Benefits of Planks for Runners?

You ever heard of Bernard Lagat?

Has never run 90 miles per week in his life. Does tons of core work.

I'm all for miles but running is about movement as much as it is about cardio-vascular and mental strength. and functionally strong muscles help movement.

When I was a runner I ran 105 miles per week and hardly ever did the little things to help stabilize and strengthen me. Now I regret it every day.

Not convinced... watch this (and the related videos)

http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=13&do=videos&video_id=77588

Amen

I'm 40 years old and averaged 70miles per week for 16 years from 20-36. I ran some competitive times but never did any core work. Now I regret it every day. A strong core will keep you injury free. Eventually you hit that point where the things you used to recover from now cause long term injuries.

Bond. James Bond. wrote:

markschultz25 wrote:

Ever since I started doing longer plank holds, I noticed my push ups performance increased as well as being able to do one armed push ups for the first time inn my life.

What are some benefits, which I suspect are only for form and efficiency, can a runner expect to get out of doing planks long and often?

SMH...

Are you running 90 miles per week or more? No? Then forget this nonsense and get thee to running. THAT will benefit your running 100x more than any amount of planking you could possibly do

Planks do nothing for your running, and frankly, the ability to do one armed pushups adds nothing to your running as well.

This is letsrun, not letsplank or letsfiddlefartaroundwithmeaninglessexercisesfornogoodreason. Get your head straight.

You are very uneducated.

core disbeliefs wrote:

Planks are good if you routinely faceplant and don't want your junk to slam into the ground. Otherwise you just need to run a lot and run at various speeds over varying terrain.

You never see a Racehorse or a Greyhound doing core work.

You'll never see an elite distance runner dazzling you with core strength or any strength for that matter.

LOL so because I've never seen my Thoroughbred doing crunches out in the field that means I shouldn't do them either? I'll never see an elite distance runner doing core? Are you serious? I'm actually cringing at some of these responses, Letsrun you never fail to amaze me.

I'm over 50 and I also had a disc blowout that affected my breathing (diaphragm muscles) and quads. I had to take 5 days off running but then started running really slow and on some incline. It gradually got better and I never did any type of exercise or lifting. I started racing 3 weeks later and was at least 30 seconds/mile slower than I should have been. Took about 10 weeks before it totally went away and I got faster every week. Eventually I ran faster than I had in the last 5 years on the roads as I was doing specific training for that.

If you think other exercises help you out, then go ahead, but they aren't necessary. I haven't taken a day off running since then which was about 21 months ago.

My belief is to be a better runner, you just need to run but if you believe otherwise, that's fine.

Isn't a pushup a plank with arm movement added?

Or is a plank a pushup without the pushing part?

Yes, a pushup is a plank with arm movement

Except you aren't doing push ups off your elbows.

And no side push ups...

kod3200 wrote:

core disbeliefs wrote:

Planks are good if you routinely faceplant and don't want your junk to slam into the ground. Otherwise you just need to run a lot and run at various speeds over varying terrain.

You never see a Racehorse or a Greyhound doing core work.

You'll never see an elite distance runner dazzling you with core strength or any strength for that matter.

LOL so because I've never seen my Thoroughbred doing crunches out in the field that means I shouldn't do them either? I'll never see an elite distance runner doing core? Are you serious? I'm actually cringing at some of these responses, Letsrun you never fail to amaze me.

That is correct.

You will see them doing core but not running faster because of it.

Ever see a gymnast run? Core to beat the band and they look like an octopus rolling down a hill.

How did we get this far into this thread and no one has mentioned how mo Farah went from 13.11 and top 3 in Europe down to 1250 closing in 50.x just from few push ups. Benefits of core work right there.

core disbeliefs wrote:

kod3200 wrote:

LOL so because I've never seen my Thoroughbred doing crunches out in the field that means I shouldn't do them either? I'll never see an elite distance runner doing core? Are you serious? I'm actually cringing at some of these responses, Letsrun you never fail to amaze me.

That is correct.

You will see them doing core but not running faster because of it.

Ever see a gymnast run? Core to beat the band and they look like an octopus rolling down a hill.

Core helps stabilize your form, improve running economy, and build fast twitch muscles. These are proven facts. Form, running economy, and fast twitch muscles help you run faster. This is also a fact. Which part do you not understand? And you say elites do core but its not making them faster? Someone get this guy on the phone with AlSal ASAP, cause apparently he's been doing it wrong all along and this 19:xx hobby jogger on letsrun has the answers.

Many of the stabilizer muscles that make up the core are comprised of slow twitch muscle fibers. They won't build fast twitch muscles.

kod3200 wrote:

core disbeliefs wrote:

That is correct.

You will see them doing core but not running faster because of it.

Ever see a gymnast run? Core to beat the band and they look like an octopus rolling down a hill.

Core helps stabilize your form, improve running economy, and build fast twitch muscles. These are proven facts. Form, running economy, and fast twitch muscles help you run faster. This is also a fact. Which part do you not understand? And you say elites do core but its not making them faster? Someone get this guy on the phone with AlSal ASAP, cause apparently he's been doing it wrong all along and this 19:xx hobby jogger on letsrun has the answers.

Why do Farah and Coburn wobble with all that core work?

Core does not "build fast twitch muscles". Why do you make this sh*t up?

For the record I used to be a core specialist and got way faster when I stopped wasting that energy and devoted it to you guessed it, running more.

I can guarantee my core is still way stronger than any elite distance runner and that makes no difference to me catching up to them.

Not sure why you feel you have all the answers because you have done 19:XX?

19:XX could mean more than you think.

What if he is 6'5, 250 lbs? It's impressive.

kod3200 wrote:

core disbeliefs wrote:

That is correct.

You will see them doing core but not running faster because of it.

Ever see a gymnast run? Core to beat the band and they look like an octopus rolling down a hill.

Core helps stabilize your form, improve running economy, and build fast twitch muscles. These are proven facts. Form, running economy, and fast twitch muscles help you run faster. This is also a fact. Which part do you not understand? And you say elites do core but its not making them faster? Someone get this guy on the phone with AlSal ASAP, cause apparently he's been doing it wrong all along and this 19:xx hobby jogger on letsrun has the answers.

You are clueless.

Core develops muscles that pull a runner powerfully in all the wrong directions

.

Why would core make you run straighter and with better form when it doesn't train any of those things?

Running straight with good form takes less strength, not more.

Look up Stuart Mcgill on the role of the core. "The core is all about creating proximal stiffness to enhance distal mobility." Yes it could help you run better, however core work doesn't need to take more than a few minutes each day.

All the talk about "just run more miles" misses the point.

I think the OPs point is whether adding planks in addition to his running, regardless of what mileage he is doing, will help his running.

It's night, I'm watching TV in my shorts and socks. It's 30 degrees outside. I'm not going to get dressed, go outside, and run, but I can easily do some planks while watching TV.

Planks are easy to do on the spur of the moment, so why not add them to whatever you're already doing?

None.