Core Strength Test From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Want an easy way to test your core strength and endurance? Let’s do it!

Proper form is EVERYTHING in this test, so before you start, make sure you know how to get into (and hold!) a perfect plank position.

You can get a form check from an experienced coach who can walk you through it, but a DIY way is to set up a video camera before you do the test so that you can see your form yourself.

Your only goal? Hold your perfect plank as long as possible.

Here are the details:

Get into a forearm plank position so that your upper body weight is supported by your elbows and your legs by your toes.

You can get into this position by lying on the floor on your stomach, and then pushing your body up so that your elbows are on the floor below your shoulders, and your forearms are extending straight out in front of you (hands not touching).

Your hips should be off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels – your face should be looking toward the floor.

As soon as you get into this position, start a timer, and hold your plank as long as you can with good form. Don’t let your hips rise or fall, or your shoulders hunch or sag. Also, be sure to breathe!

Your test is done when your form starts to suffer.

Here are the scores:

• Less than 15 seconds – Very Poor
• 15-30 seconds – Poor
• 30-60 seconds – Below average
• 1-2 minutes – Average
• 2-4 minutes – Above Average
• 4-6 minutes – Very good
• Longer than 6 minutes – Excellent/Elite

How did you do