Shin Conditioning

So you want to start training in Muay Thai?  I have one word for you: Conditioning.

I’m on my 6th month of training in Muay Thai and I can tell you one thing for certain. I do not know if my shins will ever be conditioned enough.  At this point I’ve heard it and felt it almost every week since I’ve started. I have noticed some improvement. I’m probably at 20% in my journey for strong shins… and it’s going to be a long one.

Yes… this is my leg.

As I write this, both of my shins are so swollen I can feel the impact of walking vibrate up them. If you have no idea what I mean, you probably have not taken a Muay Thai class.  You see, in Muay Thai, every day is leg day and every day after leg day is recovery-from-hell day.  If you are training to fight or just taking Muay Thai for kicks I can offer some advice for surviving the swollen limbs.

1. Do not stop in your training. Do not get discouraged.  Do not stop during sparring, continue the fight.  If you are going to fight competitively you damn well better be ready to fight through the pain.
2. Elevate your legs. As soon as you get home, cleaned up and fed… get on your couch.  Get your legs up on the back of the couch far above your heart level and grab a nice book. Or watch TV. Or read blogs about Muay Thai advice.  Give yourself a night off and rest up before bedtime to help get the swelling out of your legs.
3. Ice. Ice those legs while you elevate. Ice them at work while you are stuck at a desk. Ice them when you can.  Ice will help increase blood flow to the area (in your bodies effort to warm you) and this will help break down the swelling.
4. Vitamin D. Take a daily vitamin D pill with at least 5,000 units.  Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, which guess what? Helps rebuild bones.  Since your shins are getting microfractured every time you ‘condition’ them, you need to rebuild them. Vitamin D also helps with bruising and swelling, which is a bonus since it’s going to feel like that’s how your live your life anymore.
5. Get enough sleep.  The average adult requires between 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is imperative every night in order to keep your body functioning at it’s best. Sleep is also when your body has the most time to work on your aches, pains and bruises to heal you.  Sleep is the best weapon you have to keep you training and walking and is the most underappreciated time we spend on ourselves.

So there’s my recovery advice although to be honest some bruises seem to never recover. These are the deep tissue, a.k.a. ‘bone bruises’ that are common in Muay Thai. These hurt and they can last for months. I have one myself, on my right shin and I might as well name it at this point.  Just keep kicking, wince if you have to, and get through it. As they say; No Pain, No Gain.

Benefits of Muay Thai Training

I’ve been taking Muay Thai lessons at a local MMA training facility now for about 4 months. So I’m no expert on the subject. I have, however, seen some improvements and am already noticing the benefits it’s offering me.  My motivation for taking the class was pretty simple, I have been interested in learning some form of fighting technique for a long time. I want to challenge myself.  So far I’ve received more than I thought.

