Risks with forearm support

The forearm support strengthens the center of the body, back, abdominal and shoulder girdle muscles.However, the exercise should be supervised by an experienced trainer, because if it is performed incorrectly, one can risk incorrect loads and injuries. In addition, an incorrectly executed forearm support is often simply ineffective. The exercise is not suitable for athletes with shoulder pain or wrist pain.

A common mistake is to overstretch the head, which overstrains the neck muscles and can lead to tension. However, the head should also not simply be left hanging. It should be an extension of the spine.

Another mistake is the sagging of the back into the hollow back when the trunk is not tensed. The abdominal muscles should be tensed, the hips raised and form a straight line with the upper body. Another mistake is to stretch the buttocks too high. If the exercise is still too difficult at the beginning, it can be made a little easier: Instead of supporting yourself on your feet, you can start on your knees. It may also be easier to support the arms in a raised position, such as on a bench.

Record in forearm support

Beginners should first try to hold the exercise perfectly for 30 seconds. A little longer in training, you can already come to one or more minutes. In the Plank Challenge, Facebook users regularly challenge each other to competitions.

In 2016, the Guiness World Records named Mao Weidong from China as the record holder in “Longest time in an abdominal plank position”. In an event organized by Men’s Health, he held the position for eight hours and one minute, a truly outstanding performance. He beat his challenger by more than twenty minutes.

What is the calorie consumption?

The calorie consumption for a single exercise or for a specific sport is highly individual. Activity calculators or sports watches are also only used for orientation. For the calorie consumption with the forearm support you will find different information.

Five minutes of planking does not burn much more than fifty kilocalories. The shorter the exercise, the less is burned. Nevertheless, the exercise strengthens various muscle groups, which increase the body’s basal metabolic rate, i.e. they use more energy even at rest. However, losing weight with the forearm support alone does not work.