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 1. Wellness
 2. Fitness


I DID 50 WALKING PLANKS A DAY FOR A WEEK — HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ABS

Features
By Jane McGuire
published October 4, 2023

Are walking planks the secret to a stronger core?

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Comments (0)

(Image credit: Shutterstock)


I’ll let you in on a secret — I absolutely hate walking planks. Sure, it’s a
killer bodyweight exercise that can be done from just about anywhere and it
works your core and arm muscles in one go, but that doesn’t make them any more
enjoyable. Whenever I see these in a workout, I tend to imagine an injury and
hold a static plank instead; that is, until now. 



In order to really get to grips with the move (and in the name of good content),
I opted to do 50 walking planks every day for a week. Is this move the secret to
a stronger core, or would this be the fitness challenge that caused me to resign
from my post as Fitness Editor at Tom's Guide? Read on to find out more. 



Of course, what works for me and my body might not be right for you. If you’re
recovering from an injury, or returning to exercise after a break, it’s worth
checking your form with a personal trainer before doing 50 reps of anything.
It’s also worth noting that walking planks might not be suitable for anyone who
has recently given birth or previously suffered a wrist injury. If you are
looking for post-natal ab exercises, here are 7 Diastasis Recti-safe abdominal
exercises to try.





HOW TO DO A WALKING PLANK 

Let's start with how to do a walking plank, which is also known as an up-down
plank or a commando plank, with perfect form: 

LATEST VIDEOS FROM tomsguide Tom's Guide





(Image credit: Shutterstock)
 * Get into the plank position on an exercise mat (if you don’t have one, we’ve
   found the best yoga mats that double as exercise mats here).
 * Keep your palms flat on the floor, with your arms straight. Think about
   keeping your hands beneath your shoulders.
 * Brace your core as you drop your left elbow down to the ground, followed by
   your right. You should still be in a plank position, with your weight on your
   elbows. Don't let your pelvis rotate from side to side as you do this - think
   about keeping your belly button sucked into your spine. 
 * Pause here, then press your left palm into the floor, and rise back up to a
   high plank position. 

Read more about how to do a walking plank, and the different modifications to
try here. 




I DID 50 WALKING PLANKS A DAY FOR A WEEK — HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ABS

This one wasn’t fun, and wasn’t pretty, but after a week of doing 50 reps of the
exercise every single day, here’s what I learned. 


THE PLANKS DIDN’T GET EASIER

For most of these week-long challenges, by day four or five, I’m looking for
ways to add intensity to the move to make things a little more challenging. This
wasn’t the case with walking planks. I found it only took a few reps for my arms
and core to burn. This could be because, as a runner, I don’t spend as much time
on my upper body strength, but compared to my normal ab workouts, this
definitely felt more like a full-body workout. 


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Policy and are aged 16 or over.

If up-down planks are too difficult right now, start by building your strength
in a regular high plank. Once you have mastered that move, try to hold a plank
for a minute, but after 30 seconds move from a high plank to an elbow plank —
this will get you used to the movement. Of course, you can also start with fewer
reps — aim for two up-and-down planks on each arm, and build up from there. 

Looking for more plank inspiration to torch your core? We've found 19 of the
best plank variations here.


MY CORE AND ARMS FELT STRONGER

While this exercise didn’t feel any easier, after a week of doing 50 reps per
day, my core and my arms did feel stronger. Throughout the reps, I thought about
squeezing my belly button in towards my spine, helping me to keep my abs engaged
throughout the move. I also had to think about keeping my pelvis still and
parallel to the floor, rather than rocking from side to side as I moved from the
low plank to the high plank. 

As well as my core shaking after a few reps, my arms took a beating in this
move. I found I often held my breath in an attempt to make the move easier. This
is a common mistake people make with commando planks or any difficult exercise.
When I asked a personal trainer friend to watch my form, she told me to try to
use diaphragmatic breathing instead, which is an expansive breath rather than
restrictive. Your abdominal muscles aid your diaphragm, and the dome-like muscle
technically counts as part of your network of core muscles.


I HAD TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO RUSH

On day one, I moved through the exercise as fast as humanly possible in an
attempt to get my 50 reps over and done with as fast as possible. On day two,
when I unrolled my exercise mat and started doing the same in the gym, a
personal trainer stopped me and said “you do know you’ll get a lot more out of
this exercise if you move slower?” He wasn’t wrong: When slowing the move down,
my core had to work harder to stabilize my body, and my arms had to work harder
pushing from the low plank into the high plank. 

The key to this exercise is to move slowly and with control. I found doing five
sets of 10 reps allowed me to move slower, taking a short break between each
set. I’d also swap which arm I lead with after five reps to ensure I was working
into each side equally.


I HAD TO THINK OF THE MUSCLE GROUP I WAS WORKING

As mentioned above, this is a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle
groups in the body. I found it helped me to really think about the different
muscles I was working as I moved through my reps by creating a mental checklist
from head to toe and gently squeezing each muscle group as I moved. Research has
found this mind-body connection helps you improve your form, and work your
muscles harder.


I’LL BE ADDING IT TO MY CORE ROUTINE IN THE FUTURE

350 reps of walking planks later, I’m still not a fan, but I’ll definitely be
incorporating this ab and arm exercise into my home workout routines going
forward, and hopefully, I won’t dread it as much. I found the key is to break
the move down into shorter sets, and to really focus on the muscles you work as
you go. That said, I’m looking forward to not having to do 50 reps of walking
planks tomorrow. 


MORE FROM TOM'S GUIDE

 * Forget crunches — this 3-move ab workout torches your core in just 7 minutes
 * Forget sit-ups — this 3-move ab workout chisels concrete core muscles in 15
   minutes
 * This 3-move bodyweight shoulder workout carves your pecs, deltoids and
   triceps in 20 minutes

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Jane McGuire
Social Links Navigation
Fitness editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after
everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner,
Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows
what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with
pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements,
you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of
her puppy. 




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