1. It’s a fantastic self-defense skill. Muay Thai is called the “Art of Eight Limbs” for good reason. You learn to use more appendages as points of contact than the usual kickboxing. Muay Thai boxing involves using your feet, knees, elbows and hands as striking mechanisms.  This is very versatile and you learn overall to be able to fit over a variety of distances and stances in relation to your opponent.  That makes is one of the most useful fighting techniques in a real-world fighting situation.
2. It’s a full-body workout.  This goes back to the eight striking mechanisms in the last example.  When you learn to kick, knee, elbow and punch in multiple ways and locations, then you will be engaging more muscles than you would for any normal cardio or weight-lifting exercise. Once you start adding moves together into combinations, you’ll feel the effect.
3. Strength of will. You are can do more than you think you are capable of. It’s a fact of mental limitations that Navy SEALs report as part of their training. The trick is to know that when your brain thinks it’s exhausted, you are in reality only 40% exhausted. Then you need to convince yourself to keep going. Muay Thai classes will build your endurance and strength gradually but noticeably within a short-time by physically exhausting you constantly.  Some days they do a warm-up and follow it with another exhausting warm-up before you even get to the skills training.  Some classes they will end with 6 minutes of planking. On my own, I’d never even attempt anything over a one minute plank but somehow I’ve done 6 minutes.
4. Individual with a team. I’ve never liked team sports, I actually actively avoid them. I’m generally not interested in being in a team. I blame group projects in high school. So one of the appealing things about boxing to me was that it is an individual sport.  It’s just you and your opponent.  But here’s the strange thing I’ve learned… it’s not.  There is so much more involved and it goes back to my last point.  Nothing helps build strength of will or the fortitude required like a team.  In class you are not alone.  When you plank, you plank as a team. How did I plank 6 minutes? Well when I thought I’d collapse I muttered something to the effect of “I can’t do this” and the guy next to me just goes “Yes, you can! You hold that plank, we are almost there”. And I finished. I don’t even know his name but he was there when I needed encouragement. You will need encouragement and support. No one is going to know what it feels like or what you need like your classmates, and that’s your team.
5. Cardio will improve overall. All fighting styles involve cardio. Warm-ups include cardio, bag work drills is cardio and sparing while trying new combination moves is cardio.  Luckily, it’s really fun cardio so you don’t notice it’s happening. Until you go to run with your friend who isn’t in the class with you and suddenly you are improving by leaps and bounds.
6. Therapy in exercise.  I was doing my budget recently, looking for ways to cut back and save some money. My sister offered that maybe I should cut my class fees.  And I’m afraid that’s no longer an option. Like I said, it’s fun. It’s healthy, beneficial fun that relieves more stress than running does. If you are a runner than you can understand that means a lot.

Here’s the thing…  Muay Thai training has a lot of reasons to start and they add to reasons to never stop.  It’s one of the most addicting hobbies I’ve ever picked up.  It’s the social outing I look forward to each week. It’s the body enhancing exercise I prefer. It’s the therapy session that gets me through the rough times.  I can’t suggest it enough.  You should try it!

Where Do I Start?

I’ve recently fallen off my exercise horse… I’ve had a minor surgery on my arm that required me to take a week off from all activity that could cause my blood to pump extra fast. Seriously, doctors orders. I thought I could at least run, it was my arm so you’d think. But no… doctor said no. It was this last week in which I discovered I’d finally made exercise a habit that I WANTED to do. It’s taken me years to achieve that goal. And in a week of sitting on the couch taking it easy it’s hard to get motivated to get back out there. What helps is remembering where I started.

What else helps is whenever someone finds out that I’ve lost 50 pounds. They generally only find it out when I mention it, honestly. No one else hears about how I box twice a week, run three times a week and lift another three times a week and assumes there was a time that I didn’t. I think most people, me included, assume that kind of lifestyle is something that person has always done. Because when you don’t do the same you cannot imaging getting to that point, ever. I know… because there was a time I was 250 pounds and had no idea how to become that person.

Recently I was talking to someone who doesn’t know where to start but knows they need to lose some weight. To be real with you, they have already gotten to the starting line when they realize they need to do something. I’m not a physical trainer, therapist or nutritionist so please do not take my words for that level of professional advice. What I am is someone who made a life changing decision and got where I wanted to be. I’ve stayed there. And if nothing else I say stays with you, just remember that I’m not one special. I don’t have a naturally high metabolism, I’m not part of the 10% of the population with genetics giving me a model figure… I’m a regular person. Think about that… if I can do it there is no reason you cannot.  So let me tell you where you can start.

