Planks Have Forever Changed My Body

For today’s video, I’m going to show you how planking made a significant impact on my fitness journey. Thanks to planking, I experienced (and still do) several benefits such as improved strength, stability, and a slimmer stomach. It’s a total-body exercise that engages more than the core but also the arms, chest, back, legs, and butt.

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1. Greater deep ab muscle strength
When the topic “ab exercises” comes up, most people automatically think of exercises that strengthen the six-pack muscles, otherwise known as rectus abdominis.

It’s vital to learn that six-pack muscles are just one part of the abdominal muscles.

Other major parts include the internal and external obliques and the deep transverse abdominis (TVA).

The primary reason the plank exercise is superior to some other ab exercises is that it requires the contraction of all 4 major abdominal muscle groups.

2. Improved core strength
The core is like a groundwork muscle of the body and planking is a great way to strengthen it.

Contrary to what some people believe, the core consists of more than just the abdominals.

It also encompasses your obliques, spinal stabilizers, shoulder musculature, back musculature, and hip musculature.

In short, a stabilized core leads to improved function of the legs and arms.

3. Enhanced isometric strength
The plank is a basic example of an isometric exercise, meaning it involves the contraction of muscles without movement.

When planking, all the muscle groups involved contract and hold at a certain angle or position.

Isometric movements like planks develop your strength.

On the other hand, planks are less effective at muscle growth because the muscles aren’t moving and aren’t getting muscle damage associated with the exercise.

4. Increased overall athletic performance
The muscular system works in sync.

For instance, isolation exercises like biceps curls, require recruiting and stabilizing the core muscles to isolate the targeted muscle group.

The core is responsible for coordinating both the upper body and lower body.

Everyday activities like walking require coordinated arm and leg movements, two major muscle groups that are connected to the core.

Walking might look simple, but if you consider all the muscles and joints necessary to perform this movement, you’d be surprised by how intricate and complex the process actually is.

Keep watching to know some more powerful benefits of planks!