Body -Weight Exercises; The Plank
Did you know that when a person has to balance themselves by using only themselves to hold themslves up provides muscle and cardio benefits? Think of the plank or sometimes known as the abdominal bridge. The plank originated in the armed services, yoga and pilates. When one does this exercise it promotes intense core and stability in the apbdominal and forearm regions,back and shoulders of the body, along with the glutes,quadriceps and hamstrings. That's alot of body areas to work all at the same time for the same amount of intensity. There are a great many variations of the plank. Let's start at the very beginner methods. *Keep in mind that any plank can be modified for handicap or injury. Begin with 10 seconds of regular straight-arm, or bent arm plank. Everyday add 10 seconds to it. Work all the way up to a one-minute hold. Continue to add seconds to your time or add variations: like shoulder taps, or very tough leg "burpies". Here's a great chart of dif...