How to make weight loss boards: tips and tricks for beginners

If you want to pump the pressure, strengthen the core core muscles, tighten the stomach, make it flat, strengthen the shoulder and gluteal muscles, the plank will help you.

Is it hard to believe that doing one exercise a day can improve strength, figure, mood and more? But it is true! This pose has many positive effects on your body. Although it may not be the easiest exercise to do, doing it regularly will give you lifelong benefits.

In yoga, the plank pose or Phalakasana is a pose for strength development, as it stretches all the major torso muscles as well as the shoulders, strengthens the neck, back muscles, buttocks and quadriceps and abdomen. The board is also known as the isometric stand. It contracts the muscles, forcing them to maintain a predetermined position. You stand on the grass and your body works.

This is the most popular exercise in all fitness programs and does not require machinery, equipment, free weights and fitness. All you need is your body, desire and perseverance, and you can do it at home too!

The board will help speed up metabolism, improve blood circulation and exercise is suitable for everyone: both beginners and advanced, both men and women. You will find this exercise in yoga, Pilates, stretching, bodybuilding.

A seemingly simple static exercise just looks like this. Once you stay in the bar for a minute, you will realize that time does not fly so fast. By the way, the world record is 8 hours, 1 minute and 1 second for men. Women's record - 3 hours 31 minutes. So you have something to fight for. Now for everything okay.

Useful properties of the tape for health and weight loss

Exercises not only tighten muscles, but also have preventive and curative effects against some diseases. The effect is guaranteed by the systematic implementation of the exercise. The board is capable of:

• prevention and elimination of the first manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine;
• significantly improves posture;
• relieving back pain;
• stimulation of blood circulation;
• speeds up metabolism;
• burn calories.

Please note that the last two points indicate that this exercise contributes to weight loss.

What muscles work

During the execution of the standard (classic) bar, the following muscles function:

• Rectal and transverse abdominal muscles;
• Biceps, triceps, deltoid;
• Lumbar paravertebral muscles;
• Biceps, quadriceps thighs and calves;
• Buttock muscles;
• Back and chest muscles.

Useful features

1. Strengthens the torso muscles. When you are trying to build core strength, this pose is most beneficial because it targets all the muscle groups in your abdomen. . . and you thought there was only belly to belly? The plank works not only with the abdomen, but also the stabilizing muscles, as well as the lateral abdominal muscles, which are responsible for the position of the hips and spine muscles.
2. Muscles become more stressed. The plank also loads the muscles of the shoulders, chest, legs and back. They will also grow. The functionality of this pose, combined with the isometric tension, helps the muscles throughout the body to "dry out" and become more pronounced.
3. Accelerates metabolism. Strength and muscle mass, which increase with the right exercises, have another great feature, besides added strength and good figure - an accelerated metabolism! When you increase muscle mass, you speed up your metabolism at rest, which allows you to burn more calories.
4. Prevents back pain. As your abdominal muscles get stronger, your body needs to rely less on using your back muscles to maintain your posture. Instead of back muscles, the torso muscles now function, which are used for all exercises and work, which reduces the possibility of back pain.
5. Your attitude improves. Improving posture is most often achieved by strengthening the health and strength of the back and torso muscles. When you take the board position, the muscles of the back, neck, shoulders and abdominal muscles work to organically keep your body in position.
6. Improved coordination. Maintaining isometric posture stimulates improved coordination and balance in general. If you learn how to perform the board skillfully, you will also be able to maintain an upright posture more effectively and consistently.
7. Improves joint and bone health. The board allows you to train with heavy weights while reducing the unpleasant and negative effects associated with exercises such as running and jumping. When you stay in this pose, new living bone is created, which helps build healthier and stronger bones. Physical activity performed during exercise also improves blood circulation to the joints, making them more mobile. Reduces friction.
8. Improves mood and reduces stress. Doing the board, like any other exercise, stimulates the release of endorphins of the active neurochemical composition. Endorphins improve mood and create a sense of joy, and also help relieve stress. This pose can also relieve tension, as the body is given the opportunity to stretch when doing this exercise.