1. Anywhere. Literally. Once you know what you need to do it can get overwhelming. I know when I set out to lose 65 pounds originally, the number itself scared me. It took years to pile that weight on and I had to come to terms with the fact it would take years to get it back off. I just had to start. So let go of the overwhelmed sensation, embrace that this will take work and set yourself a course. Either start by increasing your physical activity or improving your diet.
2. It’s OK to get help. Some people need a professional to give them a plan. That’s why you can hire physical trainers or go to a gym and take boxing lessons. You are not alone, there are people who exist with the sole purpose of helping improve your living condition physically. I was broke, so I went home from my doctor and called my brother. My brother used to be a physical trainer so I asked his advice. I’ll never forget what he told me. He said I just needed to get on a treadmill and walk on a ‘hike’ setting for half an hour, and that every time I wanted pasta I had to eat a vegetable. That sounds simple… but you don’t know my love of pasta.
3. Make sacrifices. Like pasta. Or beer… or sleeping in on the weekends. If you set yourself a course and you have the desire to follow it, you will have to make sacrifices.  I gave up mayonnaise on my sandwiches, fries and beer on my nights out, my lazy after work routine… it has to change. You know this… you’ve seen that you need to make a change, now you must be ready to do it. If it was easy everyone would be able to sit where I am telling you this. It’s not but remember… if I can do it, you can do it.
4. Take a hard look at your fridge. As I mentioned above, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. You’re going to need to re-evaluate how and what you eat… and when.  Aim for more small meals, more often. It helps keep you from gorging in one sitting and keeps your metabolism up. At first, it will feel like you’re starving. That was the hardest part for me but it made me realize what my problem was. You see, I was not lazy. I walked 20 minutes to my college classes and back, in the Alaskan winter. I just had a serious food problem.  There are plenty of resources online that can help you retrain yourself to eat better. I like baking and cooking, which is perfect because you will have to cook for yourself A LOT more than you think. Throw out the Campbell’s and get some chicken to bake instead. Toss out all the salt and stick with a little pepper for kick. Get rid of the ranch and use oil and vinegar. When you need a condiment on a sandwich pick an avocado instead of mayonnaise… Everything adds up.
5. Keep track. Log your workouts, log your food and keep a progress journal. My sister who was with me every step of the way logs here information on paper. She tracked her measurements and I tracked my weight.  I used a very helpful app called MyFitnessPal. It’s completely free and chock full of dietary information. You can log your weight, your workouts and your food in one place. It’s as easy as scanning bar codes. It’ll put your calories burned into your calorie budget for the day and deduct the calories from the food you log. It’s simple and I probably would not have lost the first 30 pounds without it. It also has the menus from several major restaurants in it so you can look up what to get for yourself and you’ll be sure you’re not blowing your calorie goal each day.

Overall, the message is the same. Once you know you need to start you’ve got the first part down. You just need the confidence to know you can make it and the strength to get through to the end.  It took me 2 years to lose my weight. I got down to 6 pounds away from my goal weight. My goal weight was arbitrarily set at my high school weight so I adjusted. After 2 years I stopped logging on MyFitnessPal and decided to try it out for my own. It’s been 2+ years since then and I’m holding steady at 200 pounds. It’s not my BMI (which is not a good goal to be honest) and it’s not my original weight but it is my happy weight. Your happy weight is where your weight stops swinging and you are stable without trying, basically.  I don’t think I’m fat… I run 5k every week and I eat pretty much what ever I want. I think that makes me the perfect happy weight! You can find yours too, you just have to start!

Build Confidence… Do Something That Scares You

Have you heard the saying “The best way to build confidence is to do something your terrified of”? Well I have, and since I recently moved from my hometown in Alaska to Idaho of all places… many things have been terrifying me. From the getting ready to go, to the applying for new jobs in a totally foreign area or even just trying to navigate the interstate. So I decided to take it all one step further since everything was already crazy… I joined a Muay Thai class.

I’ve been interested in Muay Thai for years now, and wanted to learn to box way back in high school. I was told I couldn’t train back then by my parents because it would “mess up your face”. Well… that just led me to putting off something I wanted to do till I had the means, time, money, etc. You know how that all works out with excuses steamrolling together. Well, here I am with more time than I can use and money saved up. So what the hell, right?

So I signed up, at a MMA training gym. For me this seemed legitimately the best place to go. I’ve attended 2 classes so far, not amazing I know, and so since I’m still a complete newbie let me explain something I didn’t see coming.

