Increase Abdominal Activation By 400%
I am not sure if I was born with two curves in my spine. But I do remember going to the chiropractor in my teens and being diagnosed with scoliosis. Today, I joke with my clients about my crooked spine and how it robbed me of my height. I am not the smallest guy, but my 5’7 stature does have it’s setbacks, especially when I am on a date and the girl has heels on. Ugh. Scoliosis!
And it doesn’t end there. I have lived with back pain for the last eight years. From sciatic pain shooting down my leg at 19 years old to crippling muscles spasms in my back seven years later. Honestly, I don’t think the curves in my spine are to blame for my back pain. Rather, my poor posture and lack of core stability is the real culprit.
Train The Core
I believe my consistent core training routine has dramatically reduced my risk for chronic back pain. The plank has been an exercise that I have performed regularly. It isn’t the sexiest exercise in the world, but when done correctly, it is one of the most effective core exercises. Plus, it has a low injury risk and can be done anywhere.
Further, there are hundreds of progressions and variations you can add to keep the exercise fun and novel. After all, we aren’t robots and exercise boredom is a real thing. I see it firsthand among my clients. The majority of people are reluctant to perform the same exercises month after month. You have to keep the workouts interesting while making sure they are safe and effective.
It would be best if you taught the movement accurately or you risk training the wrong muscle groups. For example, a common mistake I see in a plank is the dropping of the hips and excessive arching of the lower back). When the body is out of alignment, the muscles of the hip and trunk are affected. The abdominals become over-lengthened and weak, forcing the lower back to do all the work. A study done in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science supports this idea.
Form Follows Function
Seventeen healthy adult males had their muscle activity, and spinal curve measured during a neutral, sway back, and lordosis standing posture. A neutral position has a rib cage stacked over a pelvis. Swayback is characterized by excessive lower back rounding, whereas lordosis is an excessive lower back arch. The study showed a three-fold increase in lumbar erector spinae muscle activity in a lordosis posture versus a neutral stance (1).
Effect of standing postural deviations on trunk and hip muscle activity (1)
As you can see in the chart above, alignment determines muscle activation. The neutral posture increased glute engagement by 200 percent compared to the other poses. Moreover, if standing compromises muscle activity, then I believe it would be affected even more in the plank position. Thus, performing a plank properly is essential for training the abdominals and obliques.
Increase Plank Effectiveness
A recent study published in Sports Biomechanics found the position of the pelvis and elbows to play a crucial role in abdominal activation. The purpose of the study was to compare the muscle activation of the abdominals in a traditional plank, a posterior tilted pelvis plank, a long lever plank, and a long lever posterior tilted pelvis plank (see below).
An electromyographic comparison of a modified version of the plank with a long lever and posterior tilt versus the traditional plank exercise (2)
The authors found the long lever posterior tilt plank to be the most effective at activating the core musculature.
“This is the first study to show that a modified version of the traditional plank employing a long lever and posterior tilt significantly and markedly increases muscle activity in the rectus abdominis and external oblique as compared to the traditional prone plank.” (2)
As you can see in the averages below, the long lever posterior tilt plank engaged the rectus abdominis 400% more and the external obliques 300% more versus the traditional plank.
An electromyographic comparison of a modified version of the plank with a long lever and posterior tilt versus the traditional plank exercise (2)
The long lever posterior plank is much harder to perform than a traditional plank, so it makes sense that it would engage the core to a greater extent. But, it does show us that posture and alignment play a crucial role in muscle activation. Thus, technique and quality of movement should be paramount. Check out the video below to learn how to perform the perfect plank.