Struggling through the 3-minute plank at Abs Class? My long-standing client JP does a 10-minute plank twice a week during his workout.
You’d never expect such an understated person to achieve this remarkable feat. I told him he could make a few bucks hustling muscle-heads at any gym by challenging them to a planking contest.
My humble IT friend would keep going long after the competition collapses in futility. How does he do it? I can’t take aaalllll the credit. It’s an advantage not be too tall, but John isn’t short either. How then? He expresses wonder at it himself.
Muscle memory is one reason. JP was doing a 5-minute plank with his workout for a period of time. He took a hiatus from working out because life got in the way. His comeback has been swift. Another reason is his unique ability to persevere under duress. He has what I call True Grit.
JP and I discussed the progression of a plank. First, you think ouch, it hurts already. Then it’s merely uncomfortable. The 3 or 4-minute mark is the most miserable. Then, at around the 5-minute mark, you experience a reprieve.
You go numb to the pain. Some kind of adrenaline kicks in like what happens with injuries. A broken arm, for example, goes through a period of numbness. The same is true with Ab work. You get to the place beyond the pain. It’s a great opportunity to reck your abs in a good way.
The plank also develops your deltoids, expanding your shoulders. And strengthens your back. It is a full-body workout. But the nexus of stress is in the abs.
Classes are going strong this week. And Easter weekend. But not the weekend of April 7. So get them in while you can.
Ciao, Pietro