Judging by the number of pluses from its implementation, it is not difficult to understand why it is so popular.

Whether you are just starting out or just adding a minute to your time in this pose, remember that quality is always more important than quantity or duration. Once your posture starts to "detach", you should stop, take a break and try again on the set or the next day.

Accurate execution technique

The algorithm for performing the movement is very simple, but nevertheless, be attentive to the little things, learn how to stay on the bar correctly, competent technique is the key to success.

• Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows on the floor at shoulder level. Place your forearms on the floor. The bent arms should form a 90 degree angle. Straighten your legs and now lean on your toes and forearms. The legs can be placed together or spread across the width of the hips. Make sure your elbows are below your shoulders.
• Squeeze and straighten the whole body. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe.
• Do not bend the spine, do not raise the pelvis;
• Tighten the press;
• Breathing is calm and quiet.

There are many types of this exercise. But if you master the technique of performing the classic plank, then there will be no problems with other options.

Common mistakes

• Raise the pelvis above head level. The position of the bar itself has been violated. What does this lead to? This is the most common mistake. People often feel tempted to raise their hips because this will allow them to hold the pose longer. The problem is that when you lift your hips up, most of the load falls on your shoulders and the pose loses its meaning. This mistake leads to the development of pain in the shoulders and back. Keep your hips in a straight line between your heels and your shoulders.
• Deviation in the cervical region. Overloaded neck muscles. During the performance, the neck should be kept in a neutral position - the head should not fall down or rise up. Imagine that both the head and the neck are part of a straight line created by the rest of your body. When the neck is not in this line and the head is down or up, you are more likely to notice pain in the upper back or neck.
• Raise the elbows to the side, tying the fingers to the lock and lowering the head below the desired level. As a result, the shoulders are less involved, rushing blood to the head. If you hold your hands on top of each other, this will reduce the effectiveness of the pose. When your hands hold each other, the abdominal muscles work less. Always keep your arms away, extending them in a straight line from your elbows, keeping your hands on the floor.
• Deviation in the lower back. If you continue to stand in a pose with such a mistake, you may have problems with your lower back. When you arch your back, the weight of your body stops loading the muscles, instead, the vertebrae and the ligaments between them hold the load. This mistake leads to pain in the lower back. Correct the error by slightly rotating the pelvis. This will make your back straight. It is also useful to tighten the buttocks.
• The hips are very low. If your hips go too low, then all of your body weight will stay on your lower vertebrae, though your torso muscles need to work. It seems easier to lean on your back than on your muscles, but then the exercise loses its meaning.
• A rounded back is a sign that your shoulders are bent. People sometimes make this mistake to compensate for a weak torso. The mistake that can easily get your claim denied is to fail. To correct this mistake, move your shoulders down, away from your ears. The trapezius and lumbar muscles of the back (upper back muscles) should be tightened to prevent rounding of the back.

Tips for beginners

Perform the exercise on a yoga mat or towel so that the firm floor does not make your elbows uncomfortable. Before exercising, warm up by lying down or doing a few simple exercises for three minutes. For the first few days stay on the grass for only 20 seconds. That's enough for a beginner. To facilitate the exercise, place your feet hip-width apart.

If even in this position you do not feel confident enough, then do it from the knees.

After a few days, when the muscles get stronger, twist the bar from the knees by running one leg and holding it in weight. Stand like this for 30 seconds, then switch legs. After completing the exercise, we recommend that you take the balasana - a baby pose. This will relieve tension and relax the core muscles.

Is it possible to do the bar during menstruation

Definitely yes. During menstruation, you can do many things, especially with sports. Some young ladies may use critical days as an excuse not to study, but to lie on the couch, browsing the glow, afford some cakes. But you will not do it. If during this period you have a catastrophic drop in strength and mood, then it is better to slow down with exercise. And if critical days are not so critical for you, then stay on the health bar.

How long should you stay on the bar for weight loss?

Not sure how long to hold the plank pose? Hold until you find it difficult to maintain proper technique, or hold until you feel your muscles start to ache and your body start to shake - then hold for another 5-10 seconds.

