Planks are one of the most straightforward exercises that you can do to the point that it involves only one step, getting down to the ground and holding the same position for as long as you can. It does sound easy when you think about it this way, however, it’s one of the most challenging holds out there. The degree of difficulty is based on maintaining that same position for long periods of time, not everybody can do it for longer than a minute. With that being said, one of the common questions that I get asked a lot is whether or not skinny guys should do planks and if it’s going to make you even skinnier.
Planks are great for skinny guys looking to tone their abs. It’s an exercise that works out the abdominal region, back, obliques, and hips. It won’t make you even skinnier, it’ll just focus on toning and growing those specific muscles.
In this article, we’ll talk about if skinny guys should do planks and if it’s gonna make them even skinner.
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Should Skinny Guys Do Planks?
In order to answer this question, I’ll talk about my own experience using this exercise. Since I was a skinny guy myself, I was constantly looking for ways to gain weight or at least tone my muscles so they look great.
I remember one day, I was surfing the internet to look for the best exercises that will tone my abs and came across planks. It looked super easy and straightforward so I decided to just go for it and start doing them every day.
On the first day, I remember I couldn’t hold it for even 30 seconds since I was extremely weak but with time I managed to slowly increase that hold period, and within a week I reached 2 minutes which was impressive for me. It was the first time that I felt that I’m growing and that my muscles are improving and getting stronger.
Fast forward to 2 months and I actually started seeing some gains in terms of my abs. They appeared more toned and a lot better than what they used to look before. Not only that, but I also noticed that my posture was improving since my shoulders always used to look hunched. I became a lot more flexible and my core got super strong all because of a single exercise.
From my personal experience, I can say that, without a doubt, plank exercises have a lot of benefits for skinny guys:
They’ll Tone Your Abs
You’ll be surprised at what this simple exercise can do for your body, especially your abs. If you’re a skinny guy, what more would you like than to impress girls with your aesthetic six-pack. If you’re looking for the best exercise that can tone your abs so they appear more full, planks are your way to go. It’s also a great type of movement if you’re skinny fat (meaning you’re skinny but still have somewhat of a belly), It’ll reduce fat around that area to reveal your abdominal muscles.
They’ll Improve Your Posture
Based on my own personal experience with this exercise, planks definitely improve posture. The main reason behind that is the fact that they target the core which is essentially what controls having a good or bad posture. They also work the back which plays a huge role in that. Just from the way that this exercise is performed (adjusting your body for a straight hold), you can tell that it’s meant to fix your posture.
As a skinny guy, it’s so easy to look hunched since your bones aren’t supported well by your weak muscles. That’s why working on your posture should be one of your top priorities which will benefit you in the long term.
They’ll Make You More Flexible
When you think about it, planks are all about stretching your muscles for a set amount of time. When that happens, besides making them stronger since planks are isometric exercises, they’ll also become a lot more flexible. I remember after a month of my daily plank routine, doing other exercises felt easier and I could move my body in certain ways that were impossible to do before.
They’ll Strengthen Your Core
For me personally, this is the “selling point” of this exercise and the other main reason why I got into it besides making my abs look more toned. Planks will greatly strengthen your core which is an essential factor to have in pretty much anything that we do in life. Having a strong core makes everyday tasks and activities a lot easier, it reduces back pain, improves posture, and leads to a better balance and stability overall.
Having a good core as a skinny guy is important to get through your everyday life to make up for your other muscles that are naturally weak.
Does Planking Make You Skinny?
Based on my own experience, planking didn’t make me even skinnier. On the contrary, it helped me tone and grow my abs and strengthen my core.
A single exercise like the plank can’t make you skinny unless you do it for an unrealistic amount of time. Even though it can be considered an aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate, you need to do it for over 30 minutes in order to start burning fat which is not efficient at all.
That’s because according to the Cleveland Clinic and a lot of other research that shares the same conclusion, the body starts to burn fat only after 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise. Holding a plank for that long is unrealistic and an inefficient way to burn fat if that was your goal.
So if you’re skinny and decided to start doing planks, you don’t have to ever worry about getting even skinnier unless you do it for super long periods of time which is very unlikely.
Conclusion:
As a skinny guy, if you’re looking to build your abs, strengthen your core, and improve both your posture and flexibility, planks are your way to go. They offer a lot of benefits for your body and you can do them everywhere you go.
If you’re frustrated because you can’t hold a plank position for a long period of time, always remember that it takes time to grow and you’ll eventually be able to hold it for minutes just like it happened to me.
