Planks :)

[Catrin]

I am starting a small group training program with the head trainer at my gym to get help with some muscle imbalances that will, hopefully, help me to NOT tweak my overuse injuries so often so I can progress on the bike. He gave me a most unusual (to me) fitness/functional movement assessment the other day.

One of the tests was to go into a full plank position and hold it as long as possible - until I couldn't keep good form. I've wondered how long I can hold a plank... much to my surprise I was able to hold it for 4 minutes and 53 seconds - and the only reason I had to stop was my right IT band started complaining. If it wasn't for that it would have been longer.

At my consultation with him a couple of days later when he showed me a list of 10 corrective exercises to work on my own, he told me that he's never seen anyone hold a full plank that long. Ever. He's been in the business for a long time. Not that I am meaning to brag or anything, but that is kind of cool I don't know anyone who would understand that so I had to share - it just shows how far I've come in the last 3 years in this physical journey of mine.

That being said, I was totally incapable of moving from being flat on the ground to a full pushup position in one movement, I couldn't even figure out how to get started Two serious core strength tests, quite different results. I COULD move into a full plank in one movement, but not a pushup position.

I will start that once a week group session with him in two weeks and I am already dreading/looking forward to it at the same time. This is going to be fun At one time I would never have considered a small group training like this, but I've come to see the benefits. It is different from the other group classes I've done at my gym in that it will be the same people in the group and it will be at 6am