If you are thinking of starting a plank challenge, this post is for you. As an isometric exercise, the plank is very effective. It is more effective than many other weight-loss strategies. But how much weight can you lose doing the plank challenge? Depending on your body weight, you may be able to lose 2 to 5 calories per minute. Read on to learn more.
Benefits of Planking Regularly
In the fitness industry, planks have secured a very important place. Whether you are a regular person looking for a way to stay fit or a professional bodybuilder, you can try doing the plank. It strengthens your core and makes your abs visible. It also improves your posture and overall mobility. This exercise tightens your abdominals.
There are also other benefits of planking every day. It increases your metabolism, and as a result, your body can burn more calories during downtime. The proper muscle-to-fat ratio is very important. The plank maintains this ratio. As a result, you are less likely to suffer from the following illnesses:
- Heart disease
- High triglycerides
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
This exercise also improves your trapezius and rhomboid muscles. Thus it strengthens your back.
The Plank Challenge and Weight Loss
If you weigh 81 kilograms and you do the planking exercise for 1 hour, you will lose about 260 calories. To lose just one pound, you will have to do planking for 13 hours.
That means, when it comes to exercises that help you lose weight, planking is not the best exercise out there. However, it has many other benefits. It strengthens your abs, but this exercise is not particularly for weight loss. Taking the plank challenge can be great, but some other exercises can be more effective for weight loss.
Jump rope is an amazing exercise but it is often overlooked, probably because of its simplicity. Jump rope, which is a compound exercise, can burn a significant amount of body fat. It activates your core muscles, shoulders, and calves.
However, taking the plank challenge can be worth it in the long run. How much weight can you lose doing the plank challenge? It can help you lose a significant amount of weight, but you have to do it properly.
How to do the Plank
If you do the plank properly, it will activate your abdominal muscles such as
- Transverse abdominis
- Rectus abdominis
- External obliques
- Internal obliques
To get the best results, you have to maintain good form. It all comes down to keeping your body in the right position. For a plank, you do not need any equipment. However, this practice is easier when you do it on a yoga mat. The plank has several variations. Here is the right way to do a basic plank:
- Lie on the mat with your face down
- Rest on your forearms, raising your torso. Make sure your elbows are just under your shoulders
- Curl your toes
- To increase your core strength, suck your belly button in and push it up
- Keep your back straight and flat while raising your knees
- Make sure your body is held in a straight line. Relax your neck and stretch your head forward slightly.
- Keep gazing at the floor
- To start with, stay in this position for up to 30 seconds. From there, you can increase the duration to one minute or even longer.
- If your form slips, you can rest for some time. Hold the plank position and keep breathing.
Plank Variations
On the surface level, the plank looks like a simple exercise. In fact, this form of exercise is quite intense. It gets really difficult when you hold the pose for a long time. How much weight can you lose doing the plank challenge? To some extent, it depends on what type of plank you are doing. Yes, the plank has several variations. Let’s take a look at them.
Standard plank
This exercise mainly targets your shoulders, core, hips, arms, and back. If you are looking for a way to improve your core strength, you can try this form of planking. It can significantly burn your excess fat and calories.
Here is how you do it. Lie down on a floor while keeping your face downwards. Tilt your body on the toes and arms. When you’re doing it, keep your body completely straight. Initially, stay in this position for up to 30 seconds.
Then increase the duration. How much weight can you lose doing the plank challenge? If you lose 5 calories in a minute and do it for 30 minutes per day, you will notice a difference in just a month.
The mountain climbers
This variation of the plank is a bit more intense than the standard one. It targets your shoulders, biceps, hips, core, chest, triceps, and quadriceps. For burning excess calories and fat, this is an amazing full-body workout.
To do it, first, get into the standard pose. Then pull your right knee toward the chest. Go back to the initial position and then pull the left knee in the same way. Repeat it up to 20 times in the beginning.
The reverse plank
This is the reverse position of the standard plank position. To remove unnecessary calories and fat, you can try the reverse plank. Sit down on the mat and extend your legs on the floor. Support your body on your palms, placing them behind your hips.
Straighten your arms while keeping your body straight. Stay in this position for up to a minute. After some practice, it will become effortless.
Plank with alternate leg and arm raises
This is another intense form of the plank. It involves the alternate movement of legs and arms. This exercise targets your abdomen, lower back, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and quads. It improves your overall strength, stability, and flexibility.
Get into the pushup position or standard pose. Then simultaneously lift your left leg and right arm. Then lower them down and do the same with your right leg and left arm. While doing it, make sure your body is completely straight. Repeat it 20-30 times.
Plank hip twists
This is another form of the forearm plank involving the movements of your hips. This variation of plank targets your oblique muscles, lower back, core, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and quads. It also improves your body posture, strength, flexibility, and stability.
Get into the position of the forearm plank. Make sure your body is stable and straight. Twist your hips on the right. Then do it again with your left hips. Do not overexert. Repeat it 20-30 times.
You could also read about the benefits of plank shoulder taps.
How Much Weight Can You Lose Doing the Plank Challenge – Conclusion
How much weight can you lose doing the plank challenge? People interested in planking often ask this question. Now you know that this exercise can be great for weight loss. However, there are several variations of the exercise, and you have to choose the right type of plank. We recommend trying all the variations to see what works for you.
