Do Planks Burn Fat and Help You Lose Weight?

Last Updated on April 15, 2021 by Martin

Do Planks Burn Fat And Make You Lose Weight?

Do Planks burn fat and help you to lose weight?

There is no question that the plank is a highly effective exercise to get in shape when done correctly!

But is the plank effective enough to give you a good fat burn and help you lose weight, or do you have to make use of other measures as well?

Before we dig deeper into the plank and whether it burns fat or not! Let’s first have a closer look at how many calories you can burn doing this exercise.

How Many Calories Does Planking Burn?

The number of calories you can burn doing the plank varies from person to person.

Your metabolism, strength, fitness level, and how much you weigh all play in when it comes to calculating the number of calories you can burn doing this exercise.

But on average, people weighing up to 187lbs or 85kg can burn around 3 calories per minute doing the plank.

When weighing more than 187lbs, you will be burning up to 5 calories per minute.

As a comparison, you will burn between 7 and 10 calories, depending on how much you weigh, walking one minute.

If you could hold the plank position for an hour, your total calorie burn would be around 180 to 300 calories.

However, you will not be able to feel your shoulders or elbow due to soreness in the next couple of days.

Do Planks Burn Belly Fat?

You can burn a good amount of belly fat when doing the plank regularly. But your main purpose of doing the plank must be more about strengthen your core region, abdominal muscles and lower back than burning calories.

After all, strengthen your core is what the different plank exercises are doing the best.

When it comes to burning calories, there are more effective exercises you can do than the plank. Check out our article What is The Most Effective Cardio For Weight Loss?

The Best Way to Do the Plank

To get the most out of doing the plank, train your muscles, and burn calories, it is better to let your planks become a part of an exercise routine.

Make sure to use your muscles, train your whole body, and squeeze in 1 or 2 plank exercises into your routine.

Do Planks Burn Fat! A Waste of Time?

Despite not burning so many calories as various cardiovascular exercises, it is not a waste of time doing the plank.

You will strengthen your core section, your muscles and improve endurance as well as athletic performance.

When it comes to strengthening your core region and activating all muscles in your body simultaneously, the plank is one of the best exercises you can do.

Also, planks may give you a therapeutic effect if you are struggling with lower back issues.

• To help you lose weight faster, don’t forget to check out How to Lose More Belly Fat Overnight

The Best Way to Plank

When you start out doing the plank, it is a good idea to have someone spot you That way; you will get your form right and get more out of it. The plank is an exercise where it is easy to relax or overextend your lower back, making it inefficient.

First Time Plankers

When you start, you need to determine your starting point, how many seconds you can hold your plank position before you feel it in your body to such an extent you start to shake.

When you have the time, let’s say 30 seconds, this will be your starting point.

Your Plank Routine

A terrific way to make your plank routine as a beginner is to do 3 sets of regular planks where you hold the position for 30 seconds. From now on, you add 5 to 10 extra seconds each time you do your plank routine.

When you can do 2 min in each set, you can start to make your plank more challenging.

Feel free to incorporate side planks relatively fast into your routine when you are comfortable doing the regular plank. They are also great for your stomach region, your obliques and make your planks more challenging.

• Also, check out this article: Do Situps Burn Belly Fat?

Different Ways of Doing the Plank for Fat Burn.

When you are ready, you can get started doing some of the planks from the videos below.

Make sure to incorporate them in an exercise routine where you are training your whole body. It will give you the absolute best results speaking of fat burn and weight loss.

The Prone Plank – The Regular One

Remember, if it is too hard on your elbows and shoulders, you can support your hands instead of your upper arms.

The Side Plank

A little bit more challenging is the Side Plank. Remember, you must hold your body in a straight position when performing this plank.

Also, remember to do both sides.

The Plank with a Kickout To Train Your Buttocks

If you want to tone and get a sexy butt, you can do the plank with a kickout. It will give your hamstrings and buttocks a good workout.

The Spiderman Plank

When you are ready to take the next step making your planks more challenging, the Spiderman Plank is a good place to get started.

The Push-Up Side Plank

When you are ready for more challenging planks, I highly recommend doing the Push-Up Side Plank.

Here you will get a great arm, chest workout together with your core workout.

The 2-Point Plank

If you want to put extra focus on your lower back, buttocks, and hamstrings, the 2-Point Plank is a good place to start.

Do Planks Burn Fat and Help You Lose Weight? The Sum-Up!

Do planks burn fat?

Doing the plank can be a terrific way to help you burn fat and lose weight.

But, if your main purpose is fat and calorie burn, there are far more effective exercises that will do it more efficiently.

You should do planks in the first place to strengthen your core region, abdominal muscles, and lower back.

The advantage of doing planks compared to other abdominal muscles exercises is that they engage every muscle in your body, giving you a full-rounded workout.