The plank and the side plank are often touted as a great core exercises.

This usually means that people ‘feel’ it in their mid section, but actually if you look at the mechanics of it, planks do a lot more than the work the core.

Rather than list all the muscles planks stimulates to contract, I find it easier to re-define what core means. Dr Gary Gray said it best when he described the core as “anything that connects the toes to the nose”.

When you get the proper position with the side plank your outside or lateral ankle is touching the ground at one end and your elbow at the other.  That means in order to lift up your hips you have to have good ankle, lower leg, thigh and hip strength.  From the other end you have to have strong shoulder muscles, scapular muscles neck muscles and upper back muscles.  That fits the definition of core as “toes to nose” quite well!

In this video I take an unwitting Alex (he’d never done it before but he told me he could hold a plank for a long time) through my side plank matrix.  In the video I mention that this plank is correcting a reverse C-Shape (dextroscoliosis) but it is great for everyone.

Part 1
Once you are in position you move the pelvis in small(ish) movements.
First in the sagittal plane (front and back)
Secondly in the frontal plane (up and down)
Thirdly in the transverse plane (rotation).

I like people to move the pelvis in all 3 planes because all the muscles of the pelvis have that capability and in order to stimulate or strengthen them you have to move them how they are capable of moving.

The standard static or isometric plank is fine, but this is way better for eliminating back pain, improving hip strength, improving balance and, in this case, would be one exercise to use when correcting a dextroscoliosis.

However I do want to put a caveat in there, if you are in the middle of a flair up for pain then start with a static or isometric plank.  If your pain is present no matter what you do then give this a go.  It may make things a little sore while do it but as you start to add more exercises to your daily regime the pain will go.

Part 2
Uses the upper side arm to create a ‘chain reaction’ of movement so the pelvis still moves but the arm is the initiator or driver of movement.

Part 3
Introduces the top side up leg as the driver to create the movement in the pelvis.  It’s similar to Part 2 but uses the arm!

Part 4
Combines leg and arm movement in all 3 planes for a really tough work out. (This is for advanced participants only!)

 

5 Benefits of Doing Side Planks in 3D

Core work is all the rage at the moment. I personally think that too many trainers and therapists have lost sight of the interconnectedness of the body and focus too much on isolating ‘this’ muscle or isolating ‘that’ one. Sure, sometimes mindful reconnection does have a place, but if you are looking to get rid of back pain or keep strong, then isolated exercise should be performed only at the beginning of a progressive well structured program that increases mobility, strength and endurance to the entire body. I.E if you are still rolling round on the floor after 3 months of seeing trainer for back pain, you should be asking them why!

A tighter belly

Moving in 3D will exercise your abdominal muscles, which include your rectus abdominus (the six pack) along with your obliques and other deep stabilizing muscles.This means that you could well get a six pack from moving like this. The reason you might not be able to see a six pack is that it lies under inches of belly fat…and…despite what magazines like “Men’s Health” or “Women’s Fitness” tell you, it isn’t possible to spot reduce. So seeing the strong abs is very different from having them. You have to loose fat!

 Beat Back Pain

Moving in 3D helps stimulate all the spinal stabilizing muscles from the smallest to the biggest. But the trick is that they are stimulated in a way they aren’t used to being stimulated. Usually they contract or relax in response to how you move when you are upright, think walking, or sitting. However planking puts you at a 90 degree ankle to the force of gravity. This means that the plank sometimes does not cause pain when you exercise the muscles, the brain just doesn’t associate that position with pain. However, if you do find this unreasonably painful then you can regress the exercise as shown to use your knees rather than your ankles and stick with small movements in part one only! (Some pain is OK when working with chronic back pain).

 

Flexibility

 

As you move up and down in the frontal plane you get a very specific stretch to you lower back. As you move up you contract the muscle on the underside which is what provides the lift. This stretching and contracting not only strengthens muscles but also can help in improving their flexibility. As you are up on your shoulder the same thing happens in the shoulder complex. The muscles are taken through the range of motion under tension and then contract to return you to the starting place, this is great for both strength and flexibility.

 

Improve Your Sex Life

 

Ok, I thought I would sneak that one in here, who doesn’t want a strong mobile mid section that move well in all 3 planes?

 

Increased shoulder and neck strength

In my career as an osteopath I’ve seen lots of people who have weaknesses in one part of a muscle chain that prevents the whole chain from working. You know they say, a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.Let me give you a common example. Some people want to be able to do a sit up. Sure, it’s not that practical to sit up and lie down over and over again but you should be able to do it once with ease, think getting up from the floor or bed. I’ve met people who could not sit up without supporting their head. This is because their neck muscle were disproportionately weak compared to their abs. Their neck weakness prevented them from doing a sit up, even though their abs were strong enough. They could do sit ups, but they couldn’t get out of bed with out an elaborate head holding maneuver! The side planks helps to promote strength into your neck and shoulder that is proportional to the strength in the whole side of you body.

 

 

How to Perform a 3D Side Plank

You can view a side plank demonstration in the video above, but for those of you who prefer a written description, here are the basic steps for performing a side plank.

• “Lie on your side with your elbow directly underneath your shoulder and your forearm perpendicular to your body, your hand should be flat and spread out for balance. Your feet should be stacked on top of each other.
• Push your body up into so that there is a straight line down the middle of your body, the straight line should go from your nose to your belly button then down the middle of you legs to your ankles.
• Once in position you can hold it (do that for 20-30 seconds)
• If that becomes easy then add in Part 1 – a moving your pelvis in the sagittal plane, the frontal plane and the transverse plane.
• Have a rest for about 30-45 second before moving to Part 2, the arm drivers in all three planes.
• Rest
• Part 3 the leg driver
• Rest
• Part 4 Combined arm and leg drivers.

Are there other types of planks?

Yes! Yes you can perform the plank in many different ways: front, side, and reverse—each puts your body in a different orientation with regards to gravity.  This means that each position will stimulate different muscles in different ways.
For example, The front or normal plank stimulates the  rectus abdominus, lower back, chest, shoulders, upper trapezius, and neck, biceps, triceps, glutes, thighs, and calves.

To perform a front plank lie face down, place your elbows under your shoulders and push up so that only your forearms, and toes are touching the ground.  You back and legs should make a straight line, try not to stick you butt in the air or let it sag.  If you need an easier version just rest your knees on the ground.  Hold this static position or you could try and 3D it!

The  reverse plank: This is similar to a table top position that is common in yoga, the difference is that your legs will be straight.
Start out by sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place your hands on the floor behind your pelvis, contract your buttocks and thighs, and then lift your pelvis up into a reverse plank position.  Try to make a straight line from your nose to your toes, so don’t let your head drop backward or your hips sag.   For bonus points see if you can point your toes to get your feet flat on the floor!

  

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