If you want to pump pressure, strengthen the core core muscles, tighten the abdomen, flatten, strengthen the shoulder and gluteal muscles, the board will help you.
Is it hard to believe that doing one workout every day can improve strength, figure, mood and more? But it's true! This pose has many positive effects on your body. While it may not be the easiest exercise to do, doing it regularly will give you lifelong benefits.
In yoga, the board pose or Phalakasana is a pose to develop strength, as it tenses all the major muscles of the torso, as well as the shoulders, strengthening the neck, back muscles, back and quadriceps and abdomen. The board is also known as an isometric stand. It contracts the muscles, forcing them to hold a predetermined position. You stand at the bar, and your body works.
This is the most popular exercise in all fitness programs, and it requires no machines, equipment, free weights and a gym. All you need is your body, desire and perseverance, and you can do it even at home!
The board will help speed up metabolism, improve blood circulation, and this exercise is suitable for everyone: both beginners and advanced, men and women. You will find these exercises in yoga, Pilates, stretching, bodybuilding.
A static exercise that seems simple alone seems to be so. After standing at the bar for a minute, you will realize that time is not so fast. By the way, the world record is 8 hours, 1 minute and 1 second for men. Women's record - 3 hours 31 minutes. So, you have something to work on. Now about everything in order.
Useful properties of the bar for health and weight loss
Exercise not only tightens muscles, but also has preventive and curative effects against certain diseases. The effect is guaranteed by the implementation of systematic training. The board is capable of:
- prevent and eliminate the first manifestations of osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar spine;
- significantly improve posture;
- relieves pain in the spine;
- stimulates blood circulation;
- speed up metabolism;
- burn calories.
Please note that the last two points indicate that this exercise contributes to weight loss.
What muscles work
During the execution of a standard (classic) bar, the following muscles function:
- Rectus and transverse abdominal muscles;
- Biceps, triceps, deltoid;
- Lumbar paravertebral muscle;
- Biceps, quadriceps thighs and calves;
- Back muscles;
- Back and chest muscles.
Beneficial features
- Strengthens the muscles of the body. When you are trying to build core strength, this pose is the most beneficial as it targets all the muscle groups in your abs. . . and you think there are only abs on abs? The board not only works the abs, but also the stabilizing muscles, as well as the lateral abdominal muscles, which are responsible for positioning the hips and spinal muscles.
- Muscles become more noticeable. The board also accommodates the muscles of the shoulders, chest, legs and back. They will also grow. The functionality of this pose, combined with isometric tension, helps muscles throughout the body to "dry out" and become clearer.
- Accelerates metabolism. Muscle strength and mass, which increases with proper exercise, has another great property, in addition to an increase in strength and a good figure - an accelerated metabolism! When you increase muscle mass, you speed up your resting metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories.
- Prevent back pain. As your abdominal muscles get stronger, your body needs to rely less on the use of your back muscles to maintain your posture. Instead of the back muscles, the body muscles now function, which are used for all training and work, which reduces the chances of back pain.
- Your posture improves. Improving posture is most often achieved by strengthening the health and strength of the back and body muscles. When you take a plank position, your back, neck, shoulder and abdominal muscles work to hold your body organically in position.
- Better coordination. The isometric grip of the posture stimulates improved coordination and balance in general. If you learn how to do the board skillfully, you will also be able to hold an upright posture more effectively and steadily.
- Improves joint and bone health. The board allows you to train with heavy loads while reducing the unpleasant and negative effects associated with exercises such as running and jumping. When you stand in this pose, new living bones are created, which help build healthier and stronger bones. Physical activity performed during exercise also increases blood circulation to the joints, making them more mobile. Reduces friction.
- Improves mood and reduces stress. Doing the board, like other exercises, promotes the release of endorphins of active neurochemical compounds. Endorphins improve mood and create happy feelings, and also help relieve stress. This pose can also relieve tension, as the body is given the opportunity to do stretching when you do this exercise.
Based on the plus number of its implementations, it’s not hard to understand why it’s so popular.
