The Planks You Should Be Doing (But Probably Aren't) - Q by Equinox

The Planks You Should Be Doing (But Probably Aren't)

Master Trainer Josh Stolz recommends you take this traditional move in new directions.

Wednesday, September 04, 2013 | Sheila Monaghan

Now that the plank has effectively supplanted the crunch as the go-to core-strengthener, exercisers have placed a premium on their ability to hold the toning move—the longer, the better. As one-minute planks gave way to three-minute planks, and three-minute planks evolved into ten-minute planks, marathon plank-holding has become a calling card of sorts. But, according to Equinox experts, in terms of your fitness progression, it's an exercise in futility, as pointless as cranking out a crazy number of sit-ups. 

"Being able to hold a traditional plank for 10 minutes isn't very functional for anything except just that," says Tier 4 trainer Josh Stolz. "Even Stuart McGill (a top authority and researcher of low back pain and function) recommends holding a plank for 10 seconds, tops, followed by a brief, 1-to-2 seconds-long relaxation of the muscles. This can be repeated a certain number of times, but the point here is that standard planking for a long period of time is not functional because muscles and fascia need to turn on and turn off." 

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