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Plank Challenge!

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Yes, I forgot to count how many seconds I could hold it, but I know it was less than a minute for sure. I am lousy at remembering things like the length of time I am supposed to do this, if I don't reread the original post every time before I do this, so I wish I could print out that original message, but alas I have no printer! I'll be doing what I can anyway.

Um, I reread the original post again and I am not sure how to plank on one's side as opposed to in the middle? Photos, again, would be most helpful. I am visually oriented!
 
image.webp
 
In the spirit of belly-management :sneaky: For those who love movies & TV...

The following exercise will not cause weight loss or muscle definition. It tightens the interior abdominals, whose main function is to keep your organs inside where they belong. What tightening them does? Shaves inches off your waistline, as the super buff (and completely invisible) muscle groups hold your guts in tighter to your core.

TWIST!

What you need:
- A broomstick*
- Something to watch on TV to keep you from going mad with boredom.
- Space enough not to be knocking shit over with the broomstick

What you do:
Stand comfortably, legs a little apart, and prepare to stand up straight/ shoulders back.
Place broomstick over your shoulders
Drape arms comfortably over broomstick
Twist left (easily) Twist right (easily)
Repeat a few thousand times a day :D Yeah. I'm serious. Hence the TV show. But, like with anything...start slow. Maybe 5 minutes, or during one commercial break. Work you way up to an entire episode.

Me blathering on:
When done right... This should be an almost effortless exercise. Be very relaxed about it. Won't make you sweat, and tensing muscles actually defeats the purpose. Only twist as far as is easily reached; don't stretch for "more" (that works your back) and don't worry about speed. Also don't worry about sucking in your gut. Just lazy like twist back and for and back and forth. It's shocking how exhausted your abdomen will be the first few days.

LOL... Even when I'm fit, I twist a few thousand times a day (about 1 movie) for a few months every couple years. And every time I'm all shocked at how tired and sore "muscles I didn't even know I had" are! When I'm fit I generally lose about 2" to my waistline. When I'm all fat & knackered (like now) I generally lose about 6"-9" from my waistline. All the fat is still there / and none of the sexy muscles get all pretty. It really is "just" from getting organs in all nice and snug where they belong!!!

Important
* The broomstick is absolutely necessary. In order for the interior abs to be doing the work, here, your arms need to be "up" & "out" away from your body... But if you hold them there instead of drape them along a pole, it makes you use different muscle groups to twist (intercostals, trapezius, abs, shoulders, & back... Not your interior abs). It "feels" like it's doing more to hold your arms out, but will not be hitting your belly and sucking your organs in where they belong. <chuckling> Yet another case of 'feelings aren't reality'! ;)
 
Awesome idea, I'm in!

The last time I did a side plank (or tried to do, really) it was after 30 minutes of intense strength training with my arms. My arms were so numb I couldn't even get myself up, let alone hold the position for 30 seconds :hilarious:

Note to self: planking after training your arms: not a good idea.
 
@Snowwhite

Jelly-Arms! I did that a few years ago, face in the floor, unable to move... My son informed me what I was doing was not planking, but snailing.

Snailing you have to have your bum in the air, kiddo.
Not when it's as big as yours!
Thanks, love. Thanks a lot.
:D I love you mom. :D
Grrrrr. When I can get up again, we're gonna have a chat.
Good luck with that.
 
@FridayJones LOL! Sounds like you and your son have a pretty awesome connection. Thanks for that story, it made me laugh. I'm also glad to know I'm not the only one that has happened to :D
 
All the fat is still there / and none of the sexy muscles get all pretty. It really is "just" from getting organs in all nice and snug where they belong!!!

Wow, thanks @FridayJones - I had forgotten about that exercise!

I remember when I finally realized that there was no such thing as 'six pack training' - I wanted the six-pack abs. My coach kept trying to tell me that everyone had a six pack (8 pack) but ab work alone wouldn't bring them out without reducing overall body fat. I simply refused to believe it.

My coach gave me the broomstick exercise as a challenge and what an eye opener it was. No fat loss but inches gone from my waist. And still absolutely no pretty 6 pack. However, after the month of broomstick, I could feel awesome abs under my fat just begging to get out.

I was constantly grabbing my b'f's hand and putting it on my abs and flexing them at the most inopportune moments (i.e. shopping, out for dinner, standing in line at the bank - hmmm... now that I think about it maybe that's part of why he's my ex now!)

Later I saw what my abs could look like if I reduced my overall body fat percentage and did it by reducing portions and eliminating a lot of white foods.

I finally got the six pack and then discovered that getting the six/eight-pack was a hell of a lot easier than keeping it.
 
@FridayJones just tried the twist thing for ten minutes, i figured since I haven't been working out long enough that anything more might make me impaired for me eight hour shift tomorrow....
 
@FridayJones I've always recited poetry in my head over and over. Luckily, last night my co-worker was watching me, so failure was not an option. 45 seconds actually passed quickly, but, uhm, you know, I think my co-worker noticed that my whole body was trembling after about 15 seconds. >.<
 
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