1. There’s actually quite a few girls/women interested in Muay Thai and training as well. It’s not just me!
2. The guys in the classes are actually really friendly. I had a stereotype in my head so I was expecting these gruff rude men. I’m happily surprised.
3. There isn’t really a beginner day… at least not where I am at. You literally get thrown right in. The trainer comes over and says “your new…” and you go “yeah…” and then they give you quick pointers so you know what they mean when they are yelling for everyone to do something. And off you go.
4. Flexibility is key. I had no idea I could kick as high as my head… because I’ve never tried. Now I know… thankfully I am pretty flexible but I’ve already come across some kicks I just can’t do yet.
5. You know you’re going to be sore… you really have no idea. I mean, absolutely no idea. Imagine being sore from lifting some heavy weight, like on leg-day. It’s hard to stand-up right? Now imagine you can’t even roll out of bed. The day after my first day I couldn’t even reach for my cup of coffee without wincing. After the second day I couldn’t stand up straight… because my Rectus Femoris was sore from all the high kicks. I didn’t even know what that muscle was until that day. Fun fact… it’s necessary to literally hold you upright. I’ve been lifting weights since before I started training… trust me when I say there is a big difference in sore.
6. Be prepared to get a little beat-up. The second day I had bruised my toenail and had a few scabs on my foot… not the worst thing in the world but made choosing shoes for my interviews tricky. Say no to ballet flats… nooooooooo.
7. Eat something before hand. I don’t know how some people workout on empty stomachs but it would make me hangry. And no one would probably let me stay in a class hangry… so make yourself something that can get you through some intense hour-long cardio. Like half of a peanut-butter banana sandwich. It’s quick and full of nutrients that will keep you fueled. It’s my go-to for pre-runs and now pre-boxing.

Summer Workouts You Don’t Even Notice

Here in Alaska, summer is the time to get out there and make the most of our wonderful natural resources and beauty in this state. Summer activities can range all over the place and I find most revolve around the outdoors. What we usually don’t notice, is just how much physical activity we get out of this season. We get to do what we love to do and get physical exercise in a pleasant way.  Even better, we cram as much of these activities in 3 months as humanly possible.  Because we only get three months of good weather truly.

If you’ve read any of my posts before you may have noticed I like to run. And I do. Strangely enough I’ve discovered I really don’t like to run in the summer. For one, winter time is so serene, cool, calm and peaceful that I enjoy my time suffering with frozen eyelashes.  In the summer time it’s humid, hot, crowded and generally I physically feel unpleasantly sweaty.  Sooo… I prefer different activities to in the summer outdoors… and some you don’t even noticing the workout.

Swimming. Okay… we all know this is a workout. The beauty is that we don’t do it only to be physically fit. So it’s enjoyable! And when this ridiculously hot Alaskan sun gets to beating down on our cars… after work all some of us want to do is jump in a lake. Lucky us there are so many lakes you can easily find one on your way home. You can jump on in that lake, cool off, get your aerobic exercise in and enjoy the weather again. I remember going to the lake in High School. It was a pretty good social gathering in which to check out the football jocks and take a dip.  I never once noticed or cared that I was working my abs, arms and legs vigorously swimming and flirting away in the sun.

I think I need to get down to the lake… but swimming isn’t the only thing you can do…

Fishing. Maybe this one took you by surprise… and if it did I’m guessing you don’t fish much. Any new or avid fisherman will know that a day casting that line will add up to one exhausted night. If you are fly fishing or using a lure, you are doing nothing but casting and reeling for hours. That’s if you don’t get a fish. Let’s say you’re in Alaska and get that lucky King Salmon. If that thing is over 30 pounds you’re in for a real workout. You’ll have to bring that thing in to the shore than wade out and net it in order to land it on the shore.  Caring a big 30+ pound fish that is thrashing is no easy chore. And then there is the processing involved. All told you get a lucky fish, you’re looking at almost an hour of laborious work to gut, clean, filet and package that thing. Even if you don’t get a fish you’ll be sore from casting and reeling in your line, wandering the shores, standing in the shallows, etc.

Just last week we got a King. I was sore for almost two days. That’s on par with how I am after a day at the gym.  There’s a bonus here though… I didn’t know I was working that hard AND I got to bring home dinner!

