One Simple Change to Make The Plank Drill Better

I don’t know about you but I could use another four hours in my day.

It just seems like I never have enough time so when it comes to training, I’m looking for ways to get the most bang for my buck so to speak.

The Plank is a great drill because it’s spine friendly, easy to execute, and it’s scalable (meaning you can make it easier or harder without too much difficulty).

This is certainly harder but not what I had in mind.

I’ve talked before about how to get the most out of your muscles without increasing weight

 or without even increasing speed .

But how do you make the Plank tougher and even more effective?

There are at least fourteen variables to consider with any drill to make it easier or harder (things like starting position, speed, load, reps, range of motion, etc) but when you’re in a holding position, the list is relatively short.

You could add a weight vest

. It doesn’t take much weight either. About five pounds.

And of course, you could lift one leg or arm off the ground or both but now you’re no longer in the traditional plank position.

This short video describes a technique we use called hyper-irradiation or what we call a “sizzler” (made popular by Pavel Tsatsouline

). It’s a really simple way of making all of your muscles work harder but without exposing your joints and tendons to excessive load. Check it out. It’s from Bret Contreras  - a personal trainer who has a biomechanics background and interest. 

Did you try it? What do you think? 

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