I recently saw my friend and inspiration, @MariaPaulercio, doing a Plank Challenge on Instagram and I decided I had to join in.
What’s the Plank Challenge, you ask?
Well, everyday you push yourself to hold a proper plank form (see image at the end of this blog for proper form) for as long as you can. By as long as you can, I mean until your core muscles can no longer hold you up. Not, “my mind says I can’t do this“. Your mind is a liar most times. You are capable of doing some pretty epic stuff if you push yourself to your absolute max, which is way past when your mind says “I’m done“.
*Please don’t confuse using common sense with pushing past your mental max. There is a difference here and I’m not telling you to push till you hurt yourself. I’m trying to get you to leave your comfort zone, cause THAT’S when the magic happens.*
Each day I do my challenge, I set my iPhone stopwatch to zero, select music that is going to get me pumped up and in the zone, get into my plank pose, press start and then I zone the hell out. You will shake while doing this. You might not last all that long, either. The important thing is proper form and a positive attitude. Each day you’ll see an improvement and you’ll begin to feel your core strengthen.
Here is what plank should and should NOT look like. I recommend using a mirror or have someone check your form, if you are new to it, until you know what correct form feels like.
I have chosen to post my daily results on Instagram with the hashtag #PlankChallenge. I use a photo collage app to show my time, song I listened usually a pic of myself. There is no need to do all of that, but if you are on IG, you know how fun it can be and I think it’s a great way to stay accountable with friends. If you don’t follow me on Instagram but are curious of my progress with this so far, feel free to look me up. My username is Bronc787 or you should be able to Click Here to view my photo stream via Statigram.
If you decide to join the plank challenge, please let me know! I’d love to keep each other motivated, challenged and to push each other to the next level of fitness!
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