Number 7 Crossed Off – Do A Front Plank For One Minute

If you have ever tried to do a front plank, you will know it is not the easiest exercise to do. And this is especially true if you don’t have that much arm and core strength.

Front Plank

Dr. Oz suggests we should be able to hold one front plank for at least a minute as part of our overall exercsie program. Joyce Leslie, one of my running buddies, told me she wouldn’t let me run the Rock n Roll Half Marathon until I could do my one minute front plank.

At first, I was lucky if I could hold myself up for 10 seconds. Sixty seconds was an eternity. I started trying to do these planks twice a day to build up the time. Slowly, I was able to build up to 15 seconds, 30 seconds, then 45 seconds. I even made it finally to 55 seconds.  But that one minute eluded me as I just couldn’t hold it before my arms and shoulders gave out.

Then in March, I started TRX Training with ForwardFitness. TRX is all about core strength and incorporated into that is legs, arms, abs, and back strenght training. The instructors have us doing planks from an exercise ball, push-ups from an exercise ball, push-ups from a Bosu and, yes, just regular front and side planks besides all their other exercises that build up your core.

After several weeks of this training, I am proud to say that on April 28th, I finally did an one minute front plank.

I will have to show Joyce soon. If I don’t, Joyce will make sure I show her on the morning of the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in front of all those thousands of people.