It is good to assess your fitness level from time to time. It helps you stay well rounded in your workout life. One element that is important no matter if you are a runner, snowboarder, or into lifting weights, is core strength. You need to have a strong and stable torso regardless of your favorite form of exercise.
To test your core strength is simple, and you can do it home; all you need is a stopwatch.
Core Stability Test
- Start by lying on your stomach on the floor and place your elbows directly underneath your shoulders with your forearms on the floor making parallel lines.
- Curl your toes under and press up into an elbow plank and start timing yourself.
- Hold the plank for as long as you can.
- Remember to breathe!
To see what your results mean just read more
Results
- Strong: Holding the position for 60 seconds
- Average: Holding position for 30 - 60 seconds
- Needs Improvement: Holding position for less than 30 seconds means you need to strengthen your core
To strengthen your core you should add in some elbow planks to your routine as well as some side elbow planks.
Sonia Rykiel
Emilio Pucci
Lancaster
hmm mine Needs Improvement
1I pass...in my workout routine I do 75 seconds of that...twice
2When pushed, I can do more than 60 seconds.
3so sad. I only made it 31 seconds. I'll start doing these during commercial breaks.
434....average is good i hope! haha...i doubt i'll eve reach a whole minute though
5My mother had me do this before, quite amusing.
6I will try this when I'm at home haha!
7i don't really think the office is the place haha!!!!
Could not agree more Fit!
My trainer had me do the elbow plank as part of my initial fitness evaluation a few months ago... I couldn't hold it longer than 20 seconds!
Now, I can get up to a minute... But I'm really shaking by that time. But it's a huge improvement.
8i hate this! lol.. only cuz its hard! and you know its working.. but i hate it! hate it! haha
9whoo, I held it for over 60 seconds
1060 seconds! I was shaking a lot for the first 10 seconds or so and then I stopped shaking and it became easier.
11My old trainer (I miss him so much) used to LOVE to make me do these. I have pretty strong abs, but that's where I gain all my weight. I like to say I have a 6 pack, it's just still in the case.
12Oh fun! I just did this now at the office and made it past 60 seconds
I was worried
because I haven't been focusing on my core the last few weeks but looks like I still have some strength. Great motivation to keep going at it. Thanks for the posting the test.
13hahaha renee! "I like to say I have a 6 pack, it's just still in the case." I think we all feel like this! I know I do!
1460 seconds, shaking and my face burned up getting red. Oiye. I need to work harder at that one.
15haha 37 :S I barely made it to average! Need to keep working on my core
1662 seconds! Strong but still 50lbs overweight. I guess once I get rid of this fat, I'll have muscles already there!
17we do this in my yoga class all the time. I freaking hate it, but i know it's good for me. I'll have to time myself at home away from the cube though!
18i did over a minute, now i just gotta lose the jelly OVER my strong abs!
19I would have my butt in the air for so long! When I finally realized I was doing that it was much more of a challenge. But I'm getting there now that I know the correct alignment
202 minutes 10 seconds! I'm working on building up to 3 mins - I have a friend who can do 6 minutes - so jealous!
21p.s. I find my elbows give first - its good to do this with your arms on a swissball - its more forgiving on the elbows and shoulders! Plus its always fun to wobble about
22Average. If only I could have held on for 10 more seconds. I have started to go downhill lately - I gotta step it up!
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