Whether you’re just starting out or just adding a minute to your time in this pose, remember that quality is always more important than quantity or duration. Once your posture starts to "mess up", you should stop, relax, and try again on the next set or day.
Proper implementation techniques
The algorithm for performing the movements is very simple, but nevertheless, be careful with the little things, learn how to stand on the bar properly, efficient technique is the key to success.
- Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows on the floor at shoulder level. Place your forearms on the floor. The bent arm should form a 90 -degree angle. Straighten your legs and now lean on your toes and on your forearms. The legs can be placed together or spread as wide as the hips. Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders.
- Tighten and straighten your whole body. Your body from head to toe should be in a straight line.
- Do not bend the spine, do not raise the pelvis;
- Tighten the press;
- Breathing evenly and calmly.
There are many types of these exercises. But if you master the technique of doing a classic board, then there will be no problems with other options.
Common mistakes
- Raise the pelvis above head level. The position of the crossbar is violated. What does this lead to? This is the most common mistake. People often feel tempted to raise their hips as this will allow them to hold the pose longer. The problem is that when you lift your hips, most of the load falls on your shoulders and the pose loses its meaning. This mistake leads to the development of pain in the shoulders and back. Keep your hips in a straight line between your heels and your shoulders.
- Deflection in the cervical region. Excessive neck muscles. While performing, the neck should be kept in a neutral position - the head should not fall or rise higher. Imagine both the head and neck are parts of a straight line created by your entire body. When the neck is not in this line and the head is down or up, you are more likely to see pain in the upper part of your back or neck.
- Raise the elbows to the sides, connect the fingers into the locks and lower the head below the desired level. As a result, the shoulders are less involved, bleeding to the head. If you keep your hands against each other, this will reduce the effectiveness of the pose. When your hands hold on to each other, the abdominal muscles are less functional. Always keep your hands apart, extend them in a straight line from your elbows, keep your hands on the floor.
- Deflection in the lower back. If you continue to stand in a pose with such an error, you can get problems with your lower back. When you curve your back, your weight stops loading the muscles, instead, the vertebrae and the connections between them withstand the load. This mistake leads to pain in the lower back. Correct the error by rotating the pelvis slightly. This will keep your back straight. It is also useful for tightening the buttocks.
- The hips are too low. If your hips are too low, then your entire weight will rest on the lower vertebrae, although the torso muscles should be functioning. It seems easier to lean on the back than on the muscles, but then the exercise loses its meaning.
- A rounded back is a sign that your shoulders are bent. People sometimes make this mistake to balance a weak body. The mistake allows people with weak bodies to hold the pose for longer, due to excessive tension on the muscles of the back, neck and shoulders. To correct this error, move your shoulders down, away from your ears. The trapezius muscle and the middle back muscles (upper back muscles) should be tightened to prevent the back from rounding.
Beginner Tips
Perform the exercise on a yoga mat or towel so that the hard floor does not make your elbows uncomfortable. Before exercising, warm up by doing stretching or doing some simple exercises for three minutes. The first day, stand at the bar for only 20 seconds. This is enough for beginners. To facilitate the exercise, place your feet hip -width apart.
If even in this position you feel insecure, then do it from your knees.
After a few days, as the muscles become stronger, complicate the crossbar from the knee by straightening one leg and holding it in weight. Stay like this for 30 seconds, then switch legs. After completing the exercises, we recommend taking a response - a child's pose. This will relieve tension and relax the core muscles.
Is it possible to do a bar during menstruation
Absolutely Yes. During menstruation, you can do many things, especially sports. Some young women may use critical days as an excuse not to study, but to lie on the couch, shiny, buying a pair of cakes. But you won't do it. If during this period you experience a severe decrease in strength and mood, then it is better to delay training. And if critical days aren’t so critical for you, then stand on the bar for health.
How long do you have to stand on a crossbar to lose weight?
Not sure how long to hold a board pose? Hold until you find it difficult to maintain proper technique, or hold until you feel your muscles start to ache and your body start to tremble - then hold for another 5-10 seconds.