Let’s Talk Squats

I’m talking the sitting-on-an-invisible-chair squat, not inhabiting a location illegally squat. And I want to talk about this for one simple, compelling reason… Everyone should do squats.

Now I understand having bad knees… in which case there are alternatives to squatting that can help replicate the results.  Overall, you should squat. I have at least 3 reasons why squats should be come a normal part of your life. For one, they engage muscles you need daily, and will help build their fitness so they are more efficient.  Secondly they are a simply exercise you can do anywhere with or without weights.  Lastly, and my most compelling point, you will not be disappointed with the results.

There is no better way to build the gravity-defying, bubbled derrier of your dreams. If you want a bubble butt like J.Lo and would rather avoid chicken-cutlet references like Miley… you’re going to need to squat.  You have no real excuses either… because you can squat at the grocery store, at the park, when you move, etc. You should be using the same form whenever you pick-up something heavy anyways…

Fun fact: There is more than one way to squat. Amazing, right!?  I would like to introduce you to just 3 squat variations that I, myself, have used to great effect.

1. Squat with Shoulder Press: Here you will need some weight, some barbels will do the trick. You start by slowly lowering yourself into a squat formation, with the barbels held near your shoulders. When at the bottom of the squat, you will push upwards raising the barbels over your head till your arms are fully extended. Return the barbels to your shoulders slowly then rise from the squat back to the standing position. Repeat.
2. Jump Squat: Here you will lower into a squat and rather than slowly standing upright, you will spring up in a controlled hop. Repeat. This will really engage your glutes and quads.
3. Duck Squat: For a duck squat, you will use a different stance entirely.  You will stand with your legs spread farther apart, your feet turned so your toes are pointing outward and for more benefit suspend a weight between your hips.  Now, once in position you will lower into a squat, hold and slowly rise back into the starting standing position. Repeat.
4. Pistol Squat: If you can do this, you are already amazing and should not even bother reading my blog. This is a new goal of mine… to be able to do one. So far I can do about half of a pistol squat, assisted, about twice each leg.  What you will do is start with one leg straight out in front of you. Then, with your arms outstretched forward to help with balance, you will lower into a squat and rise back up to starting. Good luck, I suggest attempting this next to something sturdy for the first time.

Those are my few variations to try. Every squat counts. Be sure to follow correct form, particularly when using weight. This is important to protect your joints and keep from over extending. Remember… a squatting butt is a happy butt!

Interval Running

Running has many benefits for your health, we all know this.  Did you know that running intervals can be more beneficial for weight loss and training than running a straight mile?

Intervals are where you run a bit and then have a rest section and then run again. Currently when I run intervals I have 2 minutes of a high-energy run followed by one minute of walking.  I repeat that pattern 10 times, completing my workout in 30 minutes.  With an interval run you are not covering as much ground.  For instance in a 30 minute straight run I generally cover 3 miles, in an interval run I cover around 1.5 miles.  So if why do I (or should you) run intervals?

The benefits of any running is that it’s a tough cardio/aerobic workout that gets your heart working overtime and can be done anywhere at anytime.  Being able to run a full 3 miles straight is great, I would never complain. To take your running to the next level, to make you a better runner, it’s a good idea to add the intervals.  Interval training works your heart and muscles to another level because of the rest portion.  Running fast for 2 minutes I spike my heart rate tremendously and my body goes into overdrive. When I do my 1 minute rest my body then works on recovering itself and going back to my basic state.  Repeating this process multiple times effectively exercises my body in a different way that a straight run. The rest portion is a mini cool-down every interval.

Intervals increase endurance, cardio thresholds and muscle strength making them good for any racer training for an event. They also boost metabolism because your body never plateaus in the calorie burn required during the run. Running straight for 3 miles, at some point your body does not require as much energy to continue forward momentum. So you burn more at the beginning getting up to speed and getting comfortable with the run.  Now imagine having to continually get back up to speed more than once… makes sense right?

