Getting the Abs Back: Plank Challenge

After a baby, the most disfigured portion on the body is the midsection. The abs won't come back without some work so I'm throwing out a challenge for anyone who wants to get their abs back with me. All you need is 5 minutes and a floor.

Planks are awesome core developers when done correctly.
Here's a few safety and form tips.
Pretend that you are pulling the belly button in and then tucking it up under your ribs. Slighty engage your glute muscles (squeeze your butt a bit). Pull your knee caps up to activate your quads. Keep your spine in one long line from your tailbone to the top of your head. Have someone check this. If you are pulling your belly up, you won't sway your back and feel the pressure in the low back. Make sure you don't lift your hips in the air. This takes away the work from the core. Push strongly through the elbows so that your shoulder blades are open and apart in the back. Print and put these tips right under your face so you can remind yourself when you're getting tired.

Here's the challenge: you and I are going to do the following plank workout everyday for 2 weeks (until Nov. 1st). It will only take 5 minutes which can be fit in even with newborns. In fact, our babies would love to lay beside us and have some face to face time anyway!

Here's the workout:
Do each exercise for 1 minute. If you are new to planks, try doing each exercise for 15-30 seconds each. Every week, increase your time by 15 seconds until you've built up to 1 minute each. All of these plank exercises can be modified to the knees.

1. Basic Plank
Set yourself up facing the ground with elbows directly under your shoulders on the floor. Your arms should make a 90 degree angle. Tucking your toes on the ground, lift legs and torso off of the ground in a straight line. Following the the tips for form above, have your feet about hips distance apart. To modify this, move from this position, keeping toes tucked, but let your knees touch the ground.

2. Plank with leg swings
Start in basic plank position. Keeping your hips level and stationary, take one leg out to the side and tap the toe then return to basic plank. Alternate side to side. Keep torso in good form.

3. Spiderman plank
Start in basic plank position. Bring your right knee out to the side and towards the right elbow. Then, return the foot back to basic plank. Alternate side to side keeping your torso squared up to the floor. You should look like spiderman crawling up a wall so keep those knees out and parallel to the floor so it's as if you were climbing up the flat surface.

4. One-armed plank
Start in basic plank position, but move your left elbow a few inches toward the midline of your body. Put the right arm behind your back. Make sure you do not lift your right hip. Keep both hips squared to the floor. Modify if needed and do both sides for 30 sec. to equal 1 minute.

5. Side plank
Lay on your side and put your elbow directly under your shoulder. Put your top foot in front of your bottom foot. Lift your hips and legs off of the floor and make your body 1 long line on it's side by pressing your elbow and feet into the floor. If this is too hard, put the bottom knee down, but keep your hips up. Hold this for 30 sec. then switch sides to equal 1 minute.

There are variations of these moves I'll give you later on. I'll let you know how my first 5 minute plank workout goes! I just taught Spinning and have BodyPump yet to teach so I have a feeling I will be feeling this!