If this is your first time doing this pose and you find yourself standing for 1 minute easily, congratulations. You are in satisfactory physical condition. But if you are really new to the sport, then you can start with 10 seconds, doing five repetitions a day. After a while, as the muscles become stronger, do 4 rounds for 30 seconds, each time increasing the training duration by 1 second.
Remember that the main thing is technique. It is better to stand for 20 seconds with perfect shape than 40 seconds with a curved lower back.
Plank every day, but allow one day a week to rest.
But you have to understand that everything depends on the capabilities of your body. Starting to train and assess your strengths, you will be able to choose the best options and times, and you will stand in this position with health benefits and with pleasure.
When it is better to do a plank for weight loss is up to you. After all, it’s great because it requires nothing but your body and a bit of space. Exercise can be done in the morning, and in the evening, and during the day, but you can’t do it immediately after eating and just before bed.
How to stay on board longer
Regular training will allow you to stand on the bar longer and more technically. But other things are also important:
- Comfortable shoes and clothes. Make yourself comfortable in this sense. You should not be bothered by shoulder straps that cut the top or shoes that slip.
- A mat or towel that is soft enough that allows you to stay in the pose longer. After all, the pain caused by a hard floor, felt in the elbow, can make you give up early.
- Ventilation room. You need oxygen.
- Turn on the music.
- Silence yourself, turn off your phone, be careful not to be accidentally interrupted.
- Self -mental motivation. The words: "My body is working, my muscles are getting stronger, I’m getting prettier! " Work great.
- Warm up before exercising.
- Use a stopwatch. When you see how the seconds increase, it’s motivating.
Popular board options: techniques, nuances and differences
classic
You should lean on your toes and on your forearms. The arms are bent at the elbows at a 90 -degree angle, the forearms parallel to each other. Your body from head to toe is a straight line. Tighten your back and leg muscles. Do not lower your pelvis, do not lift or lower your head. Breathing is even.
Full or straight arms
Straighten your arms and lift your hips, keeping your hands on the floor. This board may seem easier for some people with more advanced upper bodies. This variety will make the shoulder more stable than the classic. The fingers should be separated widely and the middle finger should point straight forward. Rotate the inside of your elbow forward to engage your biceps.
side
Lying on your right side, place your feet on top of each other. Place your lower right elbow directly under your right shoulder and lift your thighs off the floor to make a straight line. You should feel tension in the waist area. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling or place it over your left thigh. Hold this pose for a few seconds, then repeat the same with the other left side of the body. If you feel one part of your body is stronger than the other, keep doing the same number of repetitions on each side to make it equally strong.
Side with leg lift
When you can hold the sideboard for a minute, you can try this variation. Climb into a sideboard position and, holding that position, lift your upper leg a few inches off the floor, then, tensing your muscles, controlling the movement of your legs, lower them backwards. Do 10 repetitions, then repeat on the other side.
Laterally by lowering the hips
Standing on a side board, lower your pelvis down without touching the floor, then return to the starting position. What gives? Increased load on the bevel.
Lift your legs full
Start in a full board position, place your hands on the floor and keep your hips and stomach tight. Lift one leg up, pinch your back. Keep your foot in the air for a few seconds, then move to the other foot and do the same. It is not necessary to lift your legs very high, it is important to stretch them away from you. Do 10 repetitions with each foot.
upside down
Sit on the floor. Put your hands on the floor, take it back a little. Raise your pelvis. The palms should be just below the shoulders. Opara on the palms and heels. Tighten your body, it should form a straight line.
On fitball
We run the classic board, but we lift the legs with the help of a fitball. The ball is under the foot.
Military or dynamic
Start in the base board position with your forearms on the floor. Now, push first with your right hand, then with your left, moving to the full board position. After that, lower yourself back to the base position, again starting on the right. Do 10 repetitions on each side - 10 repetitions on the right, then 10 repetitions on the left.
Rock climber or pull the knee
Start in a full board position, then tighten your abdominal muscles and pull your right knee toward your chest using your lower abdominal muscles. Return the right leg to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the left leg. Keep repeating the exercise with both knees 20-30 times. You can do it fast or slow, the main thing is the right technique, because it is more important than speed.
