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Exercise library · Abs

Side plank

Side stability for the abs with your bodyweight.

How to do it

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Elbow under shoulder, feet stacked

  1. Starting position

    Lie on your side with your elbow under your shoulder, legs straight and feet stacked.

  2. The movement

    Lift your hips and hold your body still in a straight line from head to feet.

Most common mistake

Don't let your hips sag, press your forearm into the floor and keep your side straight.

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Muscle group
Abs
Equipment
Bodyweight
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Time

Muscles worked

The side plank trains the side of your trunk. The obliques and the quadratus lumborum, a deep muscle in the lower back between the pelvis and the lowest ribs, do most of the work to hold your hips up. The gluteus medius on the bottom side helps, and the shoulder of your supporting arm works to carry your upper body. Bending your knees makes the exercise easier, and lifting your top leg gives the glutes on the top side more to do.

Common mistakes

  • Your body twists forwards or backwards. It is easy to roll your upper body towards the floor or push your hips back so your body bends. Imagine your back is against a wall, with shoulders, hips and feet in the same plane.
  • Your head drops. A head that sinks towards the floor drags your shoulder with it and bends the line. Keep your head in line with your spine and look straight ahead.
  • One side gets less time. The set is often shorter on the side that feels weaker. Start with the weaker side and hold for the same time on the stronger one.

Variations and alternatives

  • The side plank hip dip adds movement: you lower and lift your hips instead of holding still.
  • The plank trains the front of your trunk and pairs well with the side plank.
  • The Pallof press trains your trunk to resist rotation with a cable, and the weight is easy to increase.
  • The dumbbell side bend trains the side of your trunk through movement with a weight, in reps rather than seconds.

Sets and reps

The side plank is measured in seconds per side. Many people do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 45 seconds per side, with short rests in between. If you are new, start with your knees on the floor. End the set when your hips start to sag or your body twists, even if the time is not up. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.

Add 5 to 10 seconds at a time. Once you can hold for a good while with solid form, making the exercise harder usually gives you more than holding even longer: straighten your legs if you have been on your knees, lift your top leg a little or move to the side plank hip dip. That is progressive overload, even without weights. If your back or shoulder hurts, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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