Tip Plank The Smart Way Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Plank The Smart Way If you can hold a plank for several minutes you' re doing it wrong There' s a better safer more effective way Check it out by Dr John Rusin April 2, 2016September 9, 2021 Tags Tips, Training The plank started out with noble intentions. It quickly became a movement (or lack thereof) that anyone could do with little to no mastery. Just put your elbows on the ground, straighten out, and hold it for 5 minutes at a time! And wow, in a matter of no time you would have a rock solid core that would save you from lower back pain and injury... Uh, not so fast. The primary problem with the traditional plank is the lack of deep core activation over an extended period of time. Traditional planks are progressed by increasing the time of the hold, along with increasing the external load placed on the body. Extended sets can cause postural dysfunction and chronic anterior pelvic ligament trauma. The core wasn't meant to fire for extended periods of time in isolation. Rather, the deep and superficial muscles of the pillar need to have the ability to fire with maximal force repeatedly over time. A Better Plank The RKC plank can be programmed into any type of workout effectively. Depending on the movement or training emphasis of a specific session, the RKC plank can be programmed as a dynamic warm-up or metabolic finisher. RKC Plank Place your arms slightly farther out than you would in a traditional, non-effective plank. Contract the glutes and quads as hard as you can until your body starts shaking like a paint mixer. A good RKC plank is a full body contraction that lasts only 8-10 seconds. One pre-workout option is to do 3 "reps" with about 5 seconds between each. It's time to throw away the traditional plank and upgrade them with a version that actually involves effort. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training The Bent Press is the Forgotten Lift You Need Want big shoulders, an iron core, better mobility, and more upper-body mass? Master the bent press. Here's exactly how to do it. Exercise Coaching, Shoulders Bradford Cooke October 3 Training Armed For Combat Drastically increase arm size and strength over a twelve week period. Here’s your plan. Arms, Bodybuilding, Training Christian Thibaudeau December 5 Training Tip The Right and Wrong Way to Cable Crunch Wickedly effective ab exercise, if you're doing it correctly. You're probably not. Here's the definitive guide. Abs, Tips, Training Pieter van der Linde December 16 Training The Reverse Method Take it easier on your joints and blast through your sticking points with this technique. You'll wish you'd started doing it sooner. Powerlifting & Strength, Training Dr John Rusin October 10