It takes more than drool-worthy six-pack abs to have a strong and healthy core. The rectus abdominis, responsible for six-pack abs, only represents one of several muscles that comprise the core. By planking we can activate so much more!
A plank—a hold in the top of a push-up position—gives us targeted strengthening for the upper body and core. On land, the challenge is holding the position as gravity pulls down. In water, keeping the hips facing down with water moving around the body makes it hard. Top tip: placing your feet wide with toes on the ground can really help with stability, and focus on length in the spine to use energy efficiently.
The 4 benefits of planking
1. Improve posture
Practice planking and your posture will improve since you’ll strengthen the abs and shoulders. Good posture means less strain on the joints and can help align the spine to reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain.
2. Balance out muscles
Functional fitness tells us that moving in more directions and recruiting more than one muscle group at a time mimics real life movement patterns and has positive implications for overall strength, health, power, agility and balance. Planks do exactly that. Strong abdominals and back muscles mean that the joints will be able to function at their best, which helps improve or maintain muscle balance. This means everyday activities will be easier to do.
3. Better mobility
Improving your functional mobility means you’re positively affecting your ability to move freely with ease. Muscles get “tight” when they try to give the body stability, but when you improve muscle strength in a balanced way it helps you become more mobile.
4. Improve core strength
We cannot work our core predominantly in a bent forward position (ie: crunches) and expect a strong and healthy core (including the chest, back and sides of our body). Working all the core muscles and doing so in a variety of ways, especially while recruiting multiple muscle groups, is more advantageous for posture, back health, stabilization, strength, and overall body mechanics than doing so in isolation.
These kinds of functional strength are important for so many things like playing your favorite sport and even sitting at your desk. The benefits are endless!
How to plank in the pool
As our society’s posture is progressively being pulled forward, with rounded shoulders and a forward head posture from sitting and smart-phones, neck and back pain is becoming an epidemic. Planks allow us to train in an erect spinal position, strengthening the core from all sides and accessing multiple muscles simultaneously. This type of bracing and strengthening of an erect posture is essentially creating an internal scaffolding of support for the spine.
Performing planks in the water with use of a noodle for support, offers an advantage because the head cannot hang forward into the water and thus forces the muscles of the neck and upper back to engage.
The challenge of doing planks in the buoyant environment has cross-training benefits of increased chest and shoulder strength and stability, as well as lower back, abdominal and oblique strength.
There are so many ways to plank but some of my favorites combine squats and planks. Try this series of 12 core-focused squat jump planks:
- Squat Plank
- Frog Kick Plank
- Squat Plank: Hard (30) Easy (30)
- Leg Curl Plank
- Squat Jump Plank: Feet Narrow-Narrow (30) Feet Wide-Wide (30)
- Eggbeater Plank
- Squat Jump Plank: Feet Narrow-Wide (30) Add Jump (30)
- Tuck Jacks Plank
- Squat Jump Plank: Feet Wide-Narrow (30) Add Jump (30)
- Ski Plank
- Squat Jump Rotating Plank
- Diagonal Jack Plank
The takeaway
Planking is a powerhouse move that goes far beyond sculpting six-pack abs. It’s your ticket to better posture, balanced muscles, and improved mobility—all while building a rock-solid core. Whether on land or in water, planks engage multiple muscle groups, offering functional strength that benefits your everyday life. So, next time you’re working out, give these plank variations a try and feel the difference they make in your strength and stability.
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