Back & Core rant(ish)

[Oberon]

I'm generally not-too-out-of-shape; I canoe and backpack, and am somewhat regularly active, but I don't like how exhausted I was after just 5 miles with a 30lb pack.

I've never "worked out" before, and I *hate* running, so to get myself to do *anything* regularly I started Square One and Back & Core two weeks ago. Square One I just power through with no breaks; I'll finish it, but it's too easy.

And start rant: Back & Core is rated as suitable for beginners. I find this to be true 80-90% of the time, but then today (day 14 in the program) just absolutely kicks my ass! Like, I can't do the side star plank *at all* - my hip on the leg I'm holding up just screams at me. If I put that leg down, it feels like I'm just working my arm? Am i just doing it completely wrong? Also, I can only do 6-7 plank rolls before I kinda just fall down - my feet slip out from under me and I have to reset. Am I literally just weak af, or what?!

It's surreal to nearly always be like, "yup, suitable for beginners," and then occasionally be like, "wtf I can't do this at all!"

Please help me understand

 

[Shaarawi]

I faced this issue too and I think and I believe more others will have same situations.

The idea of programs to do as best as you can, if one or tow exercise(s) are hard to do it, that means , you need to practice it more until your body can do it in easy way or you can escape this exercise if it will cause you medical physical issue, so it depends how old or strong you are.

In general, make programs as fun and you will get the results you need as much as you are stick with workouts and body activities.

 

[Fremen]

The exercises you mentioned are difficult, not only because they make your muscles work in a way they aren't used to but also because balance also comes into play.
I've seen trained people in the gym struggling to do them
Try and try and find your own way to do them, repetition is the only way to learn them

 

[GentleOx]

I can't speak to Back & Core, but I thought I'd share my own experience.

Back in the pandemic days, I would go outside with a sandbag in my backpack and walk circuits around the racecourse. It sucked! My feet hurt, and I soon realized that it was as much a shoulder/traps workout as anything else. What can I say?

Rucking is a specific skill that needs to be practiced before we can improve on it (ie by adding weight or distance). So keep at it, and I'm sure it will get easier.

Speaking to fitness and difficulty, I'm going to toot my horn a little. I'm a powerlifter, and my stock in trade is lifting heavy things repeatedly: something I'm proud of.

That said, I couldn't do most of the Darebee workouts without difficulty - my body's not used to those movements, my cardiovascular fitness isn't up to snuff, and I'm not terribly flexible. The only way to improve in a situation like this is to introduce the movements gradually and do them again and again. Only then do they get easier.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

As @Fremen and @GentleOx mentioned, every body has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Side plank does require some strength in the supporting arm, yes. But that is not the focus of the exercise. If your balance is good, and your shoulders are stacked over the supporting arm, your arm bones are actually doing most of the work of propping you up. Side planks target primarily the obliques. If your top leg is lifted as in side star plank, they also target the hip abductors on the lifted leg side. If your main physical activities are paddling and backpacking, these muscle groups are not ones you're targeting much on a regular basis. Hence the reason why side planks challenge you.

There are lots of ways to modify a side plank to make it either more accessible or more challenging. See: https://pocketyoga.com/pose/?sort=category&search=side plank for some ideas. Not shown on that page, but also possible is to do a kneeling side plank with the top leg lifted. You may find that more accessible than the full side star plank as you're more stable in a kneeling plank and also you'll be lifting the top leg at a slightly different angle, which might make a difference. If even kneeling you cannot lift the top leg, you can work on strengthening those muscles with side-lying leg raises (as in the Epic Legs Challenge). You can also try the same exercise standing.

Falling out of plank rolls could be a strength issue as it also targets the same muscle groups (plus also the front abs). It could also be technique. If you've been working out barefoot, you might try that exercise with running shoes on, or vice versa. One option or the other you will likely find gives you more traction, which makes it a bit easier to hold the form. (Once you get really strong, you can progress to socks on a smooth surface!)

 

[Oberon]

As @Fremen and @GentleOx mentioned, every body has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Side plank does require some strength in the supporting arm, yes. But that is not the focus of the exercise. If your balance is good, and your shoulders are stacked over the supporting arm, your arm bones are actually doing most of the work of propping you up. Side planks target primarily the obliques. If your top leg is lifted as in side star plank, they also target the hip abductors on the lifted leg side. If your main physical activities are paddling and backpacking, these muscle groups are not ones you're targeting much on a regular basis. Hence the reason why side planks challenge you.

There are lots of ways to modify a side plank to make it either more accessible or more challenging. See: https://pocketyoga.com/pose/?sort=category&search=side plank for some ideas. Not shown on that page, but also possible is to do a kneeling side plank with the top leg lifted. You may find that more accessible than the full side star plank as you're more stable in a kneeling plank and also you'll be lifting the top leg at a slightly different angle, which might make a difference. If even kneeling you cannot lift the top leg, you can work on strengthening those muscles with side-lying leg raises (as in the Epic Legs Challenge). You can also try the same exercise standing.

Falling out of plank rolls could be a strength issue as it also targets the same muscle groups (plus also the front abs). It could also be technique. If you've been working out barefoot, you might try that exercise with running shoes on, or vice versa. One option or the other you will likely find gives you more traction, which makes it a bit easier to hold the form. (Once you get really strong, you can progress to socks on a smooth surface!)

All this makes sense.

Looking further into it tho, I didn't expect it to be this hard because it's rated as a Level 2 program (I was going for easy cause I wanted to start slow) - and in the manual, it explicitly says that level 2 difficulty *doesn't have planks*. So there's that.

I guess it just makes me feel better knowing that, based on that, this is actually a level 3 program

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

in the manual, it explicitly says that level 2 difficulty *doesn't have planks*. So there's that.

The criteria DAREBEE uses to classify a workout's difficulty level changed recently. So I think what has happened is that some programs that were initially created as Level 2 may no longer fit that definition but still got left as Level 2 due to most of the workouts fitting it. A full side star plank is definitely a challenging exercise!