If this is your first time in this pose and you find yourself easily on foot for 1 minute, congratulations. You are in satisfactory physical condition. But if you are completely new to the sport, then you can start with 10 seconds, doing five reps a day. After a while, when the muscles get stronger, do 4 rounds of 30 seconds, each time increasing the duration of the exercise by 1 second.

Remember that the main thing is technique. It is better to stand for 20 seconds in perfect shape than 40 seconds with your lower back arched.

Plan daily, but leave one day a week to rest.

But you have to understand that it all depends on the capabilities of your body. By starting to train and evaluate your strength, you will be able to choose the best option and time and stay in this position with health benefits and pleasure.

When it's best to do the weight loss board is up to you. After all, it's good because it requires nothing but your body and a little space. Exercises can be done in the morning, in the evening and during the day, but you should not do it immediately after eating and immediately before bedtime.

How to stay longer on the board

Regular training will allow you to stay on the bar longer and more technically. But other points are also important:

• Comfortable shoes and clothes. Be comfortable in this sense. You should not be distracted by the upper shoulder strap or the slippery sneakers.
• A fairly soft rug or towel that will allow you to stay in the pose for longer. After all, the pain from a hard floor, felt in the elbow, can make you give up prematurely.
• Airy room. You need oxygen.
• Turn on the music.
• Stay calm, turn off the phone, take care not to get distracted unintentionally.
• Motivate yourself mentally. The words: "My body is working, my muscles are getting stronger, I'm getting better! " Work great.
• Do a warm-up before exercise.
• Use a stopwatch. When you see how the seconds increase, it motivates you.

Popular plank options: techniques, nuances and differences

classical

You should lean on your toes and forearms. The arms are bent at the elbows at an angle of 90 degrees, the forearms are parallel to each other. Your body from head to toe is a straight line. Tighten your back and leg muscles. Do not lower the pelvis, raise or lower the head. Breathing is equal.

Full or straight arms

Straighten your arms and raise your hips, keeping your hands on the floor. This board may seem even easier for some people who have a more developed upper body. This variety will make the shoulders more durable than the classic. The fingers should be away from each other and the middle finger should point straight ahead. Rotate the inside of your elbow forward to include your biceps.

side

Lie on your right side, placing your feet on top of each other. Place your lower right elbow directly under your right shoulder and lift your thigh off the floor to create a straight line. You should feel tension in the waist area. Extend the left arm toward the ceiling or place it on the left thigh. Hold this pose for a few seconds, then repeat the same with the other, left side of the body. If you feel like one side of your body is stronger than the other, keep doing the same number of repetitions on each side to make them just as strong.

Lateral with raising legs

When you can hold the sideboard for a minute, you can try this variation. Get up in a sideboard position and, holding the position, lift the upper leg a few inches off the floor, then, stretching the muscles, controlling the movement of the leg, lower it backwards. Do 10 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Lateral with lowering of the hips

Standing on a sideboard, lower your pelvis down without touching the floor, then return to the starting position. What does it give? Increase the load on the oblique.

Full leg raise

Start in a full plank position, resting your hands on the floor and keeping your hips and abdomen tight. Raise one leg up, squeezing your buttocks. Hold your foot in the air for a few seconds, then switch to the other foot and do the same. It is not necessary to lift the legs too high, it is important to stretch them away from you. Do 10 reps with each leg.

The opposite

Sit on the floor. Place your hands on the floor, turning them slightly back. Raise your pelvis. The palms should be strictly below the shoulders. Opara on the palms and soles. Tighten your body, it should form a straight line.

In football

We perform the classic board, but raise the legs with the help of a football. The ball is kicked out of play.

Army or dynamic

Start at the base position of the plank with your forearms on the floor. Now, pushing first with your right hand, then with your left, move to a full board position. After that, sit back in the base position, starting again on the right side. Do 10 reps on each side - 10 reps on the right, then 10 reps on the left.

Rock climber or knee pull

Start in a full position, then tighten the abdominal muscles and pull the right knee toward the chest using the lower abdominal muscles. Return the right leg to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the left leg. Continue to repeat the exercise with both knees 20-30 times. You can do it fast or slow, the main thing is the right technique because it is more important than speed.

