Total Gym Plank Challenge!

Hey Total Gym Team! It’s Master Trainer JayDee here to challenge you all to perfect your plank and reap the wonderful benefits. Your Challenge? A 60 second plank and I’ll show you how to get there. And if that’s not challenging enough, I’ll give you some Plank Party games to increase the challenge!

What’s the Big Deal about Planks?

The plank is a simple, awesome exercise because it challenges and strengthens all the muscles of your Core. Yep, I said it is simple, but by no means easy. That’s where the genius versatility of your Total Gym comes in.

What are the Benefits of the Plank?

• Strengthens Your Core – Remember TG Team, your Core consists of all the muscles that support your spine. Not just the muscles you can see in the mirror, but also all the musculature that supports your spine on your backside.

• Improves Your Posture – Who doesn’t want to look taller, slimmer, and more confident from great posture? This is so important with any activity we do in life, from playing pickle ball to a day of shopping. But it aids in the thing many of us do the most every day: Sitting! And what is the benefit of sitting in a strong, sturdy posture? Good question…

• Reduces Low Back Pain – Because of the 2 bullet points above, your lower back will have much less strain so much less pain.

What are the Benefits of Planking on Your Total Gym?

• So Much Kinder on Your Wrist Joints – When I teach the plank in my Pilates classes, many of my students complain about the stress on their wrists. Guess what this is caused by? You got it, computer typing. Another activity many of us do several hours each day. Planking on the total gym keeps your wrist in a neutral position which reduces this aggravation. Of course, you can always do planking on your forearms if wrist pain is still an issue. Bonus: the glide board is nice and cushy as opposed to a hard floor.

• You can “Elevate the Floor” by Using the Incline of your Glide Board – As you get stronger and achieve 60 seconds as well as perfecting your form, you can gradually lower the level off the glide board accordingly.

• Turning up the volume to add intensity! – Check out the video as we have fun with some Plank Party games to make planking more challenging, throwing additional muscle groups in the mix, and this also helps by alleviating boredom.

Lastly, crank your favorite tunes and singing helps! And always remember, shaking is welcomed and legal while planking 🙂

I’d love to hear from you so keep the comments and questions coming!

Enjoy Team!