"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.

 

[chrishill88]

@starkoala

I could care less if I could plank for 2 mins

Haha exactly. I'd rather tuck planche for even 5s

 

[zondaar39]

@chrishill88

For baseline human activity my body is strong enough because that’s how we are made.

Definitely. Good point!

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

Yes. but it's hard not to when veteran strength coach and Men's Health contributor Dan John lists three things why I cant hold a plank for 120 seconds haha.

 

[chrishill88]

@zondaar39 Haha i hear you I’ve been down those roads many times. They just need content for articles so they find someone “qualified” who can say something that sounds right.

For us people in calisthenics, I do think a minimum one minute plank is important. Sure two minutes might be better but I don’t want to waste time training pure plank when I could build probably more core strength and work towards my goals by training planche or levers or press to HS.

 

[eugenius25]

@zondaar39 Why not work up to a 2 minute plank (for the fuck of it) and than move on? It's a journey any way bro

 

[anchoredhopeministries]

@eugenius25 A journey going to someplace you want is better than a journey to someplace you dont.

Why build to a 2min plank when he can use the same finite time to build to the handstands he wants, and then something else he wants?

 

[eugenius25]

@anchoredhopeministries The journey isn't checking off milestones of strength. Great, you can do a handstand. What does that do for you? You can do a 2, 3, 4, 10 minute plank. What does that do for you? If one thinks meeting a milestone may lead to a tangible benefit (assuming there's no risk/harm) why not just do it? What's the harm?

 

[anchoredhopeministries]

@eugenius25 The harm is that human life is finite. You can only do so much. You should pursue what you wish and enjoy that journey, not do something you dont care about just because its there.

 

[lmay4111]

@eugenius25 There is something deeply satisfying about setting milestones, writing them down, achieving them and checking them off.