2023-12-19 16:30:57
Is sheathing overrated? This is what we will try to answer today.
And you will see that the answer is a big “it depends”… annoying, I know, but you will still have an answer depending on your personal case.
Without further ado, let’s tackle this monument of abs exercises.
What does sheathing work?
“Everything”, some would say. “The 6 pack!”, others will say.
Lost and lost…
As well-known as it is, you’d be surprised how many people don’t really know what they’re activating with the ab plank.
“Planking” as we know it (basic version in a push-up position facing the ground), is above all a static exercise. who works the anterior chain and some other stabilizing muscles.
This includes :
- Abdominals,
- Hip flexors,
- The quadriceps (thigh muscles),
- The serratus anterior muscle (a stabilizer of the scapula),
- The deltoids (shoulder muscles),
- The erector spinae (spinal column) muscles, an antagonist to the abdominals.
Okay, but that’s great!
On paper, it’s not bad at all, actually, but you still have to have good execution, which is far from being the case most of the time.
How do you know if you’re not doing the movement perfectly?
Hint, you can hold your sheathing for more than 2 minutes… I will then bet a large sum (like 10 euros) that your sheathing is full of flaws.
We have already written a complete and illustrated article on the technical points of a good sheathing (to be found here), but I will give you a few examples:
- You are certainly not doing scapular protraction, so you are losing tension and are not correctly engaging your serratus,
- More serious, you are certainly not doing retroversion of the pelvisso your hips are not properly aligned, the exercise is easier and much less effective,
These are just two examples, there are more, but you might get the idea.
If you do your abdominal plank badly, you automatically cannot claim the beneficial effects announced and you are putting yourself in serious trouble.
Ok, but my sheathing is perfect…
Here we come to the black point of sheathing: it’s an easy exercise!
If your execution is perfect and you train regularly, it’s a safe bet that you can last a minute without flinching and without having your butt rise or collapse.
Well done ! But there is no question of resting on your laurels, you must increase the intensity of the exercise by opting for variations.
The first and potentially best is toincrease the lever arm:
Huh, kézako? In short, move your elbows or hands forward and pass the shoulder line, you will drastically reduce the time you are able to hold.
The more leverage (the further your hands are in front of you), the more intense and challenging it is for your abs!
There are many other ways to make sheathing more complex:
- By removing a support point to increase instability,
- By making it dynamic,
- By adding lateral flexion to work on spinal stability,
- By adding weight…
If you want to know more, read our guide: 3 core progressions to take your abs to a whole new level.
So, is sheathing a waste of time?
As said in the preamble: it depends!
More si:
- Your form of cladding is slammed to the floor and your only objective is to last longer at all costs: YES!
- If your form is good, but you are not improving your core exercises: YES!
In the latter case, aim at even just a sheathing with a larger lever, taking care to antevert the pelvis and protract the scapulae for 20 to 40 seconds is a milestone to pass!
If that’s what you’re already doing, great. sheathing is not overrated at all!
If likewise, you are a complete beginner and find it difficult to hold for 30 seconds, then this is one of the best ab exercises for beginners to do (others here: Strengthen your core: 7 easy exercises for beginners and no equipment required!) to work on your core strength, coordination and body alignment.
In any case, core training is a must if you want to access other more advanced movements such as hollow body, mountain climber or even push-ups.
And if core training is still too difficult for you, think regarding exercises comme le “hollow body crunch” which isolates the work on the “high and low” fibers of the 6 pack without overly involving the hip flexors.
Come on, everyone on your boards, but adapt the level!
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