Why is forearm plank in upper body?

Surely it’s a core exercise and should be in forensics programming day, or is the shoulders protraction meant to provide more focus on scapular and less on core?

PLank is the basic alignment for future planche development and it lies a lot of shoulders and scapulae work. this is the reason.

I find I can either really focus the scapular by pronating the shoulders, but then there is less focus on core. Alternatively if my shoulders are less engaged there is more core active. Which is ideal?

Hey Joshua,

At first, it might be tough to achieve both the proper shoulder position and pelvic tilt but with some practice, you will be able to get both correct at the same time. Neither is more important than the other. Both must be mastered eventually.

It helps me to go through a mental checklist each set. Are my shoulders protracted and depressed? Is my core engaged? Glutes tight? Quads squeezed? Personally, my glutes get lazy, but the head to toe check quickly creates awareness.

The next step for you is a form check. A video really helps us help you. 

 

I spent 11 months doing the scapular shrugs (PE1) and about 7 months on elbow plank (PE2). Part of this is because my swivel hips where really bad but also because I was dealing with a few injuries. 

All this time spent on doing the elbow plank meant that it became really solid. I spent 4 months doing step 9, 5x 60s every week.

Initially my core would give up first, but after 4 months it became my shoulders and my protraction.

Now I am on PE5 and the elbow plank feels really solid and easy.

Even when I do the elbow plank today it is first and foremost a shoulder/ protraction/ depression exercise, No matter how fatigued I am it always seems like my shoulders will give up before my core. 

@Johan Tideland I beat you! 18 months working on SPL PE 1!   But around 4 months was without training due to back pain, so 14 months being honest.

I’m at 19 months and counting 

I am at 19 months on PE1 as well, at 5x7 reps. And my core is not the issue, my shoulders start to burn after the second set

Hey, while I was working on my scap shrugs (almost 9 months), in times of frustration there was a question on my mind about this element.... 

Why are scap shrugs before forearm planks and regular planks?... 

See, my main problem with shrugs was not protraction - retraction, but saging the lower back... Aka... Weak core, weak ppt!

And I always thought that I could strenghthen core and protraction with static planks first and than add movement that requires activated ppt. 

In the end, that was what I did... While I was struggling to move from 4x12r to 4x15r, I added some planks (cca 30s holds) and finally built up to 5x15r. Now I do 25-30r in a single set before current sPL progression. 

But it all had one advantage - since january I've already mastered PE2 and PE3 and am progressing nicely through PE4. :-). 

So, if some coach can answer my question above, just out of curiosity...thanks.

My core and shoulders were weak at the beginning but very soon they get used to it. It s my scaps what get tired now, the muscles between my scaps. Currently just moved to 4x15. I m happy to see I m not alone, because sometimes I feel dissapointed and frustrated and think "what happens with my damn  body that it doesn t seem to adapt!" 

Guys who knew plank on elbows would be so tough

here’s me thinking before I came here that I didn’t need to train as it’s too basic . Jeez

. All that squeezing really takes it out of you even after 24sec sets

get the breathing right tho and it makes a massive difference 

 

Yes, the forearm plank works the core, however you have to look at forearm plank in the context of the sPL progressions.  A big part of the sPL progressions is to develop scapula protraction/depression strength.  The straight arm plank (sPL/PE3) is an intro exercise in developing the protraction/depression strength.  However, if you have lack the proper protraction/depression strength in sPL/PE3, you would do a regression, and in this case you regress by bending your arm (as in sPL/PE2: forearm plank).  By bending the arm in sPL/PE2, you're decreasing the amount of strength needed to maximize protraction/depression (the body does this by shifting the work done from the scapula to the core.)  So yes, by itself, the forearm plank's a core exercise, but in the context of the sPL progressions (where a big focus is on developing protraction/depression), it's an easier variation of sPL/PE3