Tips from Our Trainers – The Importance of Doing a Proper Plank

Al, personal fitness trainer at Lexington Healing Arts Academy demonstrates the proper way to do a plank position on your elbows  (with help from another LHAA trainer, Shane).

Start face down on your stomach and prop yourself up onto your elbows so that your shoulders are right above your elbows. Tuck your toes under and raise yourself up using the core muscles, specifically the stomach muscles, to hold yourself up.

Using a foam roller, you (or a friend or trainer) can check that the foam roller is touching the three tweak points: 1) right above the crown of the head, 2) at the mid back, and 3) at the tailbone.

If you are not strong in your core, you will slowly lose strength in your core muscles and start to sink down. At that point, you should slowly lower yourself all the way down so that you’re again lying on your stomach.  Each time you do a plank, you can try to hold it for a couple seconds longer than the last time to build up your endurance.  Always make sure you maintain proper form.  When you start to lose your form, you’ll want to lower back down in order to avoid any muscle strain or injury.

This technique is a good way to teach and to learn how to do a proper plank. This will help you to gain more core strength and to know the safe and proper way to do a plank.

Thank you to Al for this demonstration and clear explanation. Tune in for more Fitness Tip Videos from our LHAA trainers.