With alternating shoulder touches

Start in a full position, keeping your hips as stable as possible. Extend with your right hand on your left shoulder. Return the right hand to its original position, then touch the right shoulder with the left hand. Keep repeating this exercise 20-30 times.

But now that you know a lot more about barbells than before, you ask, how many pounds can you lose weight with the help of exercise? Maybe the answer will disappoint you, but if you do not create a calorie deficit in your diet, then even this 30-day fat burning program will not help you lose weight. It will help strengthen the muscles, make them stronger. If you want to lose weight, start burning more calories than you consume. A simple math rule works on weight loss: if more has come than lost, all the excess goes to body fat. I wish we could learn how to save money on how our body stores fat! Make the board by combining it with these tips:

Useful tips for exercise and weight loss

• Eat eggs for breakfast. Consumption of eggs in the morning has many positive properties, one of which is accelerated weight loss. If you replace the bread that many people eat for breakfast with eggs, then you will lose more calories and fat for that day and you will be more full.
• Drink coffee (preferably black). Coffee contains a large amount of antioxidants and has many health benefits. Caffeine contained in a cup of coffee speeds up metabolism by 3-11%. But coffee should not be added to sugar or other high-calorie ingredients, as this completely removes its benefits.
• Eliminate the hidden sugar from your diet. Sugar is one of the most harmful ingredients in the current human diet. Many people consume a lot of sugar. Studies have shown that sugar and fructose syrup are associated with a strong risk of obesity, as well as diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. If you want to lose weight, then remove sugar from your diet. Beware of labels on packages, even so-called "healthy" foods can contain a lot of sugar.
• Eat less processed carbohydrates. Refined or processed carbohydrates are found in pasta and white bread. These carbohydrates are usually made from whole grains that have been removed from all other nutrients such as proteins and fats. These types of carbohydrates cause increased insulin levels. Increases in insulin stimulate hunger and the desire to eat something sweet. Refined carbohydrates are closely linked to obesity. If you're going to eat carbs at all, then eat whole, natural fiber.
• Check the parts. Checking portions or counting calories is very helpful. Counting calories at each meal helps motivate you to lose weight. Anything that lets you know more about your food will be helpful.
• Eat more protein. Protein is the most important thing for weight loss. Eating protein-rich foods speeds up metabolism and allows it to burn 100 more calories a day. At the same time, the food itself contains 400 calories less than you would normally consume. Also, you will lose the desire to eat in the evening and the desire for cakes.
• Add whey protein to your diet. If you find it difficult to add enough protein to your diet, start taking a powdered protein supplement to get enough protein.
• Eat "real" food. If you want to be a healthy person, you need to switch completely to a full meal menu. These foods satiate you, are hard to overeat and very difficult to gain weight with such a diet if most of the food is raw.

Example of daily diet

• Breakfast: 2 slices of whole wheat toast + 2 hard boiled eggs + hot sauce (optional)
• Snack: 1 cup berries, blueberries, for example + a handful of nuts;
• Lunch: 100 g salmon + avocado + 1 whole grain bread + 1 cup greens;
• Afternoon snack: broccoli and cauliflower + 2 tablespoons sugar-free yogurt;
• Dinner: 130 g lean steak + boiled carrots + Brussels sprouts + 1 tablespoon olive oil;
• And at night (preferably for an hour) 150 g of cottage cheese (of course, no sugar).

What else can you do to lose weight faster?

Aerobic exercises

Doing aerobic (cardio) exercises is a great way to burn calories and improve your physical and mental health. Cardio is especially effective in removing belly fat, the unhealthy fat that accumulates around the organs and causes disease.

Power training

This will speed up your metabolism and prevent you from losing muscle mass. Of course, it is important not only to lose fat, but also to gain muscle. Therefore, strength training is essential.

High intensity interval training

By not spending too much time exercising, you will speed up your metabolism, increase stamina, and burn extra calories.

The board develops a sense of balance and trains willpower and character. By staying in it every day for a few seconds longer and not allowing yourself to give up, you build your character and become stronger. Maybe this exercise will be the beginning of a beautiful, athletic body that you will be proud of.