 First question is from 713 clown. I've heard some trainers say that they are anti plank due to them training bad posture What is your opinion on that? I like this question who picked this? Good question because this is uh, I mean here's the thing I can I can defend either side here Yeah, so I'm not a fan of the plank for most people either unless I'm teaching it right so if I see if I see my I used to see trainers teaching it right that work for me all the time most of them don't do it right and most of them Don't most of them. It's just it's just very commonly misused. Yeah, it's an easy kill five to ten minutes with your clients But not really do anything like that's really what you remind me of when trainers either they would do the Or they'd run outside for laps or they'd have them do the wall sits. Yeah When you for you have nothing left to do I got ten more minutes. It's totally remind all three lazy train Exactly what I think of right with it now that being said Sal did a great YouTube video on our mind pump TV channel About an active plank and you should read the comments There's all kinds of people that it flipped everyone flipped their lid because of what he's teaching there but I stand behind what he talked about 100% and That's where you do like more of a tilt with your pelvis in order to Activate your abs and your core So it looks like you kind of have this little bit of a crown or around it back Which to the average person losing goes that doesn't look right I've seen these other planks where they look way more flat But then the problem with that is at almost everybody. I'd say 90% of the population has Somewhat of an anterior pelvic tilt to where you know They're their butt is kind of sticking and they have more of an excessive arch in their low back And then you go in a plank position and gravity is literally Reinforcing those forces right in that spot exactly. So for that reason I don't like the pay the plank generally speaking But if you train it like an active plank or like what Sal taught on the YouTube channel Then I'm totally pro it. Yeah, I don't like when trainers say things like I don't like that exercise because it trains this pattern Depends on who you're training. Okay. So, okay Could it reinforce bad posture on someone who's already got terrible posture weak mid-back muscles? Poor core stability and they can't perform it properly. Yeah, of course That means it's an inappropriate exercise for that person done properly and combined because you're not just doing one exercise If you're working out, you're not just doing planks, you know I could also say don't bench-press that that's bad for bad posture, too But you're not just bench-pressing in your workout You're doing rows and you're focusing on, you know, scapular mobility and it depends on the individual that I'm training Very rarely do I tell a client never do an exercise unless they can't perform it properly They're not they don't have enough mobility enough stability in which case will avoid the exercise But if they can do it properly and it's part of a good program It's much more complex than just looking at the exercise alone and saying this isn't good because this encourages, you know Whatever in combination with other movements a plank can be awesome My favorite way to use a plank is if with advanced clients I like to combine it with another exercise in a superset. So I like to do Like a prom I like to do a plank and then move to like a physio ball crunch or vice versa That can be real good with with beginner clients it helps me teach them how to control their pelvis pelvic position and 9 out of 10 times they do them off their knees Most people can't do they can't they don't have enough strength to control their pelvic position in a full plank So I have them go down to the knees and then we get them to squeeze their abs and control that position Well in that regard I use the plank a lot of times is like a Transitionary type of exercise for people that don't have the type of strength Especially in an extended plank position where you know, I want them to do push-ups and a lot of people can't maintain the proper Form there and have their core drawn in and everything else activated to support while they're doing Push-ups so I find value in that in terms of slowing down and really Emphasizing just the stability portion of you know, and how they should be feeling it and where they should be feeling it As a teaching type of an exercise, but you know, there's there's places for it's all in how you program it for sure and You know like I do like the the version that you teach on YouTube much better as as opposed to just going for the flat Plank that's gonna reinforce, you know a lot of positions there in the lower back Well, I think that's the problem that that some trainers have with it is when you understand What the purpose of the exercise is and then you see how most people do it you go like, okay? That's defeating the purpose So then it makes it sound it seemed like well That's a worthless exercise or you shouldn't even do it because it like Sal said it reinforces these bad patterns But yeah, if you if you learn how to do it properly then it doesn't defeat the purpose whatsoever So it can be a phenomenal exercise. It's just that most people do it wrong And it's harder to take a client who you haven't you haven't really taught we talked about this on a podcast the other day about like Training people and you know from what do we consider intermediate beginner or advanced, right? like as far as like where their skill level is and If if I have a client on an exercise like that It's really hard to cue somebody how to get into that position They're gonna default to like their bad patterns right away So that's where it's challenging if you're a good coach though And you give good cues to get them in there Which is again why I like that video that Sal does because that that that cue is teaching them What they need to kind of engage the entire time and once that person learns an active plank really well They can do a more traditional flat plank because they know what muscle they're trying to engage versus Showing someone here get down and apply and then hold it. Yeah, and then just hold it You know because then what they're just holding with their hip flexors They're just and then that's why they can do it for nine minutes You know in that position because they're not really activating their core