Exercise
Side Plank
The Side Plank is a static core exercise that builds side core strength and stability while training balance and body control.
Side Plank
The Side Plank is performed by supporting your body on one forearm and the side of your foot while holding a straight line from head to feet. The exercise is useful for strengthening the core, especially the muscles that help keep your body stable during everyday movements and training.
You should feel this exercise mainly along the side of your core and around the hips, with support from the shoulders. Keep your body stacked, avoid letting your hips drop, and maintain steady breathing throughout the hold. Focus on staying tall rather than holding as long as possible.
Side Plank fits well into core routines, warm-ups, or stability-focused workouts. To make it easier, place your bottom knee on the floor; to make it harder, lift the top leg or increase the hold time while keeping full control.
How to Perform the Side Plank
- Lie on your side with your legs extended and feet stacked on top of each other.
- Position your elbow directly beneath your shoulder with your forearm perpendicular to your body and hand flat on the ground.
- Contract your core muscles and lift your hips off the floor, creating a straight line from your head to your feet.
- Extend your top arm straight up toward the ceiling or place it on your hip for balance.
- Breathe normally while maintaining tension throughout your body, especially in your core and glutes.
- Keep your head in a neutral position by gazing straight ahead, not down at the floor.
- Hold this position while maintaining proper alignment and avoiding any rotation in your hips or shoulders.
- To exit the position, slowly lower your hips back to the floor with control.
Important information
- Make sure your supporting shoulder stays pulled back and away from your ear to prevent unnecessary neck strain.
- Keep your body in a perfectly straight line – avoid letting your hips sag or pike upward during the hold.
- If the standard position is too challenging, modify by bending your bottom knee and keeping that leg on the floor for additional support.
- Squeeze your glutes throughout the exercise to enhance stability and prevent lower back compensation.
FAQ - Side Plank
The Side Plank primarily targets your obliques and transverse abdominis, while also engaging your quadratus lumborum, gluteus medius, and adductors as stabilizers. Your shoulders, particularly the deltoids, also work to maintain proper upper body alignment throughout the hold.
Beginners should aim for 20-30 seconds per side, while intermediate exercisers can target 30-60 seconds. Focus on quality over quantity - it's better to perform multiple shorter holds with perfect form than a single longer hold with compromised technique.
The most common errors include allowing your hips to sag toward the floor, rotating your torso forward or backward, and shrugging your supporting shoulder toward your ear. Maintain a straight line from head to heels, keep your body stacked vertically, and create space between your ear and shoulder.
Perform the exercise with your knees bent at 90 degrees instead of legs extended, reducing the lever length and overall difficulty. Another effective regression is placing your bottom forearm on the ground instead of just your hand, creating a more stable base of support.
Include Side Planks 2-3 times weekly as part of your core training, allowing at least 48 hours between sessions for recovery if you're performing high-intensity variations. For optimal results, alternate between left and right sides, gradually increasing hold time as your strength improves.
Side Plank
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