Earlier this year a new Guinness World Record was set by Mao Weidong, of China, for the longest time in an abdominal plank position. Weidong held the plank position for eight hours and 60 seconds.
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For those of you unfamiliar with what a plank entails, it is an exercise where you hold your body off the floor with your elbows and toes and is commonly used to strengthen your core. Your core is made up of a total of four different muscle groups:
- Your transversus abdominis forms the front and side walls, acting as a corset to help support your lumbar spine.
- The back wall is formed by individual deep back muscles, multifidi, which support individual segments of the spine.
- The roof is formed by the diaphragm, which aids in breathing and lateral rib expansion.
- Your pelvic floor, as the name suggests, forms the floor of your core.
Together, these four muscle groups work to regulate intra-abdominal pressure and provide core stability, which is the optimisation of control of your low back, pelvis, and trunk, with the use of the deeper layer of muscles through motion. Overall stability is also a product of the structure and function of the muscles, bones, ligaments, connective tissue and joints.
It is important that prior to performing any dynamic movements, we pre-activate our core muscles to protect our lumbar spine. Incorrect activation can lead to stress and strain on the pelvic floor, as well as the lumbar spine. Studies have shown that we are generally able to maintain a contraction of these muscles for eight to 10 seconds. (McGill, 2007).
The most effective way to begin strengthening your core, and therefore improving your core stability, is starting with brief, eight to 10 second holds. It is important to then progress to functional, dynamic exercises as soon as able.
The plank is not functional, nor is it dynamic. It may be impressive to be able to hold yourself up on your elbows and toes for three minutes, but if you are not able to squat down to put your shoes on without experiencing back pain, then you are doing the wrong exercise.
The core muscles are deep, with other muscles overlying them. It can be difficult to assess a core contraction by feel, as the overlying muscles can cause interference. To ensure an appropriate core muscle contraction is being achieved, you can be assessed using real time ultrasound.
If you would like to know more about your core muscles and what exercises would be best suited to your individual goals, speak to your physiotherapist.
