Plank and Shanks - how long do you hold 'em and how many sets?

[mikhou]

Just curious what you guys are doing with P&S's if you are doing them. I've used them for awhile, but only recently made them a staple in my routine. I workout in the mornings and usually am pressed for time to finish up, get cleaned up, and get to the office. So I've been been adding P&S's later in the day (after getting home from work) 2x/wk on Max Strength days 1&3 (doing MS work 3 days/wk). When I started, I began doing sets of plank for 30 seconds, 10 second rest, shank for 30 seconds, 10 second rest and repeat that up to 10 minutes. Over time I would add 5 seconds to each exercise and as the total time would exceed 10 minutes, I would reduce the number of rounds. I am now up to plank for 1:50, 10 second rest, shank for 1:50, 10 second rest for 2 rounds.

Just curious how you guys are using P&S's and how you progress them if at all. I know that J-Madd uses a weighted vest and maybe that's the next step in order to keep the sets shorter but more intense (like TB Max Strength protocols). I don't have a weighted vest, but perhaps a backpack would do. Although, I may continue to work up to longer work intervals for now. Thoughts?

[Fedaykin]

I do it a few different ways. Sometimes as brief as 30 sec intervals rolling from one to the other with no break for a set amount of time (30 sec plank - 30 sec shank - 30 sec plank - 30 sec shank and so on.... for 3-10 mins).

Other times I'll hold longer, up to 2 minutes each movement with a break in between, 1 min.

[Adski]

At the moment I've been doing them for 3-5 rds 1min of each with 1 min rest between sets with a weight vest.

I have also completed 1 min of each alternating until I have completed 3-5 rds, in this case I use a slightly lighter weight in the vest.