After mat class last Tuesday, a long-time student came up to me beaming and said:
“You know, I think I’m getting stronger.”
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“I can feel it in my gardening. I’ve been moving some big plants around,” she laughed. “Also, I didn't hate the forearm plank we did today in class.”
She's talking about a variation of the plank that puts an intense focus on your upper body and core.
It’s super-duper challenging, especially at first, so she didn’t like it when she initially started practicing it a while back.
But she’s been practicing and can feel the benefits showing up in her gardening—and I love that SO much!
In today’s video, I’ll show you this strength-building exercise and how to align your ribcage and stabilize your shoulder blades while you do it.
Carefully following these form points can remove any strain from the lower back so your upper body and core can benefit big-time.
It doesn’t look like a regular plank, though.
You might even think it looks weird or assume it’ll be too easy, but looks can be deceiving when it comes to alignment.
Planks are often practiced with a ribcage thrust, decreasing your core and midback engagement and increasing the likelihood you will strain your lower back.
So, try this Forearm Plank to build serious strength in your upper body and core like never before.
After you do, I’d love to know how it went. You can tell me in the comments below.
With upper body strength,
Sydney
P.S. The adjustment in this exercise is just one example of how focusing on your alignment can radically enhance your results.
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6 Responses
Thank you so much. I appreciate your viseos very much.
So glad the videos are helpful, Marion. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for posting these Sidney. I’m definitely challenged by this one. I am hardly able to hold this position without trembling right away. Does that most likely mean weak upper body, arms, or core? Do I just practice this one until it becomes easier, or should I incorporate other exercises to address a weakness.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Barbara! The trembling is a great sign that you’re effectively applying the alignment points, and getting to areas you might normally bypass, which is only going to increase your upper body, arm and core strength, overall.
It would be fun to add this exercise to your routine for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. I have a feeling it will get easier!
Hey.. the videos aren’t showing only the audio is working.
Hi Misbah! I double-checked, and didn’t find any issues with the videos playing. Have you tried updating your browser, or using a different one, or clearing the cookies? That normally does the trick for me when I’m having trouble viewing something online.