DESCRIPTION + BENEFITS
Another one of the fundamentals to master, the plank builds strength primarily in your core and secondarily in the muscles of your shoulder girdle. It is also good for conditioning the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints and is a great regression from the Support Hold if you still have difficulties with that. Being strong in this position forms a terrific base for many more advanced ring progressions!
INSTRUCTIONS
- Assume a Push-Up position over the Rings
- Palms facing each other
- Ensure your wrist, elbow and shoulders are stacked in a straight line
- Keep your elbow locked (straightened all the way, slightly bent is still bent…)
- Flex the muscles in your core
- Imagine your are hovering over an icicle that might pierce you in your Solar Plexus (top of your abs)
- Try to maintain a Hollow Body Position
- Round your upper back
- Squeeze your glutes (butt muscles)
- Keep your head straight and don’t let your hips drop or sag!
- (When comfortable) You can try turning the rings outwards!
REGRESSIONS
- An Assisted Plank can be done with your knees on the ground. A yoga mat will make it more comfortable! 😉
- This relieves some of the weight off your core muscles
- If the Assisted Planks are still challenging because the rings may be too unstable, you can also start with planks on the ground (without the rings).
💪🏻MASTERY💪🏻
5 x 60s hold without breaking form!
TRAINING
After warming up and when fresh, test yourself to see how long you can hold the position first. Then take 3-5 seconds off that timing and perform 3-5 sets with adequate rest between sets.
e.g. Test = 29 seconds, Set = 3-5 x 25 seconds
PROGRESSIONS
Once you get good at this, you can incorporate your Plank training while performing other exercises that build on the planks like Mountain Climbers or Rings Roll Outs!
Stay tuned for more!
Jahn Tang
JT 