For those of you who think you’ve done your plank to death, this plank workout uses a single dumbbell to increase strength in each of your major muscle groups.
8 Movement Workouts by Peacock Pilates London It combines planks with upper and lower body exercises such as squats, rows, and lateral raises. Work your core muscles hard and work your arms, shoulders, back, chest, buttocks and legs.
If you’re currently suffering from a shoulder injury, planks and side planks may be out of the question. Consult a qualified health care professional before starting any new exercise regimen and stop at any time if you feel pain.
To do this plank workout, you’ll need one light dumbbell. For more information on each exercise, watch the videos below. Follow Peacock Pilates London’s advice to do 10 to 12 reps of each movement on each side. “Focus on quality, not quantity”.
Each time you plank, engage your core and stack your shoulders over your wrists. The dumbbells he uses for this workout are 1.25kg, but we adjusted the weights to suit his current level of fitness and work his entire range of motion instead of lifting heavy weights. If you need inspiration, here are some of the best ways to build muscle without lifting heavier weights.
Check out the Peacock Pilates London Dumbbell Plank Workout
If you’re new to plank training, consider a few of these plank variations first and make sure you’re comfortable with the movement patterns before attempting an entire session with them.
Planking can strain your shoulders, especially stabilizer muscles like the rotator cuff (muscle groups around the shoulder joint that support movement of the shoulder).
One way to scale back is to lower your knee (or one knee for side planks) to the floor. You’ll also notice the instructor stepping the top foot in front of the bottom foot for added support. These are great fixes, but if you’re still in pain, move on to the next exercise. If that doesn’t work, try our roundup of the best ab workouts to strengthen your core muscles without exacerbating shoulder pain.
We love working out with the best adjustable dumbbells during plank training. This allows you to quickly combine weight ranges instead of relying on multiple sets of free weights. You can also use kettlebells to test your balance and stability.
Breathe fluidly as you move and don’t restrict your breath to your chest. Diaphragmatic breathing encourages expansive breathing, breathing into the abdomen.
What we love about this workout is that it employs the slow, controlled movements of Pilates (famous for working the core and smaller stabilizer muscles), using one free weight and one-sided exercise. to increase strength.
we know from research Unilateral exercises strengthen underused muscles and help improve cross-body balance and coordination. However, when combined with time-in-tension techniques (moving muscles through movement for long periods of time), it can also increase strength and muscle endurance.
Rather than performing explosive movements, each phase of the exercise is purposeful and efficient, often combining upper and lower body movements. For example, one combo includes a bear squat and an X plank. We have tried both and these are a perfect muscle burner.
Bear squats are known to work your quadriceps and core muscles, but you’ll also notice a deep stretch in your ankles, knees, and hips. Transition from squat to plank to tap, elevating your buttocks and stretching your shoulders and rear chain, including your hips, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
Trust us, drop the heavy weights and focus on your form for this workout.
