There are a lot of great exercises out there that many people look to fold into their everyday physical activities. From jumping jacks to squats, finding the right exercise that helps you reach your final fitness goals is important.
One of the most popular is probably the plank. But even with it being so popular, there are still some questions out there.
One of the biggest questions is whether planks are intended to burn fat or build muscle. The truth is that it does, but it is primarily intended to help build muscle. No matter what you do, any physical activity is going to burn fat.
But because this is an isometric exercise, you decide your whole body, and building muscles is the prime result. But there’s so much more to understand, so we’re gonna take a look at answering this question for you.
Does It Have the Same Effect On Everyone?
The truth is that it will not have the same effect on everyone. Those with a little more weight are more likely to burn more calories than build muscles.
Though some muscle will be built naturally because that is what plants are intended to do, the excess weight will make them more challenging, and, therefore, more fat will be burned.
It will still burn calories for that already average weight and be physically active, but it is more about building muscles in this frame. So you see, it depends on the level of physical activity one is used to doing as well as their overall weight and body composition.
How Much Planking is Enough For Gaining Muscle?
If your goal is to gain muscle, then you probably wonder how long you have to do these very difficult and challenging exercises.
Most experts will tell you that the best results come from you doing these days and holding planks for at least 10 seconds. You can always hold it for longer and do multiple sets to elevate the results.
However, as we said, the bare minimum that most experts say is that where you will see a good deal of muscle gain is to hold that plank for 10 seconds.
Then, of course, they intend you to do multiple sets of this, so you may wind up holding the planks for about 30 seconds in total.
How Long Does It Take For Planks to Show Results?
Like with many other exercises, the rate of results depends on your dedication, your consistency, and your body composition. Those that have more weight may see results quickly and naturally burn fat faster.
Ideally, most people will see the biggest results within the first 30 days. This is with the individual doing planks every day for three sets of holding them each for 10 seconds.
If you add more, of course, you may find that the results are quicker, but most people find that a month into it, they start to see a little difference.
Why Do You Shake During Planks?
Whenever you do a full-body exercise, you use muscle contraction to create tension so that you can build strength and endurance. For example, during planking, it is very common for you to begin to quiver or shake.
When this occurs, it’s your body pushing the limits of your endurance and you have got challenging your body. On a more scientific level, it is the result of your chemical messengers being depleted.
In other words, some cells are tensing, and others are reacting and doing this in sequence. This creates a tremble in your body.
How to Make the Most Out of Planking?
With any exercise, you want to get the best results possible, so understanding how to get the most out of planking is vital. So here are a couple of tips we have that should help you get the best results out of adding planking to your exercise routine:
- Hold the plank as long as you can
- Keep a good posture
- Add some movement to your planking
- Try a reverse plank
- Make the plank bigger
Final Thoughts on Do Planks Burn Fat or Build Muscle
Planking is an isometric exercise which means it utilizes your entire body. Because of this, it both burns calories and builds muscle. Though primarily the intention is to build muscle, some fat will inevitably be burned in the process.