Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
How to Do a Bear Plank
Ready to level up your core workouts with a bear plank? This challenging pose will strengthen your core and improve your balance, motor skills, and overall body strength. It’s a great starting point before attempting the more advanced bear crawl exercise and variations of the bear crawl. Let’s dive into how to do it and why you should add it to your fitness routine.
Muscles Worked in a Bear Plank
The bear plank is a fantastic full-body exercise that targets several muscle groups:
- Core: Abs, obliques, lower back
- Shoulders: Deltoids
- Arms: Triceps, biceps
- Legs: Quadriceps, hamstrings, calves
The Bear Plank: Proper Form and Technique
Time needed: 1 minute
To Perform a Bear Plank:
- Initial Set up:
Start in a quadruped position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Brace Your Core:
Brace your core through power breathing (imagine blowing out birthday candles), keeping your back flat and in a neutral position. Your neck should maintain a neutral position as well.
- Elevate and Hover:
Elevate your knees, hovering a few inches above the floor.
- Hold
Hold this position for a prescribed amount of time. Repeat.
Pro Tips
- Keep your hips elevated: Avoid sagging your hips towards the ground.
- Maintain a neutral spine: Don’t arch your back or round your shoulders.
- Brace your core: Using nasal breathing to create intra-abdominal pressure will help stabilize your core and protect your lower back.
- Start with short holds: Gradually increase the duration as you get stronger.
Conclusion
By incorporating bear planks into your workout program, you will achieve full-body strength, improve your balance and motor skills, and progress to more challenging bear crawl exercise variations. Give it a try, and remember to check out our additional crawling tutorials featured below.
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