A hearty DANG! goes out to you on that opening superset, my friend! That's some work! Can you explain the "Contractile" Planks?
No problem. I didn't invent the concept, by any means, it's just what I call them in order to get peoples' minds off of what they normally think a "plank" is. Especially the girl I'm training, because we're both ex-mil and we have planks drilled into our minds as a very specific movement (or lack thereof) that becomes ineffectual over time.
Basically, most people who do a plank get their elbows under their shoulders, brace themselves on their forearms, and form a straight line from the base of their neck to their heels. This is a fine exercise, but I find it is much harder to perform and teaches a better abdominal bracing technique the way I explain it.
To do a "contractile" plank, assume a pushup position and drop down onto your elbows with your forearms flat on the floor. Make sure your elbows are as far in front of you as you can stand (strength and mobility wise), so that your armpit forms an oblique angle between your arm and torso. Once you're set into position, take a deep breath into your stomach, and brace your abdomen, pulling your ribcage in and down and pushing through your abdominal floor and obliques. Squeeze your glutes as tight as you can, and contract every muscle in your body as tightly as possible. If performed correctly, this should be difficult to maintain for more than 30 or 45 seconds. Do this for a few sets, and you'll be sore, I promise.
