"If you can't hold a plank for 120 seconds, you're either a) too fat; b) too weak; or c) doing something wrong in your workouts." How true is this?

[jermyn]

@tulang I mean we can extend that to anything. I could say “I’m not sure you could be considered strong unless you can _____ “. Like a plank isn’t some magical move that decides strength compared to something like a x2 bw bench.

You’re gonna tell me if someone benched over x2 bw but couldn’t plank for 2 minutes that they’re not strong? And that someone who could plank for 2 minutes but couldn’t bench over x2 is?

I’m iffy on that.

 

[tulang]

@jermyn cool, laying on their back, they can move a weight up. outside of that they're weak, if they can't do a plank.

 

[jermyn]

@tulang I don’t really agree but you’re welcome to have that belief if you’d like. Go up to some 250 pound powerlifter and tell them al about how weak they are haha.

 

[dawn16]

@jermyn Doesn’t that mean they are just too fat?

I think you meant really strong people with low body fat %?

 

[jermyn]

@dawn16 Not necessarily. I wouldn’t be surprised to find some strong people with low endurance.

 

[dawn16]

@jermyn I’m not saying I agree, I’m saying based on the title...

 

[chrishill88]

@zondaar39 All these articles about basic fitness benchmarks are garbage. On what basis are they concluding this? Putting a time limit on the plank only makes sense if you are using it as a prerequisite for some strength based skill. Like what am I missing if I can’t do a 2 min plank? I can walk and run just fine. For baseline human activity my body is strong enough because that’s how we are made.

Don’t get pulled into sensationalist articles that make completely unscientific claims.

 

[starkoala]

@chrishill88 Totally agree. I played comp. volleyball for years and we trained planks for 2 min sets and various other abs exercises. Not to hit a time goal, but because we recruited our abs for so much work in that sport. Once I stopped that, and started surfing and strength training - abs have been important to train, but planks aren't really a part of the training. Ab training and strengthening has been a secondary effect of squats, deadlifts, and upright rows. I could care less if I could plank for 2 mins lol.