Plank vs Push-ups: What's more effective for burning belly fat? | The Times of India (2024)

Plank and push-ups aren't new to fitness enthusiasts. The two moves have always been popular. They are full-body exercises, targetting mainly the core muscle. But if done correctly, they can help activate several other muscles. The main question is which of the two is worth adding to your workout regime. If you are new to the fitness world, it can be difficult to pick one of the two in order to get maximum benefits within a minimum time. Here we will settle the debate once and for all.

Step 1: Come to a table-top position with your knees below your hips and your wrists below your shoulder.

Step 2: Lift your knees off the ground and extend your legs to come to a high plank position.

Step 3: Place your forearms on the ground and keep your shoulder-width apart.

Step 4: Elongate your spine and engage your abdominal, arm and leg muscles. Lengthen the back of your neck and look down.

Step 4: Hold this position for at least 10-30 seconds.

Step 1: Com to all your fours with your wrists should under your shoulders and hips under your knees

Step 2: Lift your knees and extend your legs to come to a high plank position.

Step 3: Keep your body in a straight line (neutral from head and toes).

Step 4: Lower your upper body toward the ground by bending your elbows.

Step 5: Go down until you are about six inches away from the ground.

Step 5: Then push the floor away to return to the top to complete one repetition.

Muscles targetted in plank and push-ups are almost the same. Both the exercises are done in a similar way and activate several muscles of the body at one time. The plank works on your core, rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, serratus anterior and glutes, while standard push-ups target your chest muscles, or pectorals, shoulders, or deltoids, back of your arms, or triceps, abdominals and serratus anterior.

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If we compare plank with push-ups, indeed the former is easier for the beginner as compared to the latter. To do push-ups, you first have to get into the plank positions, so that you can do it with ease. The push-up can be difficult as in this exercise you will have to balance your body weight on your arms and go up and down. This particular move requires exceptional arms and shoulder strength that can only be gained by continuous exercising. Beginners might not be able to perform this exercise correctly. So, instead of traditional push-ups, they should go for planks and half push-ups.

If you have been exercising for a while now and can perform both exercises without compromising your form, then you can do plank and push-ups alternatively. Both are full-body exercises that target almost the same muscles, help to build core strength, correct posture and improve the range of motion. However, if you have to pick on, we would suggest you go for push-ups as it provides the benefits of both moves.

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If you have enough time, we would suggest you try both exercises. But to reap the benefits of this exercise, first correct your form. Performing any exercise incorrectly can put you at the risk of muscle strain and injury. Also, try to include variations in your workout routine. This will challenge your muscles and help to achieve your goals faster.