The plank exercise is a staple in many effective workout routines. Depending on your body weight, the plank can burn between two to five calories per minute. As an isometric exercise, it involves the contraction of specific muscle groups while holding a static position. While the plank may not seem to burn many calories per minute, its ability to tone and strengthen various muscle groups more than compensates for its calorie-burning limitations. In this article, you’ll find details about the plank exercise and its impact on body composition.
Calorie-Burning Potential of the Plank Exercise
The plank is an isometric exercise commonly included in most workout plans. It engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, creating a toning and strengthening effect. When you perform the plank, muscles in the abdomen, lower back, glutes, pelvis, hips, diaphragm, arms, and legs are activated .
So, what is the plank’s potential for burning calories? While the plank contributes to your weight-loss goals, it may not be enough on its own. Instead of using the plank solely for fat burning or weight loss, you can incorporate it into your routine to improve stability and endurance. For weight loss, cardio exercises may be a more effective approach. Adding the plank to your workout plan helps strengthen various body parts, particularly the core. It also enhances core stability and reduces the risk of injury during other exercises.
While plank exercises alone may not significantly boost calorie burn, combining the plank with other movements can lead to more effective results.
Factors Affecting Calorie Burn During Plank Exercises
The number of calories burned during a plank depends on factors such as body weight, duration, and individual metabolism . Below are the key factors influencing calorie burn during a plank:
Body Weight
Body weight plays a significant role in determining how many calories are burned during a plank. Individuals with higher body weight tend to burn more energy during a plank since their muscles have to work harder to support their body mass. Maintaining a proper plank position and stability with higher body weight requires extra effort, leading to increased calorie expenditure.
For example, a 50 kg adult may burn approximately 2 calories per minute during a plank, while an 80 kg adult could burn 4 to 5 calories per minute. The longer the duration of the plank, the more calories are burned. It’s important to note that body mass index (BMI) plays a crucial role in calculating calorie burn .
Plank Duration
The longer you hold the plank position during your workout, the more calories you will burn. If you have a higher muscle-to-fat ratio, you may even continue burning calories during the rest period between plank sets. Longer plank holds require sustained muscle engagement, which increases energy consumption as the muscles work harder to maintain the position. This results in greater calorie burn.
Incorporating these factors into your workout can help optimize the effectiveness of your plank exercise routine.
Individual Metabolic Rate
Each person has a unique metabolic rate that influences the speed at which they burn calories. Factors such as age, gender, muscle mass, and overall fitness level affect metabolism. Regularly performing strength training exercises like the plank can gradually increase your metabolic rate, allowing you to get more out of your plank exercises over time.
How Many Calories Does a Plank Burn?
Based on the factors mentioned above, it is possible to estimate how many calories a plank exercise can burn. You can make your own calculations based on your body metrics. To help with more accurate estimates, here are examples of how much calorie-burning potential different body weights have during a plank:
- A 54 kg adult can burn approximately 4 calories with a 1-minute plank. This increases to 20 calories for a 5-minute plank and 40 calories for a 10-minute plank.
- A 68 kg adult can burn 5 calories with a 1-minute plank, 25 calories with a 5-minute plank, and 50 calories with a 10-minute plank.
- An 81 kg adult can burn 6 calories with a 1-minute plank, 30 calories with a 5-minute plank, and 60 calories with a 10-minute plank.
These calculations show how body weight and duration impact the calorie-burning potential of a plank exercise.
How to Do a Plank and What Are Its Variations?
If you want to increase the number of calories burned during a plank, you need to ensure that you’re performing the exercise correctly. When done properly, the plank activates all your abdominal muscles. Your goal during the plank should not only be to achieve maximum results but also to maintain proper form. Incorrect positioning can increase the risk of injury and reduce muscle activation.
You don’t need any equipment to perform a plank, but using a mat can provide comfort for your hands on hard surfaces. Follow these steps to perform the plank exercise correctly:
- Lie face down on a mat.
- Place your hands under your shoulders and lift your torso onto your forearms, keeping your elbows beneath your shoulders.
- Engage your inner thighs and glutes to maintain a tight position.
- Activate your core by pulling your belly button up toward your spine.
