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5-Minute Plank Challenge

July 4, 2018

Join me for this month’s easy, effective, and challenging workout: the 5-minute plank challenge!

5-Minute Plank Challenge | Running on Happy

It’s the 4th of July and I’ve got something super fantastic in store for you! If you’ve been following along my FREE monthly challenges since January, you know what’s about to happen. And if you haven’t joined in on a monthly challenge yet, what are you waiting for?? (Also, scroll down to the end of this post so you can join the other challenges and catch up!)

So who’s ready for the next challenge?? I know we all have 4th of July plans or other things to do like run or go to the pool, so I’m going to cut to the chase. This month’s challenge is super simple — a straightforward plank challenge. The plank is SIMPLE and extremely effective. And everyone should be doing. That means you.

5-Minute Plank Challenge

First things first. Let’s discuss how to plank.

Planks

There are so many variations of the plank — side planks, forearm planks, high planks, plank up-downs, partner planks, etc. Planks are incredibly effective exercise as they strengthen the arms, core, back, and even the glutes and quads. Everyone should do planks.

How to do them: 

High-plank: Hands on the ground, legs straight out behind you. Be sure to keep a straight line from your head to your feet (aka, no butts high up in the air) and your belly drawn in strong. Engage your core.

Forearm plank: same position except instead of your hands, you’ll be on your forearms — your elbows to the tips of your fingers will be flat on the ground.

Variations: there are lots of variations of the planks. If you know them (side plank, for example) and are comfortable doing them, please feel free to use at your discretion. 

For this challenge, we will begin with a simple, 30-second plank. By the end of the month we’ll be challenging ourselves to hold the plank for 5 minutes straight — no breaks. The build is slow enough that you should be able to get there with no problem.

Let’s get right into it with the calendar!

Join me for this month's easy, effective, and challenging workout: the 5-minute plank challenge! Everyone can benefit from planking. Join the fun!

Week 1

Wednesday — 30 seconds

Thursday — 30 seconds

Friday — 45 seconds

Saturday — 45 seconds

Sunday — REST

Week 2

Monday — 1 minute

Tuesday — 1 minute

Wednesday — 1 1/2 minute

Thursday — 1 1/2 minute

Friday — 2 minutes

Saturday — 2 minutes

Sunday — REST

Week 3

Monday — 2 minutes

Tuesday — 2 1/2 minutes

Wednesday — 2 1/2 minutes

Thursday — 3 minutes

Friday — 3 minutes

Saturday — 3 minutes

Sunday — REST

Week 4

Monday — 3 1/2 minutes

Tuesday — 3 1/2 minutes

Wednesday — 4 minutes

Thursday — 4 minutes

Friday — 4 1/2 minutes

Saturday — 4 1/2 minutes

Sunday — REST

Week 5

Monday — 5 minutes

Tuesday — 5 minutes



Rock your core with the 5-minute plank challenge! #runningonhappy #NoExcuses #rockyourcore
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Join me on Facebook!

That’s it! Simple, easy, effective — and challenging! As always, join me in the Facebook group for added accountability! Be sure to bookmark this post so you can refer back to it throughout the month.

Want to learn about the past challenges I’ve hosted? Check them out here:

  • Burpees, Planks, Push-Ups
  • Supermans, Squats, Twists 
  • Total Body Challenge
  • Tricep Dips, Push-Ups, and Jump Squats
  • Strong Arms and Abs Challenge

Have a safe and happy holiday.

xo

Let’s talk!

Have you ever done a plank challenge?

How long can you hold your plank?

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Linking up with Annmarie and Nicole for Wild Workout Wednesday.

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31 Comments


Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner
July 4, 2018 at 6:25 am
Reply

I have kind of fallen off the wagon with my planking! Great reason to start again 🙂 Thanks for the linkup



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:19 pm
    Reply

    I fell off big time. And planks are so good for us!

Kimberly Hatting
July 4, 2018 at 7:54 am
Reply

Well, I can already hold a 5-minute plank, but I don’t do it very often. I’m all about planking, though, so I’ll be there “on the floor” with ya 😉



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:19 pm
    Reply

    Excellent! 🙂 Can’t wait to see all your selfies!

