Time To Walk The Plank

On March 29, I posted about Cravings and the new book I’m writing about addiction. I decided that I could get in touch with what my characters were feeling by cutting out all the foods I love but are bad for me. And what better time to ramp up the exercise than when you’re already losing weight on a diet of carrots, cucumbers and baby spinach?

A few weeks later, my friend Jillian Dodd saw the post and challenged me to appear on her MANday page. Every Monday, she features a hot celebrity showing off his abs. Like this guy:

Samoan Rugby Player
Sonny Billy Williams

I don’t qualify as a celebrity yet, so I really have to work my abs.

Jillian and I are targeting July for a photo session and a post if she wins our bet. Details on that coming here soon. In the meantime, I’m kicking my workouts into high gear and I thought I would share what I’m up to.

For any of you who exercise regularly you know the human body is an incredibly adaptive machine. I had been walking around my block (4.1 miles) every day as a way to exercise, rehab my knee, and ponder what to write each day. The scenery here is gorgeous and I enjoy the daily trip through the woods and farms.

In the last two weeks I started running and something incredible happened. The first day I ran about three quarters of a mile and stopped. My heart was pounding and I could taste the blood coursing through my veins.

A few days later I slowed my pace and ran a little over a mile. Then a few days later I ran a little further. Then this week something shocking happened. I ran the entire block and even sprinted the last tenth of a mile. I thought it was a fluke until I did it again yesterday. My calves hurt, but I’m excited.

The running and diet should help me get rid of those last ten pounds covering up my abs, but when I find them I’m thinking they are going to need some work.

Some friends on Facebook have been talking about planks. I wasn’t convinced until last weekend I was doing some research on my new book and my nephew mentioned planks. Finally I had to see what this was all about.

Here’s a basic plank:

Here’s how to do it:

1) Start on your knees, toes and elbows with your arms hanging straight down from your shoulders and your hands together under your face.

2) Press yourself up so your body is straight from your toes to your head. Form is critical.

3) Hold this position and tighten your abs.

It seems so easy. Friends on Facebook say they do this for two minutes. Once you try it you’ll know why it is so good for your abs. It’s not as easy!

I’m not going to tell you how long I can hold a plank. I’m going to use the excuse that I’m really long (6’ 2”). Next week I’ll share my progress on planks and maybe a few variations.

Have you tried planks?

Got a great ab exercise you want to share? I can use all the help I can get.