I'm In A 30 Day Plank Challenge... Tightening the Abs!

At the beginning of the month, I decided to do a 30 day plank challenge. The goal is by the end of the month to hold a plank for 5 minutes. For those that aren't familiar with the plank, the basic plank exercise is a way to improve core strength and stability. You begin in a plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor while your torso is straight. The body in a straight line with no sagging. The abs are being held in as if they are waiting for a punch.

It's difficult to hold the position for a long time because you are really engaging your abs. The longest I've gone is three minutes non stop. I want to get to five minutes because I think it will further strengthen my core and tighten my abs. It won't be easy, but my hope is by the end of the challenge, I'll get to five minutes.

So are my abs tightening? I have been doing strength training for months now, using MSM powder and doing lots of core exercises! My body fat is close to 10 percent and I am certainly not trying to lose weight, just build muscle.

I do think they are tightening... judge for yourself! From the side view, I still have a way to go, but I'm very happy with how my abs look from the front. This has been such a challenge since losing the weight and I never imagined that I would be left with loose skin. It's just something that's never talked about much.

But one of the benefits of having the loose skin, it's forced me to begin strength training. I feel so much stronger and I'm proud of how my body is progressing. I also have so much energy doing the strength training too. I don't miss doing the treadmill for an hour... I'll take doing the weights over the treadmill any day. I never thought I would say that... I used to love doing cardio!

I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing during the challenge!