4MM 4-Minute Hard Core Bow Plank Challenge

LETS BEGIN!

This is a PLANK
also known as the static abdominal hold.


The Yoga Folk call this Kumbhakasana (koom-bahk-AHS-uh-nuh) It's name comes from the Sanskrit words "kumbhak," which means "breath retention," and "asana," which means "pose."


The plank is one of my least favorite exercises.

Why?

Because it’s grueling!

I hate it!..but I love it.”

The beauty of the plank is that it’s brutally effective and elegantly simple.

It’s been a favorite military training torture for years, a devious hazing punishment over metal floor vents, and of course it's an integral love makin’ position for the gents.

The PLANK is usually done in the standard pushup position,

but we are going to put a slight bend into it… Voilà..the ELBOW PLANK,

or the BOW PLANK, as I like to call it.



HOW TO:

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor, or clenched into fists.

2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.

3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle. Contract your bum muscles too to aid in stabilizing the hold.


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THE CHALLENGE:

ASSUME the BOW PLANK POSITION!

HOLD it for 4 MINUTES.


Why 4 minutes?




TIPS:

§ Breathing & Visualization: I find doing slow slow breathing in thru nose out thru the nose, closing my eyes and imagining I am weightless and flying thru the sky, space, time itself.

Counting the Breaths: focus on counting the inhale exhale cycles.

inhale.exhale.1/inhale.exhale 2/inhale.exhale 3...

variation..

inhale.hold.exhale.hold. 1/inhale.hold.exhale.hold. 2/…

§ iPod: Find a song on your iPod/iPhone/mp3 player, that is 4 minutes, press play and stop when it’s over. (this keeps me from being a wuss and glancing at a timer every 15 seconds.)

§ Find what works with you.


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Simple to do,

anywhere you are,

at any fitness level,

no equipment necessary.

NOW

“Toes and Bows Ladies and Gentlemen! On your toes and on your elbows!”

DO IT!!

then,

let us know how it went.


this is Jahn Laster.

that is all.


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George Hood 54-year-old former Marine...world record holder for the BowPlank 40 minutes!!