Learning challenge s23w4: "I Love My Body /plank shoulder tap and Burpee".

It is another wonderful week to stay fit. We warmly welcome you all to this week 4. Our time is quickly running out and we are glad to receive entries from students who have demonstrated that they truly love their body by taking on the challenge in week 3. It was a truly tough program but thankfully, they all rose above the challenge. Yes, nothing good comes easy and no gain without pain. We sincerely commend participants and we hope that they will take on this week's challenge with such zeal and enthusiasm.

As for week 4, we will be introducing 2 different programs.

We are going to carry out plank shoulder tap and Burpee for this week. Hope you will all find them interesting and appetising.

Plank with shoulder touch:

It is an exercise program that works almost the entire body, it is a variation of the traditional plank that includes the shoulder touch.

To perform it, we place ourselves in the traditional plank position, legs hip-width apart, hands extended under the shoulders and we start alternating shoulder touches, with the right hand touching the left shoulder and then with the left touching the right shoulder, the rest of the body must maintain the position and balance. It seems very simple but it requires strength and endurance.

When tapping with the right hand, ensure you shift your body weight to the left hand and toes to maintain a balance.

Tap and return the right hand and do the same while tapping with the left hand.

Ensure to tighten your abdomenal muscles for core strengthening.

Avoid letting your hip rise above your shoulder. Maintain straight line.

Breath steadily while tapping and try to minimise the rate at which your hip move.

The benefits of this variation of plank is that it allows us to work a large number of muscles with a single exercise, with it, we not only work abs, but also strengthen buttocks, arms and shoulders.

It also helps to improve stability and coordination and as well help us to build strong core and overall fitness.

The muscles involved are: deltoids, triceps, gluteus, abdominal and lumbar muscles.

Burpee

They are an explosive combination of various exercises, including push-ups, squats and jumps, so the whole body is also involved in their performance. However, for simplicity, we are reducing it into a two way exercise, eliminating the pushup while in a plank position but concentrating on the squat thrust and a jump back to plank position. It is a strength training as well as a cardiovascular exercise

• Steps to be taken to be able to perform Burpee correctly

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Your arms should be at your sides.

2. Bring your body down in squat position as though you are seating on air, bending your knees while your chest is up. Then place your palms on the floor in front of you while still on that squat position.

3. Lift your feet back as though you are trying to kick back with both legs, that will place you on plank position while keeping your core engaged by tightening it. Your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels

4. If we had added push up, this could have been the right time to do so. But we are not adding it unless someone wants to take on extra challenge, then the student can add it.

5. Jump your both legs forward this time towards your arms which are still on the floor. This will return you to the squat position.

6. From that squat position, jump up explosively to the air, lifting your feet off the ground as though you want to do jump squat.

7. Land on the floor with your feet and repeat the process from beginning. This means that as you land, immediately go back to squat position, place your hands on the floor, kick your feet backward to stay on plank position, jump your feet forward and jump upwards. Continue these until the number of repetitions required is complete. Remember that all the above processes are done in swift movements.

With this exercise, strength and endurance are worked on, as well as coordination and balance, since almost the entire body is involved.

The main muscles involved are abdominal, gluteal, femoral, quadriceps, pectoral, triceps, among others.

Both exercises should be done according to the indications to avoid injuries, if they are done correctly and merged, we will be empowering our body to the maximum, since they are the perfect combination to work the whole body, as well as balance and coordination.

Adding them to our weekly routine, at least three times a week, will make the difference in our performance as fitness enthusiasts..

The video below illustrates just what we are required to do.