Now my intervals are very different in speed and not very quick.  I do them more for fun than anything else, because running the same thing every other day just gets old.  So reaping what benefits I can when switching things up is good for me.  My brother’s wife runs intervals on treadmills in which she sprints flat-out for 30 seconds, walks briskly for 30 seconds and repeats.  Some people sprint for a minute and then slow down to their normal run pace for another minute.  The pace and time of the intervals are up to you, the benefits will be the same.  Just work with what you are comfortable with and remember to have fun!

Happy Running!

THE Protein Shake

If you’ve gotten into fitness, training, weight-lose, etc and done any research on what to be eating, inevitably you have heard about the wonders of protein shakes.  Protein shakes have their positives and negatives, supporters and nay-sayers.  I personally do not train at such a level to need or require a daily/after workout shake.  I would say at my rather casually athletic level, an occasional shake as either a meal replacement or supplement on particularly hardy days is a good choice.

As I’ve mentioned, there are pro’s and con’s to high protein diets.  A protein shake fits nicely into a high protein diet and is more ideal for the rigorously training athletic elites at the gym.  The general athletic level individual can get some benefits from indulging in these shakes on occassion.  In fact, I would say a well planned protein shake can be as satisfying for you as a dessert but with much better nutritional value for your indulgence. My word of advice here is moderation.  Having a protein shake as a regular part of your diet without either substituting a meal or hitting the gym till you can barely function will add inches to your waistline and you will lose benefits rather than gain any.

If you have already developed your own protein shake recipe this may be a nice one to switch things up. If you’re particularly new and wondering where to start I will hopefully be able to offer you some inspiration.  My shake recipe is more of a guideline of ingredients that I usually mix by preference.  Some people like certain ingredient more than others, and the beauty is in the personalization.  For starters I would suggest following serving size suggestions and eye-balling it to make sure you have a good consistency.

I am going to list ingredients in order of how I plop them in my blender.  Over trial and error I have discovered a ‘better’ layering technique that doesn’t jam my old, cheap blender. If you have a Ninja… lucky you!

• Greek Yogurt:  I use plain 0% fat greek yogurt, usually a few dollops of my favorite Faye I constantly keep on hand.
• Protein Powder:  Luckily these come with handy serving size scoops. Any protein powder works, this is what they are made for. I currently am trying to use up my Body Fortress Chocolate & Peanut Butter. I feel obligated to finish and not waste, even if I am lactose-intolerant and regret my decision to get this type.  Body Fortress is a Whey-Protein powder, which is a type that dominates the current market. They are good form of digestible protein, made from a bi-product of cheese production, and from my experience they have the best consistency and flavor. They are also a dairy product so if you are like me use at your own risk. There are vegan varieties available as well.
• Peanut Butter:  I like creamy peanut butter… you can use crunchy if you want a special kick.  Peanut butter brings added iron to the table along with the protein.  It’s also delicious, helps make a smooth shake and is always on hand in my house.
• Blueberries: Helpful tip, use frozen berries.  This is a perfect way to firm up and cool the shake without adding ice that will water it down. And don’t hold back! The blueberries add great flavor and are considered a superfood!  These little delicious morsels have vitamins, magnesium and even protein… and plenty of healthy sugar. Who doesn’t want a sugary superfood?!
• Chia Seeds:  Chia seeds are actually seeds from a grass plant. They are itty-bitty things that you can pour in, blend and sip without even noticing they are in the shake. Chai Seeds are considered another superfood, mostly due to their high Omega-3 content without being an animal product. The health benefits are all over the internet, just google them and read all the wonderful news. Honestly it may seem strange at first… I remember being a little unsure… but they really are an good addition that passes unnoticed more often than not.
• Banana:  OOooh I shouldn’t have to tell you why you need banana’s.  These are an important fruit for both nutrition and flavor. What shake is complete without the delicious banana?
• Milk:  Now when all is said and done, check out your blending shake.  If your portions of ingredients are on the dry side you will know when nothing actually blends. For times like that I add almond milk to help make the shake a real shake.

