In my first blog post about planks, I described how to get into a classic incline. Ideally, the shoulders should be above the wrists. This way your arms are parallel to the wall. The wrists are not overloaded. The body is a straight inclined plank. Leg and especially the abdominal muscles are tensed.
There are many variations of this basic pose.
I got the ideas from Sean Vigue's book 'Thirty days of Planks'.
It is important to perform the positions correctly. You should also hold the postures for at least ten breaths. That's what Sean recommends. I tend to use a timer and set it to one minute.
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The next variation is the side planks. Sean places his top foot on the floor. This makes it easier to balance. But you don't have to do this. For me, this pose is a preparation for Vasishasana, the first pose in the 3rd Ashtanga yoga series. I don't want to make the balance any easier for myself, especially as it's easy for me to do the pose when my feet are on top of each other.
It is easier to balance with indoor shoes. The pose was also recommended to me by the personal trainer at the gym.
It is important not to let the hips sink. The body should be parallel. It feels as if the hips have to be pushed forward.
Dristhi is the hand that stretches upwards.
This exercise can also be easily integrated into any Ashtanga yoga series.
The exercise is easier if you support yourself on your forearm.
This is followed by a dynamic variation of the plank pose. The right and left knee are alternately brought to the floor. The body remains straight. This is also an easy balancing exercise. The abdominal muscles remain tensed. Twenty repetitions are suggested. The outstretched leg presses backwards.
The exercises look simple, but they're really tough.
The left and right leg are alternately stretched upwards. The hips remain parallel or pull towards the floor. This exercise strengthens the gluteus muscle. It also stretches the hip flexor. This is another dynamic exercise that should be repeated up to 20 times.
These six plank variations will keep you busy for a good week. As with everything, daily practice is important. Next week I will introduce the next variations from Sean Vigue's book.
Let's be strong.