believe me.

If you're training correctly and doing the right exercises with the right amount of intensity, reps, and rest between sets that's all the time you need. Train smart and stop wasting hours in the gym.

Sorry (sort of) for bragging...

It cracks me up when I go to the gym. All these folks doing exercises like a buzz saw; back and forth, bouncing, almost bobble headed motions. Very few folks go through the full range of motion in a deliberate fashion. Even tiny amounts of weight are far more beneficial than heavily weighted half a$$ed reps.

 

[Chuckanut]

Even tiny amounts of weight are far more beneficial than heavily weighted half a$$ed reps.

But then there is no excuse for grunting loudly and dropping the weight onto the floor with a huge BANG!. How else will these guys impress the pony tailed young ladies who frequent the gyms?

On a more serious note, this discussion will make my next few trip to the gym less boring and more interesting as I try different things.

 

[LOL!]

How else will these guys impress the pony tailed young ladies who frequent the gyms?

Some pony-tailed young ladies are impressed by such antics. Yes, not all of them, but some of them.

 

[TromboneAl]

But what is the goal? It sounds like you are doing planks for the sake of doing planks.

OK, so maybe doing them once a week versus once a day makes you better at doing planks. But is that important?

The ultimate goal is to protect my back from strains.

So, the penultimate goal is to make the core muscles as strong as possible.

I was using "ease of planking" as a measure of how strong the muscles are. That is, if planking is easier, it means that the muscles are stronger.

Because once-a-day planks didn't make the planks any easier, I concluded that it didn't make the muscles any stronger than once-every-five-days planks.

Hope that clearer.

 

[TromboneAl]

Did you build up to the 1 minute and how many sets are you doing? Is Lena having the same problem doing forearm planks?

When I first started, IIRC, I could only do 10-20 seconds. It wasn't long before I could do one minute. I concluded that my core muscles got stronger quickly.

Just doing one set every five days.

Lena doesn't always make it to one minute.