The belly is not just what you see in front of your body. In addition to the rectus abdominis (that group of muscles that when trained well forms the coveted six-pack) there are a number of other supporting muscles and ligaments, starting from above and below the chest (serratus anterior), through the side of the core. (medial and external obliques), penetrates deep below the obliques and rectus (transversus abdominis), descends to the groin (inguinal ligament and external abdomen), and ends up supported above and behind the trunk by the latissimus dorsi.
As you can see, for such a wide variety of muscles that the abdominals have, simple lying down exercises do not work to keep them strong and with lasting results, they are not enough. And what’s more, these specific strengthening movements carry a high risk of spinal or neck injury.
There are various exercises that can be very effective to work that area, but the plank or inverted plank is one of the most effective, easiest to perform and we should not perform classic abdominals lying down.
Reverse or inverted plank
A fantastic isometric exercise for the entire abdomen (and back) with the rectus abdominis as the protagonist, which is asked to remain in a continuous stretch for as many seconds as it can bear.
The core creates a straight line with the shoulders, abdomen, hips and legs, making the reverse plank an extremely safe exercise for the spine.
How it is performed?
The exercise is so simple that it does not require a step-by-step guide, you simply have to imitate the image above and hold it for a time that is consistent with your level of training, we must remember that before and after the exercises you have to make an entry in heat and stretching, and that the time that we will hold the position can increase as we progress in our training.
There are two versions of this exercise, it can be with the hands on the floor or with the forearms. Instead of placing the hands on the ground, the forearms will be placed there. Keeping the elbows in line with the shoulders.
Using your forearms to touch the floor will make the exercise easier as it reduces the height you have to raise your hips. The results are similar, and you can choose to start the exercise using the forearms and then progress to the next one.