Planks & Pushups & Fitness...Oh My!

Plank challenges have probably been blowing up your Facebook feed, your Pinterest pages and have seemed to be on everyone's brain. Normally they begin with 30 seconds, and then every day for a month you add 5-10 seconds until you're just planking every moment of your life. No, kidding, but that is the general idea behind a plank challenge. Basically you are building up your body's ability to hold the plank position which helps tone and sculpt the muscles in your core and arms.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why people are eager to add it to their workout routine. There is no fancy equipment no crazy technique, just good form, strength and patience. To mix things up you can add in some variations, (pictured above).

What about the old "drop and give me 20"? Don't let the plank hype phase you...the push-up is still a must for fit folks. The regular old push-up that you remember from middle school gym class is a force to reckoned with. It strengthens and tones all of the muscles in your upper body, especially arms, chest and core. It can be varied to fit people of all abilities, from the wall push-up, the inclined push-up, traditional push-up, diamond push-up and a plyometric "clap" push-up wherein you fly up into the air and clap between reps. You can even do push-ups on your knuckles for a different range of motion. The reason the exercise has stuck around so long is because it works, and depending on where you are at with your fitness journey, there is a perfect push up for you. As you practice the movement more and more, you will notice that you will easily transition into more challenging forms of the exercise. 

Plank and Push-up are both an awesome part of any fitness routine. Utilize both for increased strength, toned core and arms, and stamina. 

Fitness doesn't have to be complicated, make it work for you!

If you are interested in building a daily routine, or have specific goals you are trying to reach and need advice or training on how to fit these moves into a regimen that produces results...send us an e-mail or give us a call. Norton Fitness Contact