A fit, athletic figure is strongly associated with a successful and healthy person who monitors appearance. It is no coincidence that fitness clubs grow by leaps and bounds and do not complain about the lack of customers.
But there are always those who do not have enough time to visit the gyms, but want to tighten the body. From the abundance of the proposed complexes it can be difficult to isolate those that are easy to do not only in the hall, but also at home. How to choose a simple exercise with your own weight, which does not require a lot of time, but is very effective?
Such an optimal option is the bar. Plank is a static exercise for training several muscle groups at once. It enjoys well-deserved popularity, primarily because of its accessibility and versatility.
Preparation and precautions, contraindications
Before moving on to a more detailed account of the benefits of the exercise, let us dwell on how to avoid the harm that can cause incorrect execution.
Firstly, as for all kinds of loads on the body, there are contraindications for the bar:
- Not healed injuries of the hands, shoulder girdle, feet, spine and other parts of the body that will experience static stress.
- Pregnancy and recovery period after childbirth.
- Intervertebral hernia, disc protrusion, pinching and other serious diseases of the spine.
- Diseases of the internal organs, the period of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
With caution, you should make the bar for overweight people - depending on the state of the body, it is necessary to select simpler methods of execution, with a time limit.
Secondly, you need to properly prepare for the bar, for example, make a small stretch, stretch a little and warm up the muscles.
Take care of the grip in advance - if the legs slip, doing the exercise correctly will fail. The bar must be performed either in shoes with a rubberized sole, or on a non-slip surface (for example, a special yoga mat).
What gives exercise?
The plank uses different muscle groups, but is especially effective for strengthening the muscle corset of the abdomen, back, buttocks.
If we summarize and group all the useful properties, we can distinguish six main positive points:
- Strengthening a group of deep muscles "core" (center, core). They provide stabilization of the spine and are responsible for the correct, beautiful posture, and also support internal organs.
- Strengthening the muscles of the back.
- Metabolism stimulation.
- Increased flexibility.
- Stabilization of the psychological state.
- The development of proper coordination of movements.
Types and techniques of performance straps
Depending on the degree of preparation and goals, you can perform various types of exercises. To begin with, we will consider in detail the standard bar in a simple form.
Take the position of lying down.Bend your arms at a right angle and lean on your forearms. The body from head to foot should form one straight line. The muscles of the neck are relaxed, you do not need to throw back your head, look down. The elbows should be strictly under the shoulders so as not to create an unnecessary load on the shoulder joints, palms parallel to the elbows, shoulders lowered, there should be no deflection of the back between the shoulders. It is very important to keep the lower back straight - do not round or bend. The stomach is pulled in and tense.
Keep your legs straight. The muscles of the buttocks must also be tensed and make together with the back and legs one straight line. Feet standing side by side or connected together.
After the position is "adjusted", hold it.
For beginners, the run time is 15-30 seconds, gradually it can be increased to several minutes. Make the bar for several approaches with interruptions.
If the classic plank is easy, try other options.
Stretched arms
It differs slightly from the standard position in that the arms do not bend at the elbows, but remain straight, body weight is transferred to the palms and fingers.
Feedback
One of the complications is the reverse bar. The main task remains to keep the body in a position that forms a straight line, but now in a position facing up. Reliance on straight or bent at the elbows of the arms and heels.
Side
This option is well suited for working out the oblique muscles of the abdomen. The body, from a lying position on its side, rises on the elbow or on an outstretched arm (in the latter case, make sure that the weight is evenly distributed throughout the palm of the hand, without overloading the wrist). Keep your body straight in both projections. For even more complication, you can extend your free hand up.
With outstretched arm or leg
From the classic bar on the elbows or outstretched arms, raise the straightened leg, pull the toe towards you. Make sure that the position of the housing remains straight. Repeat the exercise, alternating legs. Similarly, you can extend your arm to the side. This option gives a big load on the abdominal muscles.
On fitball
The standard bar on outstretched arms, but the legs are on the fitball. In addition to the load on the muscles, it trains balance, which is not so easy to maintain in tension, relying on an unstable ball.
22 types of exercises
How to learn to make the bar as long as possible
The most important recommendation is constant training with a gradual increase in load. A combination of several types of planks is also effective when one option replaces another.
However, duration should not be the main goal. The main thing is proper execution, which will make it as efficient as possible.
Plank for men and women
In terms of performance by men and women, the bar is a universal exercise. Rather, expectations of the results differ - men need relief muscle corset, which is strengthened by the bar, women pay more attention to the development of abdominal muscles. For this purpose, it will be useful to retract the navel during execution - this allows you to work out the transverse muscle, which is important when restoring the figure after pregnancy.
What is the best way to make a slimming bar
Although it takes a lot of energy to complete the exercise, it is intended to strengthen muscles, not to reduce weight. To lose weight, static is inferior to dynamic activities. However, in combination with other types of physical activity (and proper nutrition), it will be quite effective. Optimal may be the performance in the bar cardio exercises.
Useful Tips
- Do not hold your breath during exercise. The lack of oxygen does not simplify, but complicates the task! Breathe slowly and evenly.
- Constantly monitor the correct position of the body. If you feel that the technique suffers due to fatigue, it is better to take a short break.
- When performed on outstretched arms, they can be slightly bent at the elbows, this minimizes the load on the shoulder joints.
As has been repeatedly noted, the position of the body, in particular the back, in particular as a string, is fundamentally important. You can control this line by working opposite the mirror, but you should not twist your head in the bar. If there is such an opportunity, ask someone to monitor the correct implementation. Over time, learn to control the position of the body yourself.
Plank, at first glance, the exercise is simple, in a classic form, accessible even to people with minimal training. But it is very important to perform it correctly, otherwise instead of the expected effect in the form of a toned body, you may encounter unpleasant, painful sensations or get seriously injured.
