Improving your core strength in less time? Try this trainer's shortcut technique for a stronger abdominal muscles quickly.
Gede Foster, the director of fitness and performance at digital fitness platform FIIT, has shared a simple yet effective hack for the plank exercise that makes it kinder on joints and reduces the time needed to hold it. This modification, when done correctly, can boost core strength in half the time compared to a standard plank.
The plank exercise is renowned for its effectiveness in developing core strength and stability. It activates not only the abdominal wall but also the glutes and shoulder girdle. Gede Foster's advanced plank exercise hack takes this a step further, making it more challenging and beneficial.
To perform Gede Foster's advanced plank exercise, start in a standard plank position. However, instead of resting on your hands, place your forearms on a stability ball. This introduces instability, making your body work harder to maintain the plank position, which enhances muscle activation and endurance in the core area.
The advanced plank exercise also involves pulling the elbows towards the feet to increase intensity. This adjustment engages the shoulder girdle, ensuring a neutral spine position for the lower back and activating the glutes. By bringing the lats (of the mid and upper back) and stabilizer muscles around the shoulder girdle into play, the plank becomes more challenging.
This modification is beneficial for a variety of individuals. Runners, for instance, can benefit from the increased core strength provided by this exercise. Those whose core may be weakened from sitting down at a desk all day can also find this exercise helpful in promoting good posture and reducing the risk of injury.
Gede Foster recently shared this plank hack on Instagram, demonstrating its simplicity and effectiveness. Despite its increased difficulty, those who can hold a standard plank for a minute may only be able to hold this modified version for 30 seconds, making it more efficient for working the core.
In conclusion, Gede Foster's advanced plank exercise hack is a valuable addition to any fitness routine. It taps into the deeper core muscles, providing vital support and stabilization for the lower back. By engaging the shoulder girdle and activating the glutes, this exercise trains the relationship between these crucial muscle groups, enhancing functional movements like deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and overhead presses. So, give it a try and feel the difference in your core strength!
This advanced plank exercise hack, outlined by Gede Foster, combines fitness and science to make the standard plank more effective and efficient. By incorporating a stability ball and pulling the elbows towards the feet, it engages deeper core muscles, enhances shoulder girdle activation, and trains the relationship between crucial muscle groups for improved functional movements in health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise routines.
