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Side Plank: Training the Core Muscles a Regular Plank Misses

A standard plank barely touches your obliques — the side plank is where that lateral core strength actually gets built.

· 2 min read

Side Plank demonstration

A front plank trains your abs and lower back well but leaves your obliques mostly untouched — the side plank is the straightforward fix, provided your hips stay lifted for the whole hold.

How to do it

  1. 1Lie on your side — propped up on your forearm, elbow directly under your shoulder.
  2. 2Stack your feet — one on top of the other, or stagger them slightly for more stability.
  3. 3Lift your hips — raise them off the floor until your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
  4. 4Brace your core — keep your obliques engaged throughout the hold rather than letting your hips sag.
  5. 5Keep your neck neutral — look forward rather than down at the floor.

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Sets and reps

Three holds of 20–30 seconds per side — once that's solid with a straight line held throughout, add a top-leg raise or a longer hold rather than just chasing time.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag. A drooping hip means your obliques have stopped doing the work. Lift back to a straight line the moment this happens, or end the hold.
  • Hips too far forward or back. Rotating your hips out of line with your shoulders reduces how much your obliques are actually working. Keep your body in one straight plane.
  • Collapsing through the supporting shoulder. Letting your shoulder sink toward your ear puts unnecessary strain on the joint. Keep it actively pressed away from your ear.

Safety note

If you feel this in your shoulder rather than your obliques, check that your elbow is directly under your shoulder and that shoulder is actively engaged, not just passively supporting your weight.

A straight line held with real tension for 20 seconds beats a sagging one held for a minute. Quality here is genuinely the whole exercise.

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