Planking Gone Wrong: Core Training that Can Hurt Your Athletic Potential

 

Most athletes now know that core training with planking exercises can improve athletic performance, and many have added it to their routines with the hopes of a great return on their investment. Sounds like success, right?

The unfortunate reality of life is that good intentions don’t always guarantee good results. For example, lifting heavy weights to get stronger is a good idea, but it doesn’t mean doing high-speed micro-shrugs with 100-pound dumbbells will build your traps.

Core training is no different. The general rule states, “precision pays and sloppy stays.” As one of my professors used to say, “practice makes permanent, not perfect.” 

Doing a plank with improper form (the saggy plank) is the most common core training mistake. It gets in the way of spinal stability and a strong deep core. The hips sag to the floor, the low back is fully arched, knees are bent, shoulders are up by the ears, and the head is tilted up.

Doing planking exercises and associated variations this way will cause you to miss out on several key benefits. Bracing your core while maintaining a neutral spine is the best way to activate the internal obliques and overall core, compared to hollowing, non-activation and dynamic flexion/extension exercises. Also, contraction of the glutes and core have been shown to correct excessive anterior pelvic tilt and stabilize the spine in a neutral position, which is ideal for muscular co-contraction. This is favorable for avoiding excessive arching and possible injury. Further, research has found that activation of the gluteal and deltoid muscles during core strength work is optimal for increasing core strength. Follow these tips for a better plank and you will feel the difference.

Set Up

Your starting position sets the tone. Put a broomstick on your back and prop your body onto your forearms and toes. Look in the mirror. The back of your head, upper back and tailbone should be contacting the stick, with not quite enough space for a hand to fit between the stick and the low back. Visualize one string attached to the top of your head and one to your tailbone. They are pulling your spine in opposite directions, making it as long as possible.   

Execution

Be active in the position. Find the burn; Don’t wait for it to find you. Brace your abs like a shield or brick wall as if someone were about to punch you in the stomach. Dig your elbows into the floor, set your shoulders away from your ears, and try to move the floor back toward your hips. If your low back looks like a ski jump in this position, squeeze your glutes hard and keep the contraction. Your abs will burn. If you can’t maintain the contraction, you need to try an easier version—like elbows on a bench—and work back up.

Takeaway

One minute of incorrect technique is less beneficial than 20 seconds of precise form with full focus and effort. Try adding 5 to 10 seconds to this exercise every workout and you will get more from your minute Plank when it happens.

Bonus

Once you’ve mastered these basic elements of the Plank, the possibilities for progression and improvement are limitless. Check out the video above for 17 ways to apply this theory to your advantage in the gym.

Original post found at:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/planking-gone-wrong-core-training-093041648.html

P.S.  When in the plank position remember to breathe as normal as possible. Bad form begins with poor breathing . . . so to improve planking, practice proper breath control.

P.P.S. Visit Exercises for Diabetics Today for easy workouts you can start now . . . and be ten pounds lighter in five weeks.