- Tuck your toes into the mat and lift your knees, keeping your back straight.
- Ensure your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Your neck should be relaxed, and your gaze directed at the floor.
- For beginners, aim to hold this position for 20-30 seconds.
If you feel your form slipping, lower yourself down and rest. Avoid letting your lower back sag or your hips lift too high. Remember to breathe properly to supply your muscles with oxygen. In addition to the classic plank, you can try different plank variations to add variety to your workout. Here are some plank exercises you can try:
- Plank Jacks: In the classic plank position, perform jumping jacks with your legs by jumping your feet out to the sides and back in.
- Straight Arm Plank: Instead of resting on your forearms, lift your body onto your palms and toes, keeping your arms straight and engaged.
- Side Plank: Perform the plank on your right or left side, holding the position with your body aligned sideways.
These variations help target different muscle groups and keep your plank workouts more dynamic and challenging.
Side Plank Crunch: This variation combines the side plank with a crunch movement, making it a highly effective exercise for engaging all the abdominal muscles.
Dolphin Plank: A variation where you raise your hips, mimicking a diving dolphin. This plank primarily focuses on core stability and flexibility.
Reverse Plank: This is the reverse version of the traditional plank, where you perform the exercise lying on your back instead of your front.
Health and Fitness Benefits of a Daily Plank Routine
Did you know that performing planks regularly has numerous benefits for both your health and fitness? Here are some of the key advantages:
Reduced Risk of Injury
Planks target the entire core, preventing excessive strain on the spine and hips. This not only helps reduce back pain but also strengthens the back muscles. Reducing the risk of spinal and back injuries is especially important during weightlifting exercises.
Improved Posture
Your posture is heavily reliant on core strength. The stronger your core, the easier it is to maintain a good posture. Plank exercises not only strengthen your core but also engage your glutes, contributing to overall posture improvement.
Increased Shoulder Strength
Shoulders are one of the most actively used muscles during upper body workouts. Planks help strengthen your shoulders, reducing the likelihood of post-workout soreness and injury.
Enhanced Muscular Endurance
As an isometric exercise, planks require your muscles to contract without visible movement. This builds endurance rather than just strength. Muscular endurance is crucial for stability during fitness exercises and for sustained activities like running and cycling.
Strengthened Glutes
The glutes, hamstrings, calves, and lower back muscles form the posterior chain, which is critical for supporting your back and enabling daily movements. Strengthening this muscle group through plank exercises enhances balance and power during fitness routines.
Increased Flexibility
Planks stretch key muscles in the posterior chain, including the shoulders, shoulder blades, and collarbone, thereby improving flexibility. This exercise also activates other muscle groups, such as the hamstrings, toes, and foot arches.
Simultaneously Engages Multiple Muscle Groups
Planks work various muscle groups simultaneously. Studies have shown that exercises that activate multiple muscles at once lead to better overall results. Distributing tension evenly throughout your body during a plank creates a highly effective workout routine.
In summary, plank exercises can be incredibly beneficial for your overall fitness. They strengthen and tone muscles, improve posture, boost endurance, and enhance flexibility, all while reducing the risk of injury.
Which Muscle Groups Does the Plank Activate?
The plank, one of the foundational exercises in fitness routines, plays a significant role in improving muscular endurance and strength. The plank primarily involves holding a straight position, which activates several muscle groups throughout the body. By maintaining a stable and solid posture, the following muscle groups are engaged, improving endurance, flexibility, and strength:
- Arms: During the plank, you need to push your body upward, which engages your biceps, triceps, and forearm muscles.
- Chest and Shoulders: Planks effectively work the deltoid muscles in your shoulders and the pectoral muscles in your chest, enhancing upper body strength.
- Core (Abdominals): The plank forces you to support your body weight on your hands and toes, activating core muscles like the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques.
- Back: To maintain a neutral spine during the plank, you engage the muscles of the back, including the trapezius and latissimus dorsi.
- Legs: The entire lower body, including glutes, hamstrings (back of the thighs), and quadriceps (front of the thighs), is also activated during the plank.
By targeting these muscle groups simultaneously, the plank becomes an effective full-body exercise, strengthening and toning various areas of the body while also improving balance and stability.