Planks vs. Weighted Sit Ups

[BendtheBar]

Do you feel planks have any value for ab strength, or am I better off sticking with weighted sit ups?

[styrkecoach]

i feel planks are exellent for ab strength, provided you do them correctly.

the abdominals are mainly stabelizers, and the plank does this.

i do planks with thees guidelines:

* contract your gluteus
* contract your quadriceps
* have your elbows placed almost togehter directly under my eyes instead of my shoulders.

this makes it a harder exercies and involves the abdominals more.

it can also been done with a pilates ball in a ab roller/ plank kinda fashion, this may look weird if your a 250lb powerlifter but so does foam rolling.

[BendtheBar]

Thanks SC. Good post. I might give them a try.

[rippednmichigan]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Thanks SC. Good post. I might give them a try.

No reason you can't or shouldn't do both BTB.

[onetiredkris]

I dunno, im more of a heavy crunch type of guy. I can plank for 3 minutes and it will burn at the time but fade away instantly. But heavy crunches give me massive doms the next day, so i go with them.

Id be careful and do them to a point, you dont want the super protruding pregnant abdominal look. Get them to a size you like then switch over to planks/high rep low weight maintenance movements.