Farrah
July 4, 2018 at 10:10 am
Reply

This definitely looks a lot more doable than I was thinking it would be! 😛 It’d be awesome to be able to plank for 5 minutes!



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:19 pm
    Reply

    Haha! Join the fun, Farrah!

Annmarie
July 4, 2018 at 10:48 am
Reply

I definitely need to up my plank game!



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:18 pm
    Reply

    Me too. I hope you join!

Laurie
July 4, 2018 at 11:34 am
Reply

Wow! 5 minutes seems like a really long time to hold a plank!!! Planking is definitely something I should do more often.



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:18 pm
    Reply

    It is kind of long. But not too long when you slowly build up.

Wendy
July 4, 2018 at 11:41 am
Reply

I love planks! Idk if I can commit to the challenge but it will be fun to see everyone’s posts!!!

So just last week a local buy broke the world record for holding a plank. 10 hours and 10 minutes. Ok then.



    Wendy
    July 4, 2018 at 11:41 am
    Reply

    guy. Not buy. I hate my new laptop…

    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:18 pm
    Reply

    I saw that. Whhhhhhhy. Why would anyone want to do that?!

Abbey Sharp
July 4, 2018 at 2:57 pm
Reply

I’m digging this challenge! Great way to fit in an ab workout in the day!



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:18 pm
    Reply

    Short and sweet. 🙂

De Bolton
July 4, 2018 at 3:38 pm
Reply

I should definitely add more plank variations into my routine this is an easy way to get 5 minutes. Going to give it a try.



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    Excellent!!

Nicole @ Fitful Focus
July 4, 2018 at 3:52 pm
Reply

I’ve been working on this lately! Currently at a 1:45. Great challenge!



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    Nice! I used to be up around 3 but now I’m back to 30 seconds.

Coco
July 5, 2018 at 7:03 am
Reply

I used to be a 2:30 planks, now 1:30 is challenging! I like how this plan builds up.



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    It definitely helps to have the slow build. 🙂

Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy
July 5, 2018 at 8:50 am
Reply

I do plank fairly often but I definitely can’t hold a plank for 5 minutes. And I probably never will. I’m ok with that. 🙂



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    Haha! But you should try. 🙂 Challenge yourself!

Darlene
July 5, 2018 at 10:34 am
Reply

I have tried planking but not in ages.

This challenge sounds doable but I doubt I’ll get past 1 minute LOL



    Rachel
    July 5, 2018 at 12:17 pm
    Reply

    I think you’d be surprised at how long you can hold a plank when you add to it very slowly. I hope you join!

Marc Pelerin
July 5, 2018 at 1:21 pm
Reply

Great challenge Rachel! Looks like you’ve got LOTS of friends joining you!



Janelle @ Run With No Regrets
July 5, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Reply

I was wondering what the next challenge would be….nice! I am actually worried about my core since I haven’t really been working it, so I am going to do my best to make it through this challenge since I bombed last month, lol!



Rach
July 5, 2018 at 5:09 pm
Reply

Whoa I don’t think I would ever make it 5 mins but I should try to follow along the best I can!



Michelle @ Running with Attitude
July 6, 2018 at 8:34 pm
Reply

I’ve been on a plank streak since the first of the year but I usually hang out around the 1:30 or 2 mins. 5 minutes will be a great challenge!



#NYRRRetro and week of 7.8 – travellingcari.com
July 15, 2018 at 1:53 pm
Reply

[…] air-conditioned gym for a 5K row followed by some planks. Intrigued by Running on Happy’s 5M plank challenge, maybe this […]



#GoTheDist, August 2018 – travellingcari.com
September 2, 2018 at 11:48 am
Reply

[…] Tuesday: oh hello jet lag at 5:30 AM. I’d already moved to sleep on the futon Monday night since it was gross at 11 PM so I knew there was no way I was running outside. When I got to the gym I realized wow, my thighs and knee were sore from the kettle bell workout squats. Also, this branch of the gym is way too hot on really warm days and I thought it might be OK in the morning. Nope. So after two minutes on the treadmill I headed instead for the LateralX which has the fan built in. This was all a bonus since original plan was pure rest day due to after work plans. Elbow is finally not sore enough for me to be able to forearm plank so a September goal is re-visiting the 5M plank challenge. […]



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