30-Day Plank Challenge - Who's up for doing it for Sept.?

[RichTheRoadie]

Daughter's 3rd birthday party yesterday and I was on the verge of a migraine all day so Day 16 wasn't happening. Did Day 16 catch-up pre-ride this morning.

Day 17 done this evening too. I need tomorrow's rest day now...

[hmai18]

17 done.

[false_aesthetic]

3min x 2

[TMB]

Missed two days, so did three today.

Ow.

[hmai18]

Swapping Day 18/19 on the bottom chart today since today is my scheduled rest day off the bike anyway.

[RichTheRoadie]

Day 19 done - and was strangely satisfying...

[mnoble485]

I started late so did day 17 today. Tomorrow scares me.

Mike

[false_aesthetic]

Yesterday and today done but I'm somehow a day behind.

[David Tollefson]

Missed three days with the move. Literally 4 days straight of on it by 7am, done at 8pm or later. Haven't even ridden a bike.

[sk_tle]

I haven't done a proper ride since last saturday but haven't skipped the plank.

[mnoble485]

So, I was able to do 2 mins. but the next day called for 2.5. Couldn't make it, not so much core or legs but shoulders. I'm doing the top chart because of arthritic wrists. Any thoughts?

Mike

[RichTheRoadie]

Maybe move to the second chart as it does each day in chunks of time with decent rest gaps - could be enough to give your wrist a break?

I’ve missed the last 2 days. Catching up today could be painful...

[thollandpe]

Catching up. Day 20 is a big dose of side planks. Yowza.

[RichTheRoadie]

I’ve missed the last 2 days. Catching up today could be painful...

I’ve fallen off the wagon - now 3 days behind, damn it...

[David Tollefson]

With the move and some issues at the house, I'm now 5 days out of the loop. Not going to make that up. I was at 3:20 then... My brain is not in a good place now, so I'm not even going to contemplate it.

[htwoopup]

I have been quietly doing this. I know that isn't how it works and works best...the quietly part. But I started a week late and had to catch up and wasn't sure I could do that (a lot of double and triple days).

I have been doing the chart on the bottom. With the woman doing planks on it.

It was great when I did it last time. But I realize the reason why I need to do these things all the time is after the 30 days of the challenge I slack off. I am a very "tell me exactly what to do each day and I will do it" type of guy. Will never miss a beat. But need the discipline of on the 23rd, this is the exercise how many/ how much rest etc.

So, through 22 days things are fine and I have noticed an improvement.

However, today included sets of 8-10 up/down planks. I only got to 4 before I collapsed.

And it had absolutely nothing to do with core. It had to do with arms and shoulders. I don't think I have any muscles there.

So, I went to Canadian Tire and bought a 40 pound dumb bell set. I will spend the rest of this evening perusing the interwebs looking for a 30 day upper body strength challenge.

If somebody has any direction for me on something for upper body which I have never in my life done (as obviated by my performance on the up/down planks today) please let me know.

[thollandpe]

Jon, great post!

Start slow, brother. Not to worry, you'll get there. I am a middle-aged slab of stinky cheese but a few years after being humbled by basic injuries (despite ripping off the legs of youngsters in the club TT) I started to pay a little attention to core strength in the off season.

One epiphany was joining an after-work "boot camp" class with other middle-aged cubicle dwellers. Mostly female, mostly chubby. I had to drop out, could not hang. They kicked my ass.

Went back a year later, humbled, careful, and cognizant of my own limits. Enjoyed the ass kicking.

Besides planks, there are (at least) two other body-weight moves to master. Tricep dips and push-ups. I do the former on a chair, the latter when I can. Form is key. Doing them correctly is more important than doing a lot of them. Modification is OK, pull your feet back on the dip, or drop to your knees for the push-up.

[htwoopup]

All caught up although once again the up/down ones were done in a few more sets of less reps than prescribed.

Followed up with Todd’s suggested dips which could do and a few wussy pushups that were not yet an art form.

Will get there though.

[justaute]

That 2nd set of up/down plank for 80 seconds was a bit of SOB.

[hmai18]

Ugh, trying to dig myself out of a multi-day hole. Currently one day behind still.