This is more of our family secret shake to be honest. When I was first setting out of my weight-lose/get healthy journey I had asked my older brother for advice/guidance.  Now you see, this brother is the most fit person I know. He is the individual who can drink a protein shake, run a mountain, come back down and drink another.  He suggested when I first started to revamp my food choices that I substitute the occasional meal with a protein shake. Since I had no idea how to go about that, he showed me his secret list of ingredients.  I found the combination rather repulsing to start, something about berries and peanut butter just made the whole thing questionable to my mind.  However I tried it, for the record he likes more berries than I do, and I have since been turned to the protein shake fan club.

Hope you have fun trying your own shake! Keep your options open, don’t take this list to be the end-all-be-all for shake manufacture.  There are always new findings in nutrition health, and any time you come across a tasty superfood that you think may work just throw it in and try it! Happy shaking this summer!

Power of the Plank

And here I’d thought I’d come up with a new creative, witty title!

Planking is the latest fad in total body exercise, and I think there is good reason for that.  It sounds in theory very small and ineffective. The basic plank, when done in correct form, is a stationary horizontal position when you suspend your body parallel to the floor.  Most commonly, and for beginners, you hold your upper body up with your forearms in a triangular position (elbows out, hands clenched) and the lower body is supported with the feet in vertical position toes to the floor.  The beauty of this exercise is that it is rather lazy, i.e. no movement necessary, and the difficulty level is just determined by time in plank and different plank variations.

The Power of the Plank is the result of your own body weight being supported by only two relatively small contact points that are widely spaced.  The strength training is then full body, mostly centered in your core abdominal muscles and back muscles.  The bridge created between these forearm and feet points is where your body does its work in just holding you still.  You are strength training your body to support its own weight, which in my case is rather substantial. I have a 5′ 10″ frame with about 200 pounds spread out along it, admittedly most of that weight is around my hips. So for me at least, holding myself in a plank position for one minute is excruciatingly difficult. My abdominal muscles are trying to resist letting my bridge slouch down and my back muscles are focused on keeping my back straight and not moving into a pike position.  I would say that if you were to start with only one exercise, you should go with the plank.  And from there you could make a total workout around the plank position. Just add variations.

1. The first variation I’ve personally tried, and is rather easy, is the Plank–to–Pike.  I do not know the official name for this maneuver but I find that to be the most descriptive. You simply start in a standard plank, except with your arms straight and balanced on your palms.  You then slowly walk your hands backwards while raising your hip section upwards into a pike position. Hold, return to plank and repeat. It’s rather simple and I would say easier than just holding a plank.
2. Another variation is the Side–Arm–Reach. This one is pretty self-explanatory and involves the same starting position with the arms straight.  You just twist the whole body and raise your arm upwards.  Hold until you shake a little and then lower your arm and return to starting position.  This one is great to add weights to and make sure to switch sides.  Doing this plank variation is a ideal way to engage your shoulders and arms into the workout.
3. Lastly, the Leg-Lift-Plank. Here I would suggest the standard position with the forearms completely against the floor.  The horizontal position helps work the muscles more effectively. Start with that plank position and slowly raise one leg, hold, and lower.  Switch to the other leg and repeat.  You will find this to be a good plank variation to engage the lower body muscles, particularly the glutes.

Each of these variations are in themselves full of possible varieties.  I’ve seen them done with weights, exercise balls, rolls and for differing lengths of holds. If you constantly change it up (changing the weight, position and length of hold) you can continue to challenge the variety of muscles engaged in this simple exercise.  You don’t know till you try, it might sound like it’s too easy but trust me it is one of the hardest exercises I’ve done!

The Power of the Plank is in the ability to use your own body’s weight to make it stronger all over. It’s easy to learn, master and use in any situation. You can literally do these while watching a show, waiting for that pizza to get done in the oven or your roommate to get out of the shower. It’s one of the best workouts.  Just make sure not to push yourself too fast and to master the correct posture to avoid injury.

Hope you have a wonderfully healthy weekend and Happy Planking!