How long can you hold your plank for? Durham PT

Personal Trainer Durham | Glenn Hill | 07983570574

How long can you hold your plank for? Durham PT

Most of you at home could probably hold your plank for 30 seconds to perhaps even 3 minutes.  Mae Weidongs just held a plank for 4 hours and 26 minutes smashing the previous world record.

This is cool, but why is it important for me? this blog is about results ... or lack of them.  Its all about adapting to the exercise please read on...

This is why you train a lot and stay the same or similar shape.

If you spend hours on the treadmill or any machine, this blog is for YOU.

You see this is how it all works, when Mae started doing planks he would of immediately got a little stronger with neuro adaptation.  His brain working out whats going on and just allowing for a little more strength and endurance.

Later on his brain and body start working hard together to enable the work load and technique to conduct the function, this is the time when we see results.  More muscle action, more signalling and greater EPOC or after burn( more calories used and greater visual physical results). 

Early on Mae would have probably been experiencing muscle failure in single figures of minutes and seeing great results, within months Mae could go on for longer and longer without his core muscles failing.

After LOTS and LOTS of plank holding he managed to last over 4 hours before failing (so basically he lasted over four hours before he had a GOOD abdominal workout.

To increase our metabolism (greater fat burning) we should increase our muscle.  To increase our muscle we should be performing multi joint compound exercises done at varying intensities and speeds to FAILURE.

If we look at Mae he can probably hold a plank for two hours and burn hardly ANY calories due his body adapting to the load, muscle firing rates, synchronisation, opposing muscles working together (basically autonomous technique).  Holding a plank is probably as easy as walking for him.

Now then, if you are on the hamsters wheel (treadmill or any cardio machine) for hours or have been doing the same workout for months or years the same thing is happening to you...  hardly any effect in relation to calorie expenditure.

THIS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE

If you keep doing the same thing you will keep getting the same results!!

Follow my simple plan for RESULTS YEHHH

1. Adaptation hates variation, vary your exercises, loads, techniques, speeds, intervals always.
2. If we are learning a new technique our bodies and brains are working hard to catch up and it takes a lot out of us.  Around this time our muscles are exploding and we are burning calories like they are going out of fashion.  Think of the exercise you hate the most and do it until its proficient then your next most hated exercise and so on.  YOU WILL HAVE INSANE RESULTS.
3. Do things that can be related to life PULL, PUSH, DRAG, CLIMB, THROW, CRAWL its what our joints like and it will keep you young and strong.  Functional training doing varied exercises is great fun too.
4. High intensity and hard work, if you are not puffing, panting and sweating then in my eyes you are not exercising.  Forget about being lady like, if you want RESULTS then train like a cave man or woman.
5. Avoid things with ingredients lists on them, diet products, weight loss products, fat or sugar free products.  Eat meat and fish and green veg often, eat some fruit and avoid processed foods.  Drink lots of water.

JUST FIVE SIMPLE EXERCISE TRUTHS THAT WILL REALLY WORK

Please follow my advice or phone 07983570574 or pop in for a chat

Glenn (shortlisted as Personal Trainer of the Year) Hill

National Fitness Awards 2014