With alternating shoulder touches
Start in a full board position, making sure your hips are as stable as possible. Reach with the right hand to the left shoulder. Return your right hand to its original position, then touch your right shoulder with your left hand. Keep repeating this exercise 20-30 times.
But now that you know more about bars than ever before, you ask, how many kilograms can you lose weight with the help of exercise? Maybe the answer will disappoint you, but if you don’t create a calorie deficit in your diet, then this 30 -day fat burning program won’t help you lose weight. It will help strengthen the muscles, making them stronger. If you want to lose weight, start burning more calories than you eat. A simple mathematical rule works in weight loss: if more has arrived than is lost, all the excess goes to body fat. I hope we can learn how to save money the way our bodies store fat! Make a board by combining it with these tips:
Useful tips for exercise and weight loss
- Eat eggs for breakfast. Egg intake in the morning has many positive properties, one of which is accelerated weight loss. If you replace the bread that many people eat for breakfast with eggs, then you will lose more calories and fat for the day and be more full.
- Drink coffee (preferably black). Coffee contains large amounts of antioxidants and has many health benefits. Caffeine contained in a cup of coffee speeds up metabolism by 3-11%. But sugar or other high -calorie ingredients should not be added to coffee, as this completely eliminates its benefits.
- Eliminate hidden sugars from your diet. Sugar is one of the most harmful substances in the current human diet. Many people consume too much sugar. Studies have shown that both sugar and fructose syrups are associated with a strong risk of obesity, as well as diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. If you want to lose weight, then eliminate sugar from your diet. Be careful with the label on the packaging, even so-called "healthy" foods can contain a lot of sugar.
- Eat fewer processed carbohydrates. Refined or processed carbohydrates are found in pasta and white bread. These carbohydrates are usually made from grains that have removed all the other nutrients, such as protein and fat. This type of carbohydrate causes a spike in insulin levels. Insulin surges stimulate hunger and the desire to eat something sweet. Refined carbohydrates are closely linked to obesity. If you are going to eat carbs at all, then eat them whole, with natural fiber.
- Control the section. Portion control or calorie counting is very helpful. Counting calories at each meal helps motivate you to lose weight. Anything that tells you more about your food will help.
- Eat more protein. Protein is the most important thing for weight loss. Eating protein -rich foods speeds up metabolism and allows it to burn 100 more calories per day. At the same time, the food itself contains 400 fewer calories than you normally eat. Also, you will lose the desire to eat in the evening and the desire for sweets.
- Add whey protein to your diet. If you find it difficult to add enough protein in your diet, start taking a protein powder supplement to get enough protein.
- Eat "real" food. If you want to be a healthy person, you must completely switch to a complete food menu. These foods satiate you, it’s hard to overeat, and it’s very hard to gain weight with such a diet if most of your food isn’t processed.
Example of daily diet
- Breakfast: 2 slices of whole wheat toast + 2 boiled eggs + hot sauce (optional)
- Snack: 1 cup berries, blueberries, for example + a handful of nuts;
- Lunch: 100 g salmon + avocado + 1 whole grain bread + 1 glass of vegetables;
- Afternoon snack: broccoli and cauliflower + 2 tablespoons unsweetened yogurt;
- Dinner: 130 g lean steak + boiled carrots + Brussels sprouts + 1 tablespoon olive oil;
- And at night (maybe for an hour) 150 g of cottage cheese (of course, without sugar).
What else can you do to lose weight faster?
Aerobic exercise
Doing aerobic exercise (cardio) is the best way to burn calories and improve your physical and mental health. Cardio is very effective in removing belly fat, unhealthy fats that accumulate around organs and cause disease.
strength training
This will speed up your metabolism and prevent you from losing muscle mass. Of course, it is important not only to lose fat, but also to gain muscle. Therefore, strength training is important.
High Intensity Interval Training
By not spending a lot of time exercising, you will speed up your metabolism, increase your stamina, and burn extra calories.
The board develops a sense of balance and trains willpower and character. Standing in it every day for a few seconds longer and not allowing yourself to give up, you build your character and become stronger. Maybe this workout will be the start to a beautiful and athletic body that you will be proud of.