I have found that some of the exercises that give you the best burn don't require any movement. As a matter of fact they require you to stay completely still, normally in a rather uncomfortable position. Everybody knows (or thinks they know) about the most common kind of static exercise, the plank. Now before you run off to take pictures of yourself laying down in funny places lets note, that trend was not an exercise and most people were getting no benefit from it. Honestly taking a pose like the one below works your back and is closer to a superman but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
 |
| good effort but no |
Planks in their many variation are all designed to strengthen the core, primarily your abs. You can do a high plank which is the same pose you would take at the top of a push-up. This is the easiest to get started with as it's a more natural position and helps keep everything off the ground. The only parts that should be touching are your hands and your toes.
As you get more comfortable though try getting lower to the ground. A low plank is what you will normally see in a Google search. Up on your toes, spine straight,support yourself on your forearms. The lower you go the tigher you have to hold. If your really skinny (read skinnier than me) take the wide push-up stance and then lower yourself until you are almost touching the floor. If you can do that why are you reading this?
Another alternative that keeps you completely straight and doesn't threaten to pinch your shoulder blades is using a chair to put your feet on. This is a little harder and requires you to squeeze those abs a little tighter but that burn is what your going for.
Just about every variation of plank can also be done as a side plank. This way you are working your abdominal, obliques, and back one side at a time. Some people find them easier some harder but feel free to do less time since you should always do both sides.
This quickly went from a intro to static exercises to just planks so we'll make this a series and call this part one. Feel free to post any questions or ask for a certain workout or topic to be covered. Until next time I'll leave you with my personal feelings on planks. No one I know looks like the people above so when you feel like the picture below don't sweat it. Core workouts are more about maintenance and resisting injury. You are getting more benefits that you don't see than one you do.
Just Stay Still Series:
2 Wall Sit
For every major undertaking in life it is important to have a support system. Some people can accomplish things all by themselves but the odds of success rise dramatically when you have friends there to help you along. If you need evidence of this try to think of some of the great accomplishments in human history. There might have been one leader but there was always a team of people behind that leader supporting them in a tactile or moral way. Taking it down a level there is plenty of literature on why you should get a gym buddy. This has been highlighted by the growing popularity of Obstacle Course Races (OCR) that require team assistance. I recently just completed a Tough Mudder and I can comfortably say that I would not have been able to accomplish a number of obstacles without help